There's been a new wrinkle in the Boxster top job....

I stopped at dealer today and spoke with SM. He too recommended I use Tri Valley Auto. I called and spoke with a guy (Lyle) at Tri Valley Auto. He said if I supply the top he can't warranty fit. This sounded a bit peculiar to me, like he was being well, difficult, but then he explained that if the top didn't fit because it was defective he could not be responsible. I knew then what he was talking about and told him that if the top proved to be defective I'd take it back to Porsche and get it replaced under the new parts warranty. If he botched the installation that was his responsibility. I seriously doubt this is a likely outcome. This guy probably couldn't botch the install job if he wanted to.

Lyle gave me a quote for the labor of installing the top: $650. By "top" this means new canvas with new plastic window and new rubber sheeting along with any new hardware that comes with the kit (which a guy at the dealer I spoke with the other day told me the kit comes with the small hardware which is nice).

When I asked him about what he could charge if he supplied the factory top he said based on what I had said earlier -- suggested to me by the SM at the dealer -- that I could probably get the top kit for less money than he could -- he said his shop doesn't get much of a discount on Porsche parts/hardware -- and it would save money if I supplied the top kit.

The job takes 2 days, well the car has to be there two days, but I suspect it would only take one day, and probably not even a full day, 8 hours, to install. The guy at the shop said he could do it next week or the week after.

I have no idea what the factory top kit costs. I'll swing by the dealer tomorrow and speak with the parts department manager and SM to see what I have to pay.

... We charge $1,000 to install a GAHH top with a plastic window.
That price includes soft top plus labor.
the GAHH is a virtual copy of the Porsche top and uses the exact same canvas available in the same Porsche colors.
GAHH also offers the top with a glass rear window with integrated defroster. We charge $1200 for that option.
Installation takes a good 5-6 hours partly because of the removal process which must be done with care and saving all of the fasteners and seals.
The top then needs to sit at least overnight in the closed position so that the canvas can do its initial stretching.
We've installed probably 5 dozen or so, mostly on Boxstes. Carreras cabriolets are twice as costly mainly because of labor.
Happy Boxsteringg
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

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Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2015 03:49PM by Pedro (Weston, FL). (view changes)

and I might have to go with a GAHH top. Before I forget thanks for the info on the GAHH top. Much appreciated.

I priced the Porsche Top Kit (986-561-915-06-G10) and my cost is $3229.00 and delivery time can be 6 weeks.

That the top has to come from Germany - there are none in the USA -- and this can take weeks as the factory waits until it has a shipping container full before it puts it on a boat to the USA -- doesn't really affect my reluctance to use the factory top kit. The cost is the show stopper, the main, the only stumbling block.

$3229.00. Ouch.

Let me say that again: Ouch.

Obviously, that's too much money to spend on a top I think.

However, I have a plan B (the GAHH top is Plan C) that I will think about some more today and perhaps if my Plan B seems as good an idea tonight as it did this AM on the way to work I'll go ahead with it.

I'll let everyone know this plays out -- if I go through with Plan B -- though it may take some time -- weeks? -- before I know the outcome. And of course the GAHH top is always there as a fall back.

do not walk to the shop.

If you read this multi page multi step guide, you'll see how complex a job. Occasionally 2 people are handy.

Chris got a $1-2k labor quotes and Maurice didn't dispute that and he had done several and helped with many more. Most first timers seem to take two days.

But I have it in my notes of the phone conversation.

The new plastic rear window cost me $600 this a few years back. I guess (assume?) the rear window and new top install is about the same amount of labor? The top has to come off so the old window can be cut out and the new window sewn in.

I'm going to try to swing by the top shop one day on the way to work and speak to one of the guys and confirm the price and a few more details.

And the average was about $550 for labor to install a canvas top with plastic window to be supplied by me.

All of the places were convertible top + upholstery shops and almost all of them said that they could do it within the span of a day.

(This was in Boston)

In case I have to go with the GAHH top I did some research into this top.

The price seems "reasonable", at $699. This is the top with the plastic rear window. I have no interest in the glass rear window top.

Some "negatives": The GAHH web site touts the A5 Acoustic covering - at no extra charge -- which sounds (no pun) worthwhile but the fine print on the web page states this is only available with the black top. My Boxster's top is Metropole Blue and I would prefer to replace it with the same color top. I am not sure I'd like the looks of a black top on my car, which leads me to the other negative.

The other negative is apparently Metropole Blue is not offered even in the standard top covering. There are other blues but I'm not sure what they would look like on the car.

I have a question in to GAHH asking if I can get this color of top and with the A5 Acoustic covering.

With all of the GAHH tops I've installed, although 75% are black, I've never noticed any difference with either blue or gray tops vs the blacks.
The acoustic is an extra layer on the material.
Maybe the OEM Porsche metropolis blue doesn't have the acoustic layer either.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Quote
Pedro (Weston, FL)
With all of the GAHH tops I've installed, although 75% are black, I've never noticed any difference with either blue or gray tops vs the blacks.
The acoustic is an extra layer on the material.
Maybe the OEM Porsche metropolis blue doesn't have the acoustic layer either.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Maybe.

I don't know what the acoustic protection is, exactly. My factory top has a nice interior liner. I checked it out a bit yesterday and it feels quite substantial. I know the Boxster's interior is very quiet with the top up, quieter than my 996's interior and it is a coupe. The 996's 18" wheels/tires and wide tires account for the extra noise I think, well that and the stiffer suspension. What the Boxster has going for it are smaller 17" wheels/tires and narrower tires too, along with a more softly sprung suspension.

My intent is to speak to the guy at the shop who's going to install the top and has installed I'm sure a number of GAHH tops and ask him the details about the extra acoustic protection and what it brings to the table vs. the GAHH tops without it.

Guy parting out his car. In case you could work with black.

I'm awaiting word back on my request to Porsche for some goodwill on a new factory top for my car. Porsche replied back to me that this request for goodwill has to be submitted by the SM at the local dealer and I put my request in his hands. I will swing by today and ask for an update. If (big if) I get the goodwill and it is sufficient to get me to chose the factory top over the GAHH top then I have to order the top and wait for it to come in. This can take weeks as there are none in the USA and shipping from Germany involves waiting for a shipping container to be filled with other items to be shipped before the container is trucked to a dock and loaded on a ship.

If the goodwill is not forthcoming then I go with a new GAHH top.

into the correct service position. Apparently it hits the roll bars and because it doesn't flex like the original vinyl…

or some off-brand, not GAHH considering the thousands of tops that have been installed as replacements and haven't any issues.

Maurice is the guy that has most often helped on tops on the forums and he has done dozens.

... aftermarket Robins glass-windowed top.
The Robins glass window is a tad larger thN the GAHH and if the installer gets it wrong by 1/2 inch then you can't have full access to the engine bay.
I've never seen that problem with the GAHH top installed by me or by someone else.
Happy Boxstering
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

to have someone experienced like Pedro that is willing to share that experience for the benefit of us all.

So if I haven't said it in a while, thanks.