Convertible Top Plastic Window Repair?

[bwillis]

I have a 1998 Boxster (986) and have discovered that some nice fellow has slashed my plastic window.

It is about a 2 inch clean cut, and I'm wondering if there are any possibilities for repair?

Any help appreciated :-)

Edited September 29, 2006 by bwillis

[Boxster02]

You insuarnce will cover it. I had my top cut a few weeks ago and insurance paid for it. I got the upgraded top with glass window

[mikefocke]

Can a good top shop

install just a new plastic window? Yes.

If you don't have comprehensive or don't want to use your insurance, you can do the cheap route. If the insurance company is buying, then let them replace the top (and consider adding your own $ to upgraade to the glass top).

Ask here or on www.ppbb.com or at a dealer who in your area does Porsche tops. Gotta tell us where you live/work.

[Donie]

There was a guy on Ebay who did a range of plastic windows for soft-tops and the Boxster was one of them.

I thought I had his info saved somewhere, but I just can't find it.

His kit included everythig to the job yourself, with needle and strong stitching cord/line , and it seemed to be a great solution at a very reasonable price.

Search/seek and you may find.

Edited September 30, 2006 by Donie

[Boxster02]

A new Boxster top with glass is $775 at Cabrio World and $1K at GAHH. Intall is about $500. The glass window makes a world of difference. My insuarance paid so much for the top, I didnt have to put any money out of pocket. OEM is about $2500 + labor.

[bmblack34]

I ran into the same issue a few months ago. I went to every shop in town trying to find the best way to resolve it.

What I learned is that, in order to just replace the vinyl window... they all pretty much charged you the same labor that it would take to just replace the entire top. Basically, in order to sow a new window in they had to do just as much labor and the results were not really guaranteed. Either way, the still have to take the entire top off the car to replace the window and the assemble it back on the car again later.

In the end it wouldn't have really saved me any money and I would have been doing it again before too long.

I hopped on ebay and TopsOnline.com has some Robbins tops with glass windows for $350... thats right sports fans... I only paid $350 and it was only an additional $400 to get it installed by a local installer. It was a great deal, and I am very very happy with the way it turned out.

I strongly recommend you ditch the crappy vinyl window asap and get one of the Robbins or GAHH glass windows. It's worth the money and you save yourself the same headache later on. :clapping:

Here are some pics of how mine turned out.

Edited March 28, 2007 by bmblack34

[rushrevisited]

The do it yourself kit mentioned in this thread is here: http://www.emiata.com/BoxsterWindow.htm

I also had mine crack (put it down at 40 degrees and it was getting brittle as it was). I took it to a place here in Cincinnati and they did it for $400. Yes they do have to take off the convertible top and put it into the upholstry machine, but that is no big deal - those places know what they are doing. My new window looks great now and sure beats a new top cost.

Are you sure it was actually slashed by someone? Mine was also a very clean cut about 3 inches long - if I hadn't seen/heard it happen I would have thought someone slashed it too...

[tholyoak]

I just replaced my rear window, total cost was under $250. I removed the top from the frame and took it to the local top place. That night I got it back and reinstalled the canvas on the frame. Pretty straight forward.

Todd

[fab]

I had my plastic window replaced. You can search for a local upholstery place they could do the job. Cost was 400.00 bucks.

[ocblubox]

I hopped on ebay and TopsOnline.com has some Robbins tops with glass windows for $350... thats right sports fans... I only paid $350 and it was only an additional $400 to get it installed by a local installer. It was a great deal, and I am very very happy with the way it turned out.

Where on EBAY did you look? I can only find Buy it now for $695

[bmblack34]

I hopped on ebay and TopsOnline.com has some Robbins tops with glass windows for $350... thats right sports fans... I only paid $350 and it was only an additional $400 to get it installed by a local installer. It was a great deal, and I am very very happy with the way it turned out.

Where on EBAY did you look? I can only find Buy it now for $695

[bmblack34]

I hopped on ebay and TopsOnline.com has some Robbins tops with glass windows for $350... thats right sports fans... I only paid $350 and it was only an additional $400 to get it installed by a local installer. It was a great deal, and I am very very happy with the way it turned out.

Where on EBAY did you look? I can only find Buy it now for $695

I just took a look and you are right. Seems right now the cheapest you can get from them is $695. I guess these things are cheaper in the dead of winter when business is slow. I'm sure business picks up for them when spring rolls around and every starts getting their cars ready for summer. Supply and demand.

