Manual roof downgrade

[flaps10]

Great mod. I've owned two Miatas and loved the speed with which I could get the top up or down while seated (in the case of 'down' I could do it with one hand when moving slowly).

I've always thought the Porsche system was slow and doesn't exactly present as robust. I agree that anything that can simplify and remove weight is awesome.

I don't see your A/C system in that pile of parts. That would be a bunch more weight off.

[itsnotanova]

We need our AC down here. That's some dedication to live without AC and I'm too old and cranky to do that anymore. 😉

[paulofto]

I'd say living on the 'wet' coast Flaps needs a speedy working drop top more than he needs the A/C system.

[Mister Quickie]

After considerable research I've determined that at some point the roof/motor will fail.
When any part fails, an upgraded roof/motor at $4k is the solution.
Definitely more than I'd want to spend.

If I found a Boxster with a hard top, took out the roof/motor and just drove with the hard top, my concern is that the hard top is set into the grooves of the body so it's not permanently affixed like a coupe roof. Therefore if it gets hit hard enough from the side, it can "slide" into the occupants. If it were a rollover scenario, this "sliding across" effect makes would end up causing greater damage that not having the hard top

[98Blue]

Hi all, enjoying the Forum very much. '98 is 4 weeks new and the top is stuck closed. I know this is just the beginning so I like the idea of a manual top. A local Porsche guy says remove the 19mm bolts and the top is manual. I'm getting to the diagrams for more detail but I'm interested in your experience. Is it that easy?

Thanks for the guidance.