newbie 996 cab questions

While I love hard top 911's and like Boxster S's, Ive thought that perhaps a 996 cab would make a nice alternative. I have an ecclectic list of questions and as always, look forward to the feedback! 1) Hard top. If a cab is for sale and they don't have the top, what kind of price hit is that worth? It was my understanding that the H/T was a no cost feature. Did all cabs (all years) come with the H/T standard? Or, another way, is their a premium when a seller does have the H/T? 2) Roll bar. Who's installed one? Which one? How do they like it? As my only Porsche, I will not be prevented from Track driving and will need to get one! 3) (child) Car seats. Do they work in the back of the cab? Isn't there less room in the cab than coupe back there? 4) Would I be able to find an M030 Cab? Was that even an available option or was that "coupe only"?

Hard tops were standard up through about 2002. Maybe later. The problem is that, with used cars, they have gotten lost along the way. They are seen on ebay as low as a couple of hundred (if you'll pick it up). I've never had mine on since I bought it. Automatic, pop-up roll bars are standard equip on the cab. If you're talking about PCA track events, PCA allows any roll system installed by the factory. There was a thread on it a month or so ago. Child seats? Do a search. The discussions have been endless here.

sales price doesn't change..you can buy a hardtop for anywhere between 500-1000.. you can use the hardtop for tracking the rest I don't about....but once you find out about the child seat let me know

HT is std but HT delete gives buyer a credit of $1400 off of MSRP. This is true for all 996. Britax booster and car seats are the only ones that fit. The cab rear seat back leans a little forward compared to coupe due to the top. It's still comfortable for kids though.

the HT delete credit is only on a new car.....I have been looking for a P with and without a HT and the used sales price wasn't any different....they either have one or not.

When I was shopping for my car .... used 996 Cab .... the non-P car dealer I was talking to listed the hard top among the options on my 2000. I corrected him, saying that the HT was standard equip. He replied, "it is at the factory, but by the time they hit the used car market, many are long gone". I asked how that could be. He pointed to a veritable stack of 996 HTs in the corner of his garage, saying, "they always say they'll be back to get it later, but never seem to come back". THAT'S how an early 996 ends up without a hardtop sometime down the line when it is next sold. Knowing what I now know, and living in the Atlanta area, I would not accept one if offered for free. Since my HT is hanging out of the way now, I have not yet been able to get myself to throw or give it away, however.

Hardtops are awesome for the winter and mandated for DE. Get it if you can, but a purchase without one is no big deal. You can find plenty at dealers and on Ebay.

Are you sure about that? This is from the PCA Tech advice guy for 996s: "Our region (Lone Star) DE Handbook states that "any make of car delivered with factory-installed roll over protection meets the minimum standards for PCA DE events." This is a direct quote from page 2 of the PCA DE Guidelines at http://www.pca.org/members/library/P...Guidelines.pdf . On this basis, our Region accepts that the factory-installed retracted roll bars are sufficient for DE purposes. "

Care to share? I don't really understand how or why you wouldnt want a hardtop, I sure wish I had mine...

Not in any way intending to be a wiseass, but the first clue would lie in our relative geographic locations. Your tag says "Vancouver" .... mine says "Marietta" ... which is a suburb of Atlanta. High temp today was 71 with blue skies. There were about 7 days in February that reached the mid to upper 60s ... and a few less in January. When I picked my car up in December 04 in Dallas .... it was 65 or so. That was the only time the top has been on (had to get it home), and I was really disappointed that I couldn't make the trip top down ... at least part way. Its been off since I pulled into my garage, and that first December offered a number of days (my limit was about 50 and sunny) that I could do my morning trip to the airport (35 miles) with the top down. So, the overriding reason to share is my penchant for putting the top down whenever the weather will allow it .... and in this location, its rarely more than a week between such days. The second, lesser, reason is that I believe the car looks a lot better with the soft top than with the hard top on .... a purely personal choice, all in the eye of the beholder.

Went to college in Atlanta. Love that city. As for DE, I'll know more when I go to the first meeting in a couple weeks. I had thought that hardtops were mandatory in some events, but could be wrong. In looking over the Metro NY PCA Driver Education Guide (though perhaps regulations vary from PCA region to region), page 8: "Generally speaking, any hard-top or soft-top Porsche with a roll bar is eligible for Metro NY DE events." "All 996 Cabriolets must run with their hard top in place." Anyway, who knows? Again, it may vary from chapter to chapter. All the best.

Exactly, though I don't have a hard top, I realized that even in the DC area there are days that it gets surprisingly warm for winter. When it first became cold here, I packed away my wind deflector just so I could have more space to carry things if I needed to, even that was a mistake. BTW, I enjoyed ATL's weather last friday, I had the top down even in the late evening when I left the Aquarium.

Hardtops are a great option to have. I usually put mine on about late November, and it will probably come off this month. The hardtop really changes the personality of the car, it is much quieter and gets about 3 mpg more on the highway. A hardtop is great when you are going on long trips in the summer. When we go to Las Vegas in August, the hardtop always goes on, as the benefits of the top on the road in Death Valley outweigh the novelty of driving on the strip at night with the top down. A properly outfitted cabriolet is really 3 cars in one, an open car, a closed car, and a coupe.

Like you need more opinions...here's mine...I have the cab cause I want a sports car with no roof. I have other cars to drive when the weather intervenes. If I had the hard top I would never use it, so it's just another thing to store. Of course I don't live in Vegas where it is too hot for a cab in the summer.

Bought my cab used without a hardtop.its definitely a nice bonus when you come across a seller who includes it, but not sure how much u can negotiate off a used cab for not having one. Was able to buy a matching hardtop off ebay just in time for our northeast winter weather. I love it, one my best pickups. Its a must if you park outside in wintery conditions.

Some hardtop pics if you are interested.. http://community.webshots.com/album/506666289ZEuSnn Although it now lives in the garage, and it's winter here - so if I didn't have it I wouldn't miss it. Carseat: https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ight=childseat Keith

The Cab is a far more practical car than the BoxsterS. If you have more than one passenger frequently the roadster will make your life harder. If you can live with only two seats the BoxsterS in addition to giving you top down fun is an excellent choice for track and autocross. The difference in having your engine behind the seats or behind the rear wheels is HUGE. Its up to the driver to choose which is preferred. Roadsters are in their own category. To me its kind of like saying should I get an S2000 or an Audi S4 or a BMW 645 convertible. All three have very different purposes and handling qualities. You have to choose which use you will have the most need for and choose based on that.

Thanks for all the feedback! I really like the BoxsterS but would enjoy the larger interior for the occasional child use. I've had a 911 Coupe for years, but with the rollbar in and the other track goodies, it hardly sees street time or little ones. I thought a Cab would make the best "compromise" car for my needs.