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The Saga Of One Messed Up Top

Tool Pants
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Tool Pants Member

Tool Pants

Posted
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We met today to check out the 1998 owned by Gary. Both side vents had been removed as his shop thought that was how to get into the top.

Mark pops of the ball joints for the clam shell so we can take a look.

top2.jpg

The first thing we notice is that parts have been marked left and right so someone has worked on this before - who did not know what they were doing. Both V levers have been bent.

top5.jpg

Both push rods for the clam shell have a bent attachment point. I bent them back into shape on a vise in the Harley shop, but one was so bent the spot welds broke. Denton's paint guy welded it back together.

top8.jpg

There were many problems with the prior fix(s) that had been done to this car. The drive cable was not sticking out enough on one side. Then when I pulled on the cable for the other side it pulled out from the transmission. Then Mark noticed one side had the reinforced cable and the other side did not. Something is wrong.

top14.jpg

One side of the car has the old style transmission and the other side has the new style.

top13.jpg

We pull out washers, nuts, spacers and other stuff to space out the mounting studs for the old style. I think the prior mechanic used everything he had in the coffee can.

top12.jpg

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Tool Pants Member

Tool Pants

Posted
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Posted

This is your typical broken plastic ball joint.

top15.jpg

These 2 push rods are about $140. They were fixed for free.

top16.jpg

New and old style transmissions.

top_001.jpg

The very bent V-levers.

top_043.jpg

  • 3 weeks later...
Jonhale Member

Jonhale

Posted
Posted

Well, I am here is the UK and mine is screwed up too!.

Waiting for a replacement cable as we speak...it snapped..

  • 1 year later...
box10k Member

box10k

Posted
Posted

top15.jpg

I was looking under the top yesterday and the plastic ball joints are white, whereas in the pictures I see red. Is there a difference in the parts? I have a 97 Boxster.

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Tool Pants Member

Tool Pants

Posted
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Porsche changed the part about 2 years ago. Red plastic became white plastic. The white plastic has a different feel to it. I suspect the white plastic is more resistant to heat.

If you have white plastic on a 1997 then that is because they have been replaced.

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