CharlieG

Great news, Chuck! Glad it went smoothly for you. A couple years down the road for me, this DIY still gives me pleasure.

Congrats on getting your cruise installed. Good work!

I never had trouble with my 17" P-zeros on dirt. I'm not sure an all-season would be any better, really the limiting factor is the amount of sidewall. I had a 16" snow combo that was great! But with the S you can't go smaller than 17", but in my experience that is decent. I would be very concerned with my current 18" combo (my 2nd Boxster is an S).

Love it! Very classy.

Thanks for the info, Brian. At nearly $100/hp I think I'll hold off on my potential conversion, LOL.

Looks great. I hope the tailight goes to a smaller size, ala Z8, instead of the led's being inside the current plastic tailight. Not that there's anything wrong with the current style, just something different and cool!

I'd be interested too. I have a non-550 2004 S (one of the few, it would seem like Porsche sold like half of the Boxsters in 2004 as 550's). 6 hp is a little silly, but if it isn't too much money I'd do it just on principle.

It's gorgeous! What color is that? So cool!

I gave up on mine, although admittedly I haven't tried very hard to find the root cause. My car is a 2004, believe it or not, but the previous owner had the original replaced with an aftermarket, and it has been a nightmare (that obviously the dealer won't warranty). If I can get a few more years out of it I'll be happy. Even my wife knows "the drill" of guiding the cable with her hands as I close the top. Good luck, I know all too well what a frustrating problem it is.

I'd be more inclined to worry about, rather than doubt, a power gain. Unless there is something special about the lubricating qualities of the oil (which there hopefully is), if the oil simply flows thinner it might also protect the engine less.

That said, it certainly sounds worth looking into. I'd be especially interested in a tranny oil which could enhance the shift feel.

Very nice. I plan to get one too when it is time. I did an Optima on my last car, but Odyssey takes it one step further.

Brian, your remarks remind me of exactly the same impressions I had when I owned a 2001 Base Boxster (217 hp) and drove a friend's then new 250 hp Boxster S. It was about a 15% difference...both on paper and in actual seat-of-the-pants feeling. You noticed it, but you wouldn't be wanting to trade up cars for it.

Seems like Porsche keeps us evenly baited so that we are happy for 2-4 years and then get the itch to upgrade! :)

That's a nice little improvement. I always like seeing how Porsche will refine things year-to-year.

So is the dealer doing any rides yet?

I don't know anyone who has driven the new 3.4. I take it they are in stock now? By the book, it's less than a 10% difference...but it must be nice. I'll put it this way...I have the 260 hp 2004 and I might not feel much difference between that and the 280...but I bet when I test drive the 2007 I'll definitely feel the 40 hp gain! Such is the way with incremental upgrades...it all depends on where you are coming from.

quote name='Badcow!' date='Sep 14 2006, 02:56 PM' post='52201'

how recently was the top replaced? 10 months ago

Is it one of the early or late ones? Not sure what you mean. It was a non-OEM replacement on an '03-4 Boxster with the glass style. New, I guess?

Which brand? I have no idea, but this one has a black vinyl beading which goes all around the outside of the window.

Are there tensioning issues that contribute to success or failure? I think so. The top cables were always bowed back beyond the virtual B pillar with the top up. It was a problem I meant to fix but didn't get to until it was too late.

What about weather/temperature issues? Yes, separation began with the 100 degree days in June.

Who did the replacement - DIY or specialty shop? Specialty shop. They left parts out, stripped some bolts, etc. It will probably get worse when I pull things apart eventually.

Hope this helps the "knowledge base." All you really have to know is that you get what you pay for, unfortunately.

Make sure you get an OEM top!!! I bought a 2004 S with a replaced top and it has been nothing but trouble for me. It never fit properly, there is a lip which will catch rain, and after less than a year the glass is separating from the canvas.

It was the same deal, the original owner had his vandalized, and someone did a song-and-dance about non-OEM being the same...and now I'm stuck with the problem. My dealer won't even look at it, said it voided the warranty.

I had this issue on my '01 Boxster and it was fixed by using silicon spray. I can't remember exactly where the spray went, and it was really tough trying to find the linkage points with my face under the dash. It fixed the problem permanently, though.

Now I'm starting to hear it on my '04 S...so I'm going to do the same thing soon.

Give this URL a try: http://tinyurl.com/ersrj

I'm very interested in the responses to this thread as well. I've read a couple instructions and it doesn't sound too bad...except there are couple of steps which sound like they involve fabric gluing and even cutting. That freaks me out a bit.

Hi Chris. It's a really nice work of fabrication but I just don't care for it. It is large and the material doesn't blend in with the interior at all.

I've seen all the creative ideas and I still don't like any of them. It all comes down to the fact that I wish V1 would supply a modular detector with small fore/aft sensors and a control unit, ala K1(?) I guess. I'm tempted to take mine apart and gut it, but not for the $400 risk!

I love it! But it is more work to install than you think. I've done it without actually removing the center console, but you have to squeeze the heck out the thing to get it to slip in. Aside from that, be prepared to drill out the holes at the front...they aren't big enough to fit over the bolts as is. You'll see what I mean when you get there.

I agree you should be able to do better. This is late in the convertible season, and even more significantly everyone is waiting for the 295hp '07's which will be out in only about a month.

Whatever you do, MAKE SURE YOU GET AN OEM TOP! I'm the second owner of an '04S, and even though I knew the top had been replaced--also due to vandalism--I learned a few months after I bought it that it wasn't OEM and that my dealer wouldn't warranty it.

It has been nothing but trouble. The cables were too tight, lots of connections were stripped, the interior liner is always coming out on the front or back, and now the glass window is starting to separate from the canvas. My choices are to replace it for $4K at the dealer or learn how to do my own work for $1,800. Not a happy camper about it.

This is a cool project. I look forward to seeing the results.