eBay New Boxster Convertible Tops

[bwillis]

If you do a search on eBay for boxster convertible top you get a store that sells new tops for $359. Ithink the store is "Car Top Guy".

Has anyone bought one of these? Anyone know why they seem so cheap?

Any idea how difficult they would be to install?

Any thoughts appreciated

Thanks,

Bob

Edited October 12, 2006 by bwillis

[Chris_in_NH]

If you do a search on eBay for boxster convertible top you get a store that sells new tops for $359. Ithink the store is "Car Top Guy".

Has anyone bought one of these? Anyone know why they seem so cheap?

Any idea how difficult they would be to install?

Any thoughts appreciated

Thanks,

Bob

i just bought one from the other eBay seller, Rich and Famous Auto Tops. it was a little more than Car Top Guy at $429 or something like that. i should be receiving it next week, so i can post back and report on the quality.

what i can tell you is that the owner of Rich and Famous, John, was a pleasure to work with. he sent me samples on multiple occassions, was in contact frequently with updates, and offered many non-Porsche colors. i ended up getting a 'Mercedes' blue top, as it matched my Ocean Blue boxster better than Porsche's 'Metropol Blue' which has a sort of gray/blue color. the Mercedes blue is a deeper, richer color and i think it will look incredible on the car.

i also had the option of the OEM 'fish-tank green' rear plastic window, a clear (like glass) plastic window, or a tinted window. i got samples for all of these as well. i decided on the the clear plastic window. when you compare the clear to the OEM green tinted window, you'll wonder how you never noticed the green tint.

i believe the price difference between Porsche OEM and aftermarket is brand-name only. they both use the same German A5 canvas material, but obviously Porsche-branded products will cost more. and if you think about it, it's not like Porsche manufactures the conv top canvasses anyway. they shop it out just like all the other parts they don't make, which is just about everything except engines and body panels.

as far as installation, i've heard that upholstery shops charge between $500 and $1000 to install a new top. i have read previous posts saying that the 'shop time' for this install is something ridiculous like 11 hours. from the first-hand install reports that i've read, it sounds like you could DIY in 3-6 hours. i am planning to give it a shot when my top arrives, and if i screw it up too bad, i'll just take it to a shop. there is a lot of info on installing the top in the 986 Convertible Top Forum at the top of this page.

i haven't heard anything good or bad about Car Top Guy's quality. you may want to check out Rich and Famous too. i have no affiliation with them, they were just very nice to work with and attentive. good luck with it!

[insite]

as far as installation, i've heard that upholstery shops charge between $500 and $1000 to install a new top. i have read previous posts saying that the 'shop time' for this install is something ridiculous like 11 hours. from the first-hand install reports that i've read, it sounds like you could DIY in 3-6 hours. i am planning to give it a shot when my top arrives, and if i screw it up too bad, i'll just take it to a shop. there is a lot of info on installing the top in the 986 Convertible Top Forum at the top of this page.

i bought mine off ebay. quality is great. installation is a real bear. getting the old one off is cake. getting the new one on is quite a trick. i have a LOT of experience as a mechanic. my first go at this took me nine hours. if i had to do it again, i could probably do it in 6. 3 hours is likely impossible unless you do them every single day. if you're not very adept with tools, i recommend against trying this yourself. we have a guy i work with who got started; he wound up having to pay someone to come to his house and finish it.

if you're good with tools, give it a go. if you're an amateur, i'd take it to a shop.

[Boxster02]

I got a black top with glass window from Cabrio World for $775. Glass window makes a ton of difference and is worth the extra money. Material looks the same as OEM. Install was about $500 and took less than 1 day(at a shop ).

[mikefocke]

Why didn't you go glass window Chris? $$ or ?

[Chris_in_NH]

Why didn't you go glass window Chris? $$ or ?

hi Mike,

i responded to this question over at ppbb, but thought i would post it here too for the Renntech guys.

i don't like the look of the glass window tops. the glass window is small, it is rectangular in shape which detracts from the curvy lines of the boxster, it has hideous defroster wires running through it, and the color (blue) didn't match my car (Ocean Blue) as well as the fabric available from other aftermarket soft top vendors.

i just got this new top yesterday which is a 'Mercedes blue' color and matches my car much better than Porsche's Metropol blue. it has a CLEAR rear window, not the OEM fishtank green color.

[CJ_Boxster]

Wow, that window is very very clear!