Re: Here's the driver's side wear on my old 986:

I notice that there is a wear mark, breaks in the fabric, of the top, drivers side (on the side, where it seems to make a sharp fold)
On the passenger side at the same spot there is a much smaller mark in the same spot, just a mark, no broken fabric....??

The fabric of these tops is pretty sturdy. Is it an actual tear or just a deep crease?

My description is lengthily awkward in that I simply don't have immediate access to the 986, otherwise a picture would've been included in my response.

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?

It's a 2007, I will try to post a picture....(need to figure out how to do it from my NEW I phone, technology has gotten away from me)

If you're referring to the side, rear, vertical part (don't know what its proper name would be: flank?) my former 986 has something similar, but it didn't get worse in the several years since. (I still see the car as a friend bought it.) It's an abrasion about an inch long or less where there's a part of the frame pressing against the fabric/liner. A slight bump of sorts. It showed up after a couple years from new, and I wondered how bad it would get, but the fabric hasn't actually torn to this day. When I would periodically treat the fabric with RaggTop, I'd daub in an extra amount there, thinking there may be some coating/lubrication effect. Perhaps that helped. The passenger side has nothing but the usual creases that set in when the top has been down for long periods of time, then is raised. No abrasions yet on the 981.

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?

I imagine it occurs on a car by car basis: exactly how the top fits over the frame, more, (or less?) depending on how often the top is activated, or kept at which position, etc.

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2015 03:19PM by Laz. (view changes)

The top on my 987 had some light wear marks in that area, but nothing that looked like cracking or tearing.

My '05 987 has a wear mark on the outside of the top, about 1" long, horizontal. It is a few inches above the clamshell, a few inches behind the window. Both sides quite even. I assume that this is due to the folding of the fabric when the top folds down. So far, it is not a hole.

In the past, I have had trouble with the elastic straps that keep the outer rim of the fabric inside the frame when the top comes up and closes over the driver. (See discussions on the board about this problem). I doubt that the two problems are related.

After 10 years, I am not surprised that the top is not like new, but I would sure like to hear if there happens to be any adjustment that can be made to prevent "wear" to turn into "cut" or "leak".

Saw the car this morning. Very frosty, so after wiping, the wear looks a lot worse than it would without the contrasting icing. Oh, it's strictly the linear shape, the circular stuff is the way I wiped away the frost. Normally, it's barely visible. There's no framework pushing from underneath, so it probably is a folding and/or rubbing abrasion.


Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?

Like Guenter's, and Laz's, mine was essentially an aesthetic thing - at most, a hint of chafing - pretty much what one would expect from the regular folding/unfolding. There wasn't any indication of broken threads, or a tear or anything of that sort. I annually applied the Porsche brand protectant:

[store.carcareonline.com]

I just found a spray can of RAGG TOP PROTECTANT, that I had from my previous Boxsters.
Does PORSCHE make the stuff they sell....probably repackaged RAGG TOP?
I'm going to give that a try after I clean the top.

Quote
dak911
I just found a spray can of RAGG TOP PROTECTANT, that I had from my previous Boxsters.
Does PORSCHE make the stuff they sell....probably repackaged RAGG TOP?
I'm going to give that a try after I clean the top.

As far as I know, the two products are different. My understanding is that the Porsche brand is really hard to get off if you get any on the windows or paint, so it needs to be masked very carefully. RaggTop is supposed to be easy to just wipe off if you get any on the paint or glass.

I've always used RaggTop, but masked it off anyway, so don't really know how easy it is to get any over spray off.

I spray it as accurately as I can and work it in, and to edges with nitrile gloved hands.

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?