OH YES! Gahh finally has a GLASS rear window replacement for older 996 cabs

I'm reading over at Renntech to check out what's doing and what's the first thing to grab my attention: Gahh Website That's right! They finally created a glass rear window replacement for MY 1999 - 2001 911 cabriolets. I haven't gotten any information from anyone on how it looks or operates but I am seriously psyched about putting one in my car now that summer is here. And frankly, the price seems somewhat in line with what a top replacement costs anyhow (not that I need one at all). Moreover, the window doesn't look that much different from the MY 2002+ cars. We have got to get a group buy put together for this after we get some feedback on how fit and finish is. So there it is...a worthwhile update. I hope those of you who needed to replace their tops were able to wait a little while longer for this. Such a coup. I can hardly contain my excitement.

Pisses me off! Not that they came out with this but that the idiots over at PAG could have EASILY done this from the beginning. Seriously, why in the world does this car come with a plastic rear window? Do you loose some visibility? Of course you do since the glass obviously cannot bend in half like the plastic. If I ever have to replace my top in the future, I will definitely go with this new glass window top but I can't imagine that since the car is ALWAYS garaged at home and treated and taken care of. And I bought a new top and window about 1.5 years (while under warranty) ago since PCNA stopped warranty claims at my local dealer and claimed the Vegas sun was destroying so many tops and not defective materials. Of course, they covered them (warranty) up to about 2 months before I went in.

$1800? is it too high?

Noticed this last night myself. I'm with Dell on this one... replaced my top with a plastic rear from GAHH last fall. Very happy with the top, but pissed that the glass rear is out now. Oh well, top wouldn't have made it another week at the time so it had to be done...

YES!!! Thanks for the info Edward! I'd be really interested to hear the reviews of any first adopters... Please post if you do!

Does anyone have the dimensions of the glass rear window in the MY2002+ cabriolets? It'd be interesting to compare to the Gahh version (35.5"w x 12"h).

Wow! Just purchased an 01 996 and the only thing I really didn't like was the plastoc rear window. Thanks for the heads-up. I'm all over this!

Finally!!!! 1800 seems high for a replacement, but considering its glass...whole new ballgame.

OK, my question may seem dumb, so please don't blast me. Is $1,800 for the entire top? I assume it is, as the window size is different, as mentioned by Dell, so this wouldn't fit on an OEM top. $1,800 doesn't seem too bad for a new top with a glass window. I also assume you would have a pro do the install, or is it a viable DIY project. If anyone had someone else replace it, how much was labor? Thanks - Sean

Yes, it is $1800 for the new top with glass window. Just for reference, I had a new GAHH top with plastic window installed last year (like Dell, I'm crying over this news). The total cost, including installation at a dealer recommended upholstery shop here in Atlanta was $1900. I did not ask for a labor / materials break out, but I do know that it is a lot of work, especially if done well. I can also add that another shop quoted me $600 labor to remove my old top, stitch around the window, and reinstall it. I guess that is some indication of the labor involved.

This is great news, now we need some Guinea pigs.

I'm interested if you put together a group buy! Also curious about labor....

Oh, crap, here is another potential group buy I won't be able to participate in! (I have a Coupe! )

You can always chop the top.

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I noticed it last night. It's sold for $1700 on eBay with a $1800 buy it now price. I wish 360 and 430 spyder come with rear glass too. Can't imagine owning a plastic rear window car, so old school.

Hey Lowside67, Where did you leave your car out when the roof got slashed by vandals? (I hope my insurance company isn't reading this. )

I have been waiting for something like this, glad my top is still in okay condition, maybe next year install. That being said, I'm in if there is a group buy and will wait until my top really needs replacing. Any guinea pigs, please post your experiences.

Send them ([email removed]) an email requesting a list of authorized shops in your area. Besides the list, I got a code for 15% off. As soon as I check out some of the shops, I'm doing it. -TX996CAB

It was outside of a good friend's house where I stayed overnight. Too bad this wasnt around when mine got replaced! I cant stand wrinkles in the plastic window.

I talked to one of the reps at GAHH about this top a few weeks ago when I called them pricing out tops. The guy was real nice (forget his name) and sent pictures before they had it up on their website. What he told me they did is use the Boxter rear window for this top so it is really small. It is too small and looks really strange in my humble opinion on a 996. I would ask for more pics before buying. Also just an FYI. Whatever aftermarket top you buy have a Porsche shop do the install. I had a private shop here in Raleigh do my installation and it was huge mistake. They told me they did Porsche tops all the time and were even recommended by almost everyone I asked in the area including the Porsche dealership. Long story short they botched it "big time". It is worth the extra couple hundred dollars to have a trained Porsche Mechanic put it on for you. I learned the hard way...

Works both ways. The only valid rule is to be careful whom you choose. The Porsche dealer sent me to the indy upholstery shop. Said he would send me to the same place even if it was warranty work. The guy did a beautiful job. His shop was full of classic older Euro cars .... Jags, Triumphs, etc in various stages of interior restoration. I know plenty of very capable and knowledgeable Porsche mechanics, on the other hand, who would know nothing about installing a cab top. (which is why the dealer sent me to the indy, of course). Upholstery and boxer engines are two very different disciplines.

I still wouldn't chance it. The place I took mine has been around for 30 years has a 993 on the front of their website and had 2 older 911's in the shop when I dropped the car off as well as many other classic and expensive cars. Then it turns out they left critical pieces out of the install and broke and bent others and just did a horrible job altogether. I had the dealership remedy the situation and do the great job that should have been done in the first place. Most dealerships have one or two mechanics that do all of their tops. Experience is key. The 996 top is complicated and not an easy install and that is also why it is more expensive to buy than most any other convertible top out there. Again...just hoping that others can learn from my experience. I am all for indy shops doing almost anything else but install my top from now on.

I believe I did not make my point clearly. I was not advocating "indy shops no matter what". The key was in my first line: "The only valid rule is to be careful whom you choose." Your dealer had folks to fix it. My dealer did not, and sent me where it would be fixed, even if I left it with him. If my dealer had accepted the job, I never would have gone anywhere else. Bottom line, as in most of life, there is no absolute rule that will protect one from screwing up, or getting screwed. It takes research, knowledge, and more than a little good fortune to always come out on top with Porsche repairs of any description.