First upgrade...new top w/ glass window?

[Perfectlap]

funny I never do the the rear window chop and I have no crease at all.

Let it do it by itself correctly, leave it down for a long while if you can. I think after time it just remembers where to fold on its own.

As for replacing the top, you never need to replace the top with some care.
Raggtopp on the canvas. rinse it weekly with a stiff stream of water and blot it dry, that'll keep the spray on protectant from coming off.

For the window use Plexus regularly (spray onto the towel not the window to keep the Plexus off of the canvas). I also use Plexus on the windscreen and headlights and tails.
Every few weeks (if driven daily) use Renovo polish to remove hairline scratches and bring back clarity.

and of course the softop cover from Ebay when you are parked outdoors can make your top last well you may never need to replace it.

As far as plastic window in general I've seen them on Ferraris.
So don't feel bad. The Miata design guys are just really smart.

[Marc Gelefsky]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

funny I never do the the rear window chop and I have no crease at all.

Let it do it by itself correctly, leave it down for a long while if you can. I think after time it just remembers where to fold on its own.
.

I almost always need to do the "chop" unless its really warm out. I guess because my top is usually up since I only drive the car a couple times a week.

perfectlap is completly right...................beautiful colour if i might add. please don't put a black top, maybe that was a typo. blue on blue top only. i have the exact same car as you, other then the S logo on the back..... n yes wait until
the top breaks down, my back window is not the best looking, but rarely up. the back window is the last thing that anyone looks at. just keep it cleannnnnnn. i never chop at it, but recommended.

i just bought the side skirts, as perfectlap has made a strong point, that it adds to the looks of the car. this is the place that i bought them from. pretty dam cheap, and if you are as patient as me, slowwww delivery (although they have said that this is not there policy to deliver slow). i still have not got them yet, but i did get a ups tracking number today, so hopefully they are in by the end of the week. gt3 front i think next summer, just bought rims n skirts n thats all for this summer.

www.departstop.com

wheels (hold onto your stock wheels when you sell the car)
side skirting
GT3 front bumper

ohhh and whats really important about the rear window......clean the inside and outside, makes a big difference. just do a good job on the inside cleaning as it is kinda hard. this will improve the look of the window............

it did suck however driving to work today in my mini van behind a lapis blue boxster with a god dam glass window......

[Perfectlap]

oh by the way, Insite the GT3 front bumper looks fantastic in red.
just need the side skirts

[Marc Gelefsky]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

oh by the way, Insite the GT3 front bumper looks fantastic in red.
just need the side skirts

aw man..now I gotta buy GT3 skirts....

[insite]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

oh by the way, Insite the GT3 front bumper looks fantastic in red.
just need the side skirts

thanks! i actually saw that seal grey boxster at blue ridge boxster summit last weekend (i just popped in for a bit; my brother has a vacation house up there). i was debating the whole fiberglass / poly thing (bumper is OEM). i'm going to get the OEM skirts. just hard to make myself pony up the $$$ when there are so many functional things i could buy....

anyone know a cheap resource for the OEM skirts?

BTW marc - the grey car in PerfectLap's pic has the full AeroKit II (my car has only the AeroKit II bumper; don't confuse w/ AeroKit I)

[slogans7]

Beware of doing the "chop" when it's cold out. That's a sure way to crack the plastic window. Trust me!

[Perfectlap]

how much plexus are we talking?

No I agree a new GAHH soft top will greatly improve the appearance of the car but new wheels and an aero kit is more than an improvement, more like a re-invention.

DPS autoparts sells the bumpers and sideskirts for the 986. I'm sure Dayton over there has looked into sourcing for the 987. They sell on ebay as DE parts.

p.s.
There aren't really GT3 sideskirts for the Boxster. Porsche only makes one style factory in polyurethane for the Box, Like the one in the link I posted. Other styles (like the GT3 on my car) for the Box are made of fibeglass which is cheaper but more fragile and only produced in the aftermarket and usually cheaper than the factory polyurethane.


996 GT3 with errr GT3 sideskirts

[Marc Gelefsky]

Whats is a Factory part a 986 side skirt? Just the aerokit?

[Perfectlap]

the factory aero kit is usually a three piece kit: side skirt, front bumper and rear spoiler.

the side skirt in the factory aero kit is usually a perfect lazer cut fit.

The aftermarket stuff is usually off and can have annoying gaps. There is tiny gap on one of my side skirts which is noticeable because the the mud guars needed to be removed in order to install the side skirt. I should have sent it back but I didn't feel like dealing with all that for a tiny gap. I would have ordered teh factory style but I really wanted the more aero 911 style like in the picture above^
instead of the rounder factory look for the boxster:


factory Boxster sideskirt (based off the 99-01 911's)


after market GT3 MK II look (based of the 02-04 911's)

[Wintermute]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Damn, I hoped that once I bought the car I'd be done dumping loads of cash into it. Oh well. This is the first car that Ive actually felt was worth my time upgrading.

Well looks my first real upgrade will actually be to buy a house. I've been saving for awhile and when I move in about a year I think it'll be time. So I'm going to just enjoy my Boxster as is for awhile, and put my money towards that goal.

However, once that's done...well the Boxster will be long overdue for some upgrades

Until then, I'll just look at pics of Perfectlap's car