Re: My .02 worth

after 11 years, the rear window in my 2001 S developed a crack today.
Should I replace the entire top or just sew in a new window?
What price range is an entire new top and price range for a window job only?
Anybody good in the Boston area for this type of work?
Thank you

I have a 2000S and realize that at some point I will face the same issue. Given that it appears that a new window plus labor appears to run around $300 and my top is 12 years old, I'd be hard pressed not
to do the whole thing. I guess its a risk, reward thing....what if you get a new top and in the next year have a worn spot turn into a tear?

I do think I am going to be a goof and try to install the top myself...and most likely live to regret it

dghii
2000 Boxster S 6speed 112k miles

I had to replace my rear window in my 00 base last year. I decided to remove and reinstall the top myself which is about 5 hrs of work. But it only cost me $75 to have a strataglass (plastic) window sewn in at a boat upholstery shop locally. So to me, it was worthwhile doing.

Joe

When a new plastic window is sewn into the old original top, does the top have to come off?

... by hand you can do it with the fabric on the frame, but off the car.
If you sew by machine then the fabric needs to come off the frame.
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)

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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

If you go to Maurice's pages on doing tops/windows you'll find a picture of a sewing machine with multi-foot-long jaws that can do the window while the top is still on the frame. Not everyone has one though.

(see the second picture)

You can do a temporary fix by using a dab of E6000 sealant to keep the water out while you decide.
The hack was a suggestion posted on this board last Spring.

We did a fix just to keep the water out while waiting for the new top to be delivered:
[www.rainydaymagazine.com]

When the top arrived, we decided to see how long the fix would hold.
It lasted all season, so we have yet to put on the new top.

We'll see what the condition of the plastic window is when we pull the hard top off in a few weeks...