I bought mine the first week of January and paid $350 from the user topsonline.com. As I recall, they had several others on there at that time and the buy it know was around $390. They were definitely cheaper a few months ago. Right now the only ones you can get on that price range are the ones with plastic windows.

I guess keep checking back and hope those prices fall again... maybe end of summer or late fall.

Lots of people don't like the sonnedeck because its not german. But trust me, the nationality of your canvas top won't bother you after you see it on there. It looks great, works great, and like I said... I think is much better than the OEM top that came with the car. It's definitely a quality top. I wouldn't hesitate to pay $700 or more for it.

[ocblubox]

I hopped on ebay and TopsOnline.com has some Robbins tops with glass windows for $350... thats right sports fans... I only paid $350 and it was only an additional $400 to get it installed by a local installer. It was a great deal, and I am very very happy with the way it turned out.

Where on EBAY did you look? I can only find Buy it now for $695

I just took a look and you are right. Seems right now the cheapest you can get from them is $695. I guess these things are cheaper in the dead of winter when business is slow. I'm sure business picks up for them when spring rolls around and every starts getting their cars ready for summer. Supply and demand.

I bought mine the first week of January and paid $350 from the user topsonline.com. As I recall, they had several others on there at that time and the buy it know was around $390. They were definitely cheaper a few months ago. Right now the only ones you can get on that price range are the ones with plastic windows.

I guess keep checking back and hope those prices fall again... maybe end of summer or late fall.

Lots of people don't like the sonnedeck because its not german. But trust me, the nationality of your canvas top won't bother you after you see it on there. It looks great, works great, and like I said... I think is much better than the OEM top that came with the car. It's definitely a quality top. I wouldn't hesitate to pay $700 or more for it.

Does the new top with the glass window reduce the noise from outside over the OEM version?

Edited March 29, 2007 by ocblubox

[bmblack34]

I hopped on ebay and TopsOnline.com has some Robbins tops with glass windows for $350... thats right sports fans... I only paid $350 and it was only an additional $400 to get it installed by a local installer. It was a great deal, and I am very very happy with the way it turned out.

Where on EBAY did you look? I can only find Buy it now for $695

I just took a look and you are right. Seems right now the cheapest you can get from them is $695. I guess these things are cheaper in the dead of winter when business is slow. I'm sure business picks up for them when spring rolls around and every starts getting their cars ready for summer. Supply and demand.

I bought mine the first week of January and paid $350 from the user topsonline.com. As I recall, they had several others on there at that time and the buy it know was around $390. They were definitely cheaper a few months ago. Right now the only ones you can get on that price range are the ones with plastic windows.

I guess keep checking back and hope those prices fall again... maybe end of summer or late fall.

Lots of people don't like the sonnedeck because its not german. But trust me, the nationality of your canvas top won't bother you after you see it on there. It looks great, works great, and like I said... I think is much better than the OEM top that came with the car. It's definitely a quality top. I wouldn't hesitate to pay $700 or more for it.

Does the new top with the glass window reduce the noise from outside over the OEM version?

It did help a little. Not a whole lot, but it did make a difference.

[Diamond Monaco]

I hopped on ebay and TopsOnline.com has some Robbins tops with glass windows for $350... thats right sports fans... I only paid $350 and it was only an additional $400 to get it installed by a local installer. It was a great deal, and I am very very happy with the way it turned out.

Where on EBAY did you look? I can only find Buy it now for $695

I just took a look and you are right. Seems right now the cheapest you can get from them is $695. I guess these things are cheaper in the dead of winter when business is slow. I'm sure business picks up for them when spring rolls around and every starts getting their cars ready for summer. Supply and demand.

I bought mine the first week of January and paid $350 from the user topsonline.com. As I recall, they had several others on there at that time and the buy it know was around $390. They were definitely cheaper a few months ago. Right now the only ones you can get on that price range are the ones with plastic windows.

I guess keep checking back and hope those prices fall again... maybe end of summer or late fall.

Lots of people don't like the sonnedeck because its not german. But trust me, the nationality of your canvas top won't bother you after you see it on there. It looks great, works great, and like I said... I think is much better than the OEM top that came with the car. It's definitely a quality top. I wouldn't hesitate to pay $700 or more for it.

Does the new top with the glass window reduce the noise from outside over the OEM version?

It did help a little. Not a whole lot, but it did make a difference.

Glass is one of the best known conductors of sound.

The first thing we do in a studio is replace all the windows. Sometimes with plastic.