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YOUR RESEARCHHard top questions
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Use excuse of buying my hardtop
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I used the excuse of buying my hardtop to drive to LA a couple of years ago.
Leading evidence: 'Use excuse of buying my hardtop' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Replace soft top' (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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Suggestion
I picked up a hard top while waiting to replace my soft top.
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Suggestion
IF I get one I will black out the area behind the quarter glass like the picture above, but of course much neater..lol ..Using Microsoft Paint is like using etch-a-sketch.
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Suggestion
IF I get one I will black out the area behind the quarter glass like the picture above, but of course much neater..lol ..Using Microsoft Paint is like using etch-a-sketch.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
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Suggestion
IF I get one I will black out the area behind the quarter glass like the picture above, but of course much neater..lol ..Using Microsoft Paint is like using etch-a-sketch.
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
IF I get one I will black out the area behind the quarter glass like the picture above, but of course much neater..lol ..Using Microsoft Paint is like using etch-a-sketch.
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18 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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Generation: 20261027T013556Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
I live in Massachusetts and am looking for a 996. I generally will drive it in the summer, and would prefer a cabriolet. But want to drive it in colder weather as well, which has led me to target getting the coupe with a sunroof, or the Targa.
The looks of the cabriolet with the soft top up, is not great. The coupe is very nice.
Then there is the hardtop option.
I can only find 1 photo with the cabriolet with the hard top. Are the lines nice as with the coupe? Any place I could see some photos? Is it as weather tight as the coupe?
Jonathan
I have a cab with a hardtop. I much prefer the look of the car with the soft top as I think it more closely resembles the coupe. Having the Hardtop on in the winter makes it seem like a different car. It is much quieter and seems more solid.
I think it looks a little odd with the hardtop on but to each his own.
IMO the lines are not as nice as those of the coupe. I don't know if it is as weather tight as a coupe, but I've driven mine in both heavy thunderstorms and single-digit cold. It is dry and warm.
If your car is an unusual color (like mine), odds are you're not going to find a matching top. Options are to a) get it painted, or b) find a black top. I went with b) ...
I think Bills car is the one I've seen photos of.
Thanks guys. How does it look from the rear? I really like the black with the seal silver. A ragtop color never matches the color of the car anyway.
Jonathan
I have a cab with hardtop. I also prefer the looks of the soft top over the hard top. It is nowhere near as clean as the lines of the coupe. The hardtop reduces a lot of road noise, but it has a fair amount of squeaking where it connect to the windshield. I'm told that can be mitigated with silicone oil, but my hardtop is almost never on so I don't really care. I only keep for resale reasons.
I don't know about others, but there is a fair amount of engine heat that makes it into the cabin. Between that and the heater, I don't think you'd need a hard top to keep warm - but others will know better.
I don't know what your summers are like. But I think people have the top down a lot less than what they are envisioning. Mid-day with a full sun is pretty unbearable unless temps are low 70s or below. My top is generally closed from 10A to 3P. YMMV
I suggest you drive both before making a decision.
I had a hard top on mine for wayyyy too long. When I took it off I was shocked at how much better I thought the car looked.
They don't call it a "baseball cap" for nothing - so no, lines aren't as nice as a coupe.
Pretty squeaky and clunky when on, too.
That being said, it's a great thing to have for rain and snow.
I got one because it was so hot in SoCal when I lived there that I ran it in the summer.
Now that I live up north I probably won't be driving the car in the winter so will leave it off.
I don't think it looks bad and it definitely makes the car feel more solid.
I picked up a hard top while waiting to replace my soft top. The price quotes I got to repaint the top was ridiculous so I ended up wrapping it in carbon fiber.
I can feel the weight and the car feels more heavy. That being said, I think it looks better than the matching color top.
I live in Rochester NY and drive a Boxster as my winter ride. The snow can brutal on the plastic window if you leave it outside too much.
I like a black top on a light color car. It camouflages the rear joint line. With a light top and car it looks unfinished. I traded my Arctic silver top for a black one.
I think the big difference in lines between the Cab and Coupe is the area behind the quarter glass. I've got a 99 Coupe and 99 Cab with the Carrera Aero kit with a 997.2 GT3 front bumper and have been looking for a silver hard top for it. IF I get one I will black out the area behind the quarter glass like the picture above, but of course much neater..lol ..Using Microsoft Paint is like using etch-a-sketch.
A hardtop is truly a form-follows-function thing, not a style thing. Squeaky - yes. Quieter in the cabin - yes. Better temperature control - yes. I used the excuse of buying my hardtop to drive to LA a couple of years ago. Found the Midnight Blue Metallic/Savannah Beige combo and took a little drive. Made 1,010 miles on day one and had a blast. They are goofy looking, kind of like the old bowl haircut, but works great for extended periods of bad weather.
