View Full Version : Boxster top repairs
A common problem with 986/987 Boxsters as they age is that as you put the top up, the edges of the top fall outside the steel bows that go over the windows, rather than inside the channel in the bow as they are designed to do.
This is caused by a piece of elastic inside the top wearing out and losing its elasticity over time. A temporary fix is to get inside and adjust the elastic, but this only lasts a few months. You have to replace the elastic entirely.
Fortunately, this piece of elastic is sewn onto a triangular piece of vinyl, and a new piece can be sewn on fairly easily.
I bought this thing--a Speedy Stitch sewing awl--which is made for field repairs of canvas and other heavy fabric (like sails). It makes this job a breeze. My stitching looks like it was done by a zombie, but this piece is hidden so it doesn't really matter.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160508/4e111126c31fecc52aa9bbf0fe674592.jpg
Those failed on mine also… Was under warranty, so Porsche service did the repair. I asked about cost and apparently its only ~$75 per side.
That's surprisingly reasonable by Porsche standards, though here the awl was ~$12 and the elastic was $5, so maybe I should buy myself a nice bottle of Yamazaki to celebrate my thrift.
Ugh, exactly the thread I do not have to see. Went on another great drive today. Just two hours ago we both wondered what happens to 'vert tops when they age. We must have put it up and down four times every day that we've driven it. Is it an expensive counter ticking away? My car was a good deal and at low miles, but has only a year of warranty.
My take is don't worry about it.
I believe the 981 top is completely re-designed. This was a common issue on 987s (and possibly 986s, which mostly had the same top design). I wouldn't be surprised if Porsche tried a different approach for the 981s.
Even if they didn't specifically address it, its not an expensive repair (I was told ~$75/side by the only dealer in town). Its also not critical -- all the elastic does is pull the fabric top into the metal channel above the door glass. When it fails, it doesn't fail all the time -- it still worked most of the time after I noticed the first failure. It took a over a month before it started failing almost all the time (it happened in winter for me -- top down time…). Even then, it was only mildly annoying -- I could stop the top a bit shy of being fully closed, get out and align the fabric into the channel by hand, then finish closing the top (took about 15 seconds extra…).
My car is 10 years old and has 45k miles on it. I put the top down nearly every time I drive it.
It still works fine. I suspect I'll have to replace it in a few years, but even then it's not THAT expensive.
In sum--don't worry about it.
kognito
05-09-2016, 08:26 AM
Ugh, exactly the thread I do not have to see. Went on another great drive today. Just two hours ago we both wondered what happens to 'vert tops when they age. We must have put it up and down four times every day that we've driven it. Is it an expensive counter ticking away? My car was a good deal and at low miles, but has only a year of warranty.
The way you go through cars, I have a funny feeling you will be driving something else before the top fails.
clyde
05-09-2016, 06:17 PM
The way you go through cars, I have a funny feeling you will be driving something else before the top fails.
This.
And it doesn't look like the parts are that expensive.
Sharp11
05-09-2016, 11:11 PM
Ugh, exactly the thread I do not have to see. Went on another great drive today. Just two hours ago we both wondered what happens to 'vert tops when they age. We must have put it up and down four times every day that we've driven it. Is it an expensive counter ticking away? My car was a good deal and at low miles, but has only a year of warranty.
Mine's 10 years old (March 06 build) and still doing great - I can't imagine how many top ups and downs I've done, but it still looks new and operates flawlessly.
Which means I just jinxed myself ...
wdc330i
05-10-2016, 10:52 AM
Mine's 10 years old (March 06 build) and still doing great - I can't imagine how many top ups and downs I've done, but it still looks new and operates flawlessly.
Which means I just jinxed myself ...
I had some string fail on the M3C top. Technically not covered by the CPO warranty. I think it was a $400+ fix, but they goodwilled half of it. (Also a 2006)
The way you go through cars, I have a funny feeling you will be driving something else before the top fails.
I am aware of my history but every time I buy something, I have a "this is the ONE" feeling. :dunno:
I did keep my 06 Cayman S, 5 years and 1 month from new, a record for me. Also my 2000 A4 for 4.5 years as well as my 2010 A4 for 4 years. But yeah, there have been a lot of sub-two year cars especially among the sporty ones. I'm at 3 years+ with the M3 though.
