Same old top vs channel problem - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

I've searched this forum and read everything I can find. I've searched YouTube and watched every video I can find and still cannot find the resolution to get my top to seat in the channel. All the videos show this flap of material at the leading edge of the roof and a support frame with a fastener of some sort . My frame does not have a spot where a fastener of any sort would go. Is the "flap" the piece that is sandwiched between the sliding clamp? If so, how and where do you attach the elastic? Same question for the frame; do you just wrap the material around the frame? A good clear picture would help me immensely. I just wrapped up installing a new top and want it to work as designed. Thanks for your patience.

....I went through the exact same issue. I ended up taking the car to a convertible top specialist. There was a very small, rectangular cloth tab that had come unglued from the top. Once it was rebonded, it pulled the top into the channel. I will have to do some digging. This was five years ago. I found the solution on this forum someplace.

...Here you go. This is the article that helped me resolve the issue. Good luck! https://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/convertibletopedgedoesnotfallintoguidech

I have the same issue as well. I looked at all the guides and found out that I had an aftermarket top placed in at some point with a glass back. Definitely not factory retrofit of some Fort from a later boxster either. I have yet to find a solution that works despite searching the forums

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Thanks, I'll give this a try, however, my top does not have that piece of material shown in photo #1, however, there is a 6" flap of material near the seam by the rear window. I attached a piece of elastic to that and wrapped it around the front frame pillar thinking that would work. FAIL!!!

I see your car is a '99 and mine is an '01 so I probably will not be much help. I just replaced my top in October with a glass window and have the instructions from the manufacturer. I will try to post a couple of the photos that illustrate this area when I get home tonight. However, mine clearly had the rubber tab on the frame to which the cloth strap attached. The strap had a hole which, when the rubber tab was peeled back from the frame, pressed over one of the plastic studs. The flap was then tapped back into place and you were done. The '99 obviously had another way of pulling the cable back in line when the top is raised. Without this "assistance" I think you will be hard pressed to get a consistent closer.

If you don't have those velcro straps as shown in picture 1 of Mike Focke's article, it is possible that a previous owner just removed them and threw them away when they became detached from the top. My car is a 2003, I'm the original owner, and several years ago they came unsewn from the convertible top, so I re-sewed them back on. I can easily see someone saying "What are these? They're not doing anything, so I might as well get rid of them." I happened to see this Youtube video posted in a Boxster Facebook group the other day. It is for a 987 but the guy says the 986 is similar. If you haven't seen it yet, maybe it will help. Only other thought I have is do you have the issue on both sides of the top? If not, maybe you can compare the working side to the problem side.

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This is a brand new aftermarket top. The only velcro strap is the one shown in the picture. I do not know what the 4" piece of material is for or where it connects to. The instructions did not cover this issue. I've seen this video, but it has the piece of material and a place to fasten it to the rail (screw), no help. HELP, PLEASE!

You did NOT say it was aftermarket in your original post. You need to contact the top company. Our posts were for Porsche OEM tops.

Mine is aftermarket just like the posters. It’s parked now and pretty cold in my garage so I’ll be looking to fix it sometime before springs. Actually took my a while to figure out my top was aftermarket as I thought it got swapped out for an OEM glass back when I first bought it. Even the previous owner of 10+ years didn’t know at the time but knew of the issue

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My apologies I assumed a top was a top. Forgive my ignorance. Not sure what good vontavting the company will do. I am not taking it off. I guess I will keep reaching around and setting it in place.

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I think you'd be able to figure something out if you can find someone with a properly functioning OEM 97- 99 or 2002 top and compare what they have to what you have. You could then figure out what needs to be added and where.

Here are the photos I promised. Probably will not help much and I apologize for the quality. My top was also an aftermarket top from AutoTops Direct. It took me about three days to remove and install but i took my time. I have to say it fit like a glove with really no issues at all and it did include the strap which my OEM did not have. The OEM used simple Velcro straps around the frame to guide the cable. As 10/10ths states I would contact the top manufacturer and see how they recommend solving this issue. Without those straps I don't see how you can consistently get your cable to fit inside the frame like it should. Good luck...

Sorry, here is the second photo. Not sure why it turned them sideways!

I contacted the seller and told them the top (not OEM) I purchased did not have the helper straps as the installation instructions pictured. They replied they will contact the manufacturer. I do not have much faith that they will come back with anything helpful. Does anyone know how to retrofit (location, length) the straps on the installed top without having to remove it? Or am I forever having to manually guide the top into the channel?

Would someone take and post a picture (well lit) of the attachment point and the piece that is used to pull the top into the channel. My replacement top did not come with this piece of material or any instructions on how and where to put a piece. I just want to put this issue to bed forever! Thanks for the assist.

Nothing? No help??

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I'd love to help, but I'm unclear what exactly you need a pic of. Please take a wide pic of yours with an arrow pointing where you want detailed shots and I can try to get some for you.

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My non OEM replacement top did not come with the strap or any material necessary to pull the top into the channel