Boxster Project: Hardtop Installation
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It will be 25 years this Spring for our 2000 Porsche Boxster!
We recently realized that we have never done a post on the installation of the Boxster hardtop. Even though we mention the hardtop on occasion (repair, switch, etc), we never walk through the basic steps of putting the hardtop on…something we STILL get a fair number of questions about!
We remedy that today 😉
Still a beaut…
Every Autumn we wait to put on the hardtop because we decided that we will drive the car with the top down until it gets too cold for the rear window to fold without cracking. With the window plastic now close to 22 years old, the “threshold temperature” for safely folding it has climbed from 40º to closer to 50º 🙁
Can you have a “window” made out of plastic? Porsche says you can…
Additionally, in order to put the hardtop on, we need to put the convertible top down, which obviously means we can’t wait until it gets so cold that the plastic cracks. The forecast for the coming weeks indicate that we had waited long enough. The time for the hardtop installation is now.
Even hanging upside down on a cellar (New England term – we don’t have “basements”) wall, the Boxster Top STILL looks great!
Steps
The hardtop weighs only 55 lbs, but is large and unwieldy. Unless a hoist is used, the installation of the hardtop typically requires two people. The basic steps are as follows:
1. Lower the convertible top (and also the lower the windows to avoid knocking into them accidentally);
2. Check to see that the “spin lock” openings are clear. These locks don’t come installed as standard equipment; we had to put them in ourselves when we first purchased the hardtop;
3. Insert the FRONT of the hardtop before dealing with the rear pins;
4. Align the two rear pins with their respective spin locks and lock down the back;
Steps 1, 2, 3, and 4.
5. Lock down the front, and finally;
6. Install the front lock cover for a finished look.
Steps 5 and 6 make it all Porsche-y.
Miscellaneous
There is a rubber seal that separates the hard-top from the body, and the gap is about 1/2 inch. Because of that, the hardtop does not sit completely flush with the body, but should completely keep out the elements (ours does).
Looks like its not quite seated, but it is and has never leaked/seeped inclement weather into the interior.
The rear glass window has a built-in defroster. The locking connector that powers it goes into the socket behind the left seat. With the hardtop on, the wind deflect will no longer be needed, so removing it will improve rear visibility.
THAT goes in THERE, so that THAT can go in THERE.
With climate change, we have noticed that the top has been going on later and coming off sooner. The hardtop will now go on in November instead of October and will come off in April instead of May!
“Ready and able and at your service all year round, sir.”
Links to items mentioned:
BTW, we link to Pelican Parts because it is where we buy our parts. They have been RainyDayGarage’s first call for over two decades because of their great prices, super-knowledgeable staff, and excellent customer services. Give them the year, make, and model…they WILL get you the right parts….unlike Ebay and Amazon 🙂
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