12 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHSoft top damaged - how to repair ?
Leading reported evidence
Check yellow pages
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
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Leading evidence: 'Check yellow pages' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check yellow pages' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I ended up shelling out about 5k to get a new Porsche top (they stitch the plastic in now) and have it installed correctly to make up for everything the independent screwed up.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Replace even though it was in relatively good shape
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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Suggestion
I decided to have the whole top replaced even though it was in relatively good shape because I thought it would need replacing in a couple of years anyway.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion
i didn't like it because they use a Boxter rear window which looks much too small to me and just gives a strange look to the car.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I ended up shelling out about 5k to get a new Porsche top (they stitch the plastic in now) and have it installed correctly to make up for everything the independent screwed up.
Replace even though it was in relatively good shape
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
I decided to have the whole top replaced even though it was in relatively good shape because I thought it would need replacing in a couple of years anyway.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
12 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T225432Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Was in Switzerland all week with the car in the Atlanta airport parking lot.
Upon my return immediately noticed some damage to the top. Seems to be that the seam between the plastic window and the canvas just gave up.
Doesn't look like vandalism, more like wear. Temperatures have been in the 90s all week. Maybe that contributed to the situation.
Anybdoy had this kind of issue themselves ? How to remedy ?
Thanks in advance !
I can't remember for sure if this has been discussed on this forum, but I know it has on RennTech .... at great length and several times. The most recent in the past month or so. Do a search in both places, and you'll find all you wish to know: TSB, possible fix (but not for you by the looks of your photo); new top prices; and lots of wailing & gnashing of teeth.
You could start
here
If your car is out of warranty, I'll be glad to direct you to the upholstery shop in Atlanta that did my (after market) replacement top.
Sorry to hear about your top. Next time take a cab to the airport and leave the car in the garage.
You might want to consider getting a new top from GAHH with a glass rear window. Check out this
link
.
I have seen a post on ebay....where you can convert your plastic rear to a glass one.....comes with new softtop for about 1800 bucks....I think this is the perfect time to make that switch!! If interested I will search for the link somewhere...
if you can find a good auto upholstery shop, they can put two rows of stitches around the plastic window and that will secure it. I know this because my rear plastic window just started separating this week in the exact same spot as yours.
It is much cheaper than getting a new top, especially if your currnet top is in good shape. I had quotes from $475 to $875 here in SoCal.
All of the shops that I went to said that this is a common fix on Porsche Cabs, and that if you do not mind the stitching, it will probably outlast the rest of the top.
capt601
You see...that's what I thought. This makes sense to me.
My car is in mint condition (including the rest of the top).
Just checked the yellow pages. There seem to be a couple of companies around that specialize in this kind of stuff. We'll see. I'll keep you guys posted.
This car is a daily driver. That's why I bought a 4 year old one (has had it's main depreciation hit) at the time. I'm not going to have it sit in the garage and save it for the next owner.
I'm a bit dissapointed about the quality of the top though. As mentioned, I drive the car year around. But about 5 months out of 12 I use the hard top. That should have given it some slack.
Exact same thing happened to me recently and it is a common problem with the glued in plastic rear windows on early 996's.
I would suggest you go and purchase an new plastic window from one of the many places that sell them on line and have it stitched in. I am kicking myself for not doing that in the first place. I decided to have the whole top replaced even though it was in relatively good shape because I thought it would need replacing in a couple of years anyway. Big mistake! I had a supposedly highly experienced independent shop put a new top on for me and mess it up big time. I ended up shelling out about 5k to get a new Porsche top (they stitch the plastic in now) and have it installed correctly to make up for everything the independent screwed up. I'm taking them to small claims court.
No matter who does your top make sure they are highly experienced in working on 996 tops. These tops are complicated and more expensive than almost any other car top on the market to fix. If you get a new top I would suggest having Porsche install the top as they usually have one or two guys dedicated to installing all their tops. It is usually only a couple hundred more than an independent shop. It's worth it to get that experience.
Check out the GAHH top that has the glass rear window. i didn't like it because they use a Boxter rear window which looks much too small to me and just gives a strange look to the car. That is purely my opinion though and you may think it looks fine.
Best of luck.
make sure the shop knows what they are doing!!
When I bought mine....the replaces the plastic window..because it was in very bad shape...but the body shop did a terrible stitching job...and it kind of bothers me..while noone else sees it!!
