Convertible "clamshell" adjustment - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

I just noticed something kind of odd, either it just changed or I'm getting blind in my old age. On the driver side of my car, with the convertible top up, the clamshell sticks up about 1/4" inch higher than it should and about an 1/8" inch lower than flush on the passenger side. I noticed this in my side view mirrors, so it's mostly towards the front points. I inspected for any obstruction and checked the "adjustable" top cables, all are ok. Anyone have suggestions?

Don't look at it anymore? There are 3 adjustment places for the height of the clamshell. Here is the most common one, a wedge adjuster on each side, near where the seat belts attach to the roll bar. You need to have the clamshell raised to see them. If that is not it then I need to see a picture.

there are two little cables that go from behind the back window to either side of the engine cover. these are the cables that you undo to flip the back window up and expose the motor hatch. are yours in tact? if one or more is broken or out of adjustment (they are adjustable), they won't pull down the back of the window enough and it will prevent the clamshell from closing all the way.

I checked and adjusted the cables, both are quite tight. What are the other adjusters? What do those little "click" pieces do? I've moved them all around and didnt see any change. The shell is still higher on the driver side. Also, you said there are 3 adjustment points, what's the third? Thanks.

Here......

And the female socket for this.

the thing in the first picture will adjust the fore / aft gap between the clamshell and the quarter panels. the thing in the second picture adjusts the step between the back of the clamshell and the trunk / quarter panels. you want to adjust the second thing.

Thank you all for the help. I adjusted the "sockets", this helped in the rear, but the front of it still sticks up. I looked all over and can't seem to find any other adjustments. Here's what it looks like:

adjust the one in tool pants' other picture; it will reduce the step at the front of the clamshell. your picture jogged my memory.

This is how we adjusted one once....

now THAT is a precision tool.

That's hilarious! Don't think I'll try that method though. I did try that bolt in the lower picture, this just holds the arm on to the track, non-adjustable. In working on this, I noticed yet another problem. I gotta laugh here, I always wondered why it's so loud in my car even with the top up....now I know. Take a look at this picture, there's a good 3/4" gap between the clamshell and the weatherstrip!!! Thank god I keep it in the garage! I'm not sure what to think here. My first two instincts are that the strip is old and worn out ('98) but, I doubt a new one can fill a gap that large. The other is that I have the rear cables adjusted too tight, thus pulling the rear of the top down too hard. That's a catch-22 though...if I don't have them tight, I have a terrible rattling sound from the adjuster block. Any suggestions here? All of this makes me really wish I had the 5k to drop on a Zeintop!

FIXED!!! I loosened up the cables (does anyone know what the proper spec on these is?), I'll probably have some rattle, but oh well. From there, I noticed that the passenger side dimple adjuster was set too high, this caused the tilt making the driver side come up. My weatherstrip is a little worn out, I can push a key through there pretty easy, but at least it seems somewhat sealed. Thank you all for the help! I'd lstill like to know the proper setting for those rear cables, so if anyone does, please respond.

the bolt you mentioned that you thought was non-adjustable IS adjustable. you loosen the nut and turn the center with a screwdriver. it's an eccentric that will move the front of the clamshell up and down. as for the cables, there is a procedure for proper tensioning. i'll look it up this evening and post it.

I see, you are correct. I adjusted this and brought it down a little more. Now it seems about right. God bless 986forum!

Hi everyone, I'm reviving an old thread because I think this is relevant to the problem I'm having with my convertible top cover right now. However, the photos on the thread have since been taken down and I'm really not sure where the three points of adjustments that were mentioned are located at. Here are photos of my problem. As you can see the convertible top cover doesn't sit flush with the trunk or rear quarter panels with the top down. It's fine with the top up. Anyone know if the adjustment areas mentioned in this thread is going to be the solution? And if so, can someone post photos of these adjustment points?

Andy: I am having the same problem since I installed an 03 top and frame on my 01 986. I have adjusted the bolts at the rear ball joints for the cables that tighten the rear fit of the top. I have also added length to the arms that control top movement, the rods going forward from the pivots, the ones with red or white plastic tips that snap onto ball joints near the rear of the doors. I don't know about a third point of adjustment. I have managed to get the top to go forward enough to latch and to reduce the gap at the rear of the clamshell to about 1/2 inch, at best. Tightening the rear tension cables seems to pull the top away from latching at the windshield header. So, it has been trial and error for me even after reading all the posts I could find. I assume you have seen the posts by 1Shoir or Maurice? Have you received any helpful responses or found useful materials? Good luck. John

John, Thanks for the reply. I haven't had much time to work on the car but did find a couple other threads that may be useful. I've not seen those posts by 1Shoir or Maurice that you mentioned. In the meantime, I discovered that if I have the rear shelf speakers removed, the clamshell sits flush as it should. With the rear shelf speakers, the top is folding down onto the rear-most portion of the rear shelf speakers and perhaps that is limiting the travel needed for the clamshell to sit as it should. I'll try adjusting the arms later today or tomorrow as you mentioned.

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Has the top been replaced and if so, a glass back? I have this issue with my 2002 that had the top replaced by the previous owner. It was a plastic window replaced with a glass back aftermarket. Now the clamshell doesn't drop all the way because the top sticks up a little. Been a few years now and I just live with it.

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Mine is a 2003 (first year with the glass top from factory). Car has 33,000 miles on it and the top has never been replaced to my knowledge. The rear window still has the Porsche logo on it and the fabric top has signs of wear given the age/mileage of the car. I fiddled a bit with the rods with the white plastic ends that John (aka sandia) had mentioned. Both of these rods now seem as long as they will go and these photos are the best I can do this morning which to me looks near perfect enough for now (at least from 1 to 2 feet away).