Honestly, not worried about the top, car is essentially brand new (though with little warranty). It so happened that the thread got posted not more than an hour after the conversation with S.O. about top and its complexity and inevitable maintenance required. As non-vert' ppl, both of us had our OCD/worries triggered.
kognito
05-10-2016, 12:58 PM
I am aware of my history but every time I buy something, I have a "this is the ONE" feeling. :dunno:
I did keep my 06 Cayman S, 5 years and 1 month from new, a record for me. Also my 2000 A4 for 4.5 years as well as my 2010 A4 for 4 years. But yeah, there have been a lot of sub-two year cars especially among the sporty ones. I'm at 3 years+ with the M3 though.
Honestly, not worried about the top, car is essentially brand new (though with little warranty). It so happened that the thread got posted not more than an hour after the conversation with S.O. about top and its complexity and inevitable maintenance required. As non-vert' ppl, both of us had our OCD/worries triggered.
And, of course, you can't see me when I post, but I hope you realize I had a smile on my face as I posted that. It was meant as a fun joke
I am aware of my history but every time I buy something, I have a "this is the ONE" feeling. :dunno:
I did keep my 06 Cayman S, 5 years and 1 month from new, a record for me. Also my 2000 A4 for 4.5 years as well as my 2010 A4 for 4 years. But yeah, there have been a lot of sub-two year cars especially among the sporty ones. I'm at 3 years+ with the M3 though.
Honestly, not worried about the top, car is essentially brand new (though with little warranty). It so happened that the thread got posted not more than an hour after the conversation with S.O. about top and its complexity and inevitable maintenance required. As non-vert' ppl, both of us had our OCD/worries triggered.
I had the exact same buying pattern for years. I have owned about 16 cars in my lifetime and most all under 3y with 3 exceptions:
99 M3 Convertible - 5+y
94 MR2 Turbo - 7.5y
and now
03 M5 - It will have had it 8y next month - The winner and currently the longest I have ever owned a car.
clyde
05-10-2016, 06:10 PM
Convertible top replacements aren't that bad. They're not all as easy and cheap as the NA Miata, which I did in a couple hours myself for about $150 if I remember right. Looks like Boxster tops are in the $500-$700 range, plus a couple hundred more for a headliner if you need to replace that, too. Not sure about difficulty or labor costs. The XK8 top and headline pieces are similar cost to the Boxster (plus more for stupid hydraulic pieces in the Jag if you also need those).
Overall, I think you should be able to expect 7-10 years from a top on a car that sits outside and is operated frequently before you need to start worrying about it and most can probably go 15 years. Then, when they have to be replaced, it's not cheap (unless it's an NA Miata), but it's not ridiculous...especially on a car that dealers probably charge $1k or more to do brakes.
I would be stunned if a boxster top (especially a newer one) would be sub-1000. I'd expect a few G's. But it's ten years off so I'm not going to think about it.
clyde
05-10-2016, 07:30 PM
I would be stunned if a boxster top (especially a newer one) would be sub-1000. I'd expect a few G's. But it's ten years off so I'm not going to think about it.
:dunno:
http://www.autotopsdirect.com/porsche-boxster-convertible-tops-s/35.htm
https://www.convertibletopguys.com/convertible/1946/2005-ON-Porsche-Boxster#packages
http://www.autoberry.com/details.php?products_id=57
Even Pelican is under $1k, but unclear if that includes a headliner. If it does, it fits right in line with the other places.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/6125/POR_6125_BDYCON_pg2.htm#item7
But you're right, no need to worry about it for a long time. And even then, the potential price difference is just a few hundred and, at worst, won't reach anywhere close to the catastrophic (all S4 engines like in the other threads).
Note -- For the 987s, only Pelican had the special-order Brown colored top. I can't remember if Porsche offered a red top on the 987s, but don't see that on any of the sites.
Just pointing out that the special-order options may be a bit more expensive to replace. I had a couple minor problems replacing some things on my car since it had a special-order interior and top… It just required me to go OEM through the dealer instead of looking for aftermarket or going through Suncoast's website (although calling Suncoast was always an option)...
I replaced the top on my 99 M3. If I remember right it was like around $1200 in 07.
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