Hardtop Musings

[lkchris]

Pays to be a contributing member here, as there are two TSBs regarding the hardtops.

 

One discusses fixes for what seems like about 17 different versions of squeaks.

 

The other is quite specific regarding a "rattle," and looking at this helped me.  It appears not soon after the hardtop introduction Porsche found it useful to change the plastic caps on the blades that mount into the sockets on the windshield header.  Didn't really give mine a look, but had some included in a parts order I was putting together for other items, as they're maybe 25 cents each.  Finally looked at my top the other day and discovered there was no cap at all on the side where I had quite a rattle.  As I suspected the other side had what is probably the newer cap already there.  Got one glued on but haven't tested it yet.  This could have been a wild goose chase for sure had I had a mechanic somewhere looking to solve the problem.

 

For the first time gave my hardtop a close look over in anticipation of having it painted.  My car is rainforest green and the hardtop I found is seal gray and doesn't look bad that color at all.  My interior and soft top are graphite gray, so it maintains the theme.  Friends say leave it alone.

 

In any event in studying it I discovered the two "styling grooves" on each side are actually removable pieces apparently held in by a rubber gasket, $30-something each and clearly something to be removed for painting.  The gasket around the rear window also surely needs special treatment when changing paint color and viewing the parts system indicates this gasket is not separately available.  Rather, the parts system lists "windscreen ready to install" for $300 something.  Seems pretty likely removal of rear window is needed for painting.  BTW, separate rear windows are listed for base and S, probably some of that titanium trim again.

 

There is clearly painted area contact with the gasket around the side windows as well.  That gasket is all one piece, i.e. both side windows and across the front and is $900, pretty close to what I paid for the whole hardtop.

 

Very little here to find about hardtops doing search, except for one line that indicates dismantlement required for painting.  That's no lie.

 

Any additional comments on painting hardtops or otherwise maintaining them?

 

Staying gray for a while yet, but my yellow speedster humps (genuine) from eBay and a replacement front bumper are being painted next week.

Edited July 11, 2015 by lkchris

[a99C4tip]

lkchris

 

I had a Boxster hardtop painted as the one I purchased was scratched and damaged leaving no choice but to paint.

 

Here is what I did - 1) remove the headliner and all of the seals that are on the interior of the hardtop inside the car, including large rubber seal you described;  2) remove the two top exterior strips running front to back.  The retaining clips are plastic and will crack so order new ones;  3)  I did not remove rear window or seal.  Instead, I purchased roughly 5 feet of 3/16 diameter stranded (flexible) electrical wire and tucked it all the way around and under the lip of the rear window seal.  This lifted the rubber seal and created enough room for the body shop sprayer to reach under the seal so that when I removed the electrical wire there was no visible paint line and it looks factory paint;  4)  I put top on car without any seals and took it to the shop to paint.  With no seals in place, the shop had plenty of gaps to completely paint the top and the result is fantastic.  BTW I had them bondo and paint the "ears" as my top was the older style roof rack system setup, which I will never use.

 

Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

John

[lkchris]

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

[lkchris]

How about I revive my old thread?

 

Yes, my hardtop is an S version and has the titanium strip in the window gasket.

 

The strip is sun damaged to brown ... anyone know of a replacement for that plastic "chrome" from some other source that would fit and look good?