996 hardtops

[Michael Downing]

ORIGINAL: steve lyden brown

I forgot to ask the dealer when buying my 996 earlier this week, but on a Cabrio do the small rear quarter light windows stay up when the hood is down ?
Cheers
SGLB

No - they retract as part of the hood opening process and stay down thereafter until the hood goes up.

 

[jonathanw]

Hi

I have an easyhoist but bought it from the manufactureres in the States. Had it delivered to my hotel while on holiday in Florida. The company were very helpful. Brought the unit with electric hoist back with my luggage - got a transformer and fitted the unit in a couple of hours. Cost me $795 dollars ie just a little over £400 and well worth it. The web site is:
http://www.eztop.com/

I would recommend it. Incidently I bought a gizmo for about £80 which enables one touch opening and closing of hood - again would highly recommend it. Site is :
http://www.bahntech.com/products/AutoTop/porsche_boxster_996_cabriolet_convertible_top.asp

Have fun

Jonathan

 

[steve lyden brown]

Thanks, Jonathan, for your v.helpful input ! Can I ask you a few more questions ?

1. Any particular reason why you didn't buy your Easyhoist from the UK supplier ? It doesn't seem that you saved any money by buying in the US.
I ask this question, not because I am concerned about the product, but rather more because I have some reservations about the UK supplier.

2. I guess you bought a transformer in the UK because of different US/UK
voltages ?

3. How does the hoist fit to the garage roof. In the UK suppliers website photo this part is conspicuously missing !

4. If, as I believe is the case, only the facelift 996 Cabrio's can have their top lowered whilst the car is actually moving, I am not sure that the one touch gizmo would be quite as much use to me as perhaps it is to you ? Please do, however, keep us all posted on any other gizmos that are suitable for use in/on Cabrios !!! You really are well in touch on this area.
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Guest]

the doors are locked whilst the engine is running.

it is programmable by your OPC - you can select lock at 5mph; lock with engine on; no lock. the default used to be off but now seems to be lock at 5 mph.

do the small rear quarter light windows stay up when the hood is down

they are down and cannot be raised with the hood down

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Steve,

I was at Portiacraft last week, which model did you buy, the red GT3 bodykited c2? Did you like Henry? He seemed a bit clueless to me. I asked him about the Vesuvius C4, if it had an RMS problem..he said what? I said RMS...he said, erm what? I said any oil leaks mate...he said no no oil leaks.....hmm....then I asked him if he knew when Porsche introduced glove boxes, he said 911's never have glove boxes.
What was your buying experience like with him?

 

[steve lyden brown]

Hi Rodney,
I, too, thought that Harry was a bit "remote". It is obvious that you caught him wrong footed with your questions, but I couldn't complain about how he responded to mine. Maybe this is because mine may not have been quite so technical ( what the ---- is an RMS system anyway ? ! ). Having said that, the subject of gloveboxes shouldn't have been beyond anyone (even me), and certainly not Harry ! As dealers go, he is OK and certainly a bloody sight better than one I had also met earlier that day when I went to check out an Aston Martin DB7 Volante.
Prior to the meeting with the salesman selling the Aston, I had been giving a DB7 some serious thought. I still think they they are great cars, but just did not like the salesman at all !!
I bought the 996 Cab Tip C2 in Lapis blue with the Metropole blue interior.
My 964 now appears on their website ( Black with linen interior ).

One good thing in Harry's favour, was the fact that he gave me the best price I was offered on my 964 Cab Tip. His price,and the 996 being exactly the right spec for me, clinched the deal. Since last week I have emailed Harry with some general questions about 996's and my particular car. He has responded quickly and helpfully. For no reason at all, I had always had a slightly negative opinion of Portiacraft. I feel a lot better about 'em now...........although, of course, I should reserve proper judgement until I've run my car for a few months !
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[steve lyden brown]

I still haven't entirely mastered the PCGB Forum yet, and would be really grateful if someone could tell me if this message is being displayed where I intended (i.e. on the 996 pages ).

From previous emails I now know that 996 Cabs. come with a gizmo like a long Allen key with a handle which is used for removing the hardtop.
Can any other 996 owner(s) please advise as to what other tools comprise a standard Porsche issued toolkit. I am especially concerned to learn of any unusual tools that may be incorporated.

One other thing, the first long run I expect to do in my new (to me) 996, is an extended touring holiday( I am also researching material for a book ) over quite a few months of several European countries ( all mainly EEC ). Does anyone know how I can get a list of current European Porsche dealerships ?
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

ORIGINAL: steve lyden brown

... what the ---- is an RMS system anyway ? !

Steve,

There are links to information on the RMS in the FAQ's on both the General, and the Boxster sections of the forum.
Lots of other useful info there as well - might be useful.

Yes your posts are coming up on the 996 part of the forum
[]

Good luck with the book - sounds fun!
You can get all the Porsche Dealerships off of the Porsche website (you need to go to the country sites of the ones you need) www.porsche.com

 

[steve lyden brown]

Thanks, Mark, for your confirmation that my mails ARE coming up one the 996 pages. Of course, why didn't I think that the dealer addreses would be shown on the Porsche website.

I am sure that the book research will be very interesting. I have been commissioned to write two more volumes on the activities of an American fighter group based in England during WW2. Generally speaking, they had a pretty lousy war, and lost many pilots to crashes as a result of introducing a new fighter plane into service. The graves and crash sites are scattered all over nearer Europe.
Cheers,
Steve

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Steve,

Thanks a lot for your info. I've booked my car to have some minor repairs done by his mechanic, and was testing him with some questions he should have known the answers to.I've heard mixed reports about him, but from your experience, looks like he was ok.
Hope his mechanic is ok too.
For what its worth I think you made the right choice of car. The Aston is stunning but it's had bad ratings as a driver's car and is no-where near as good as the 996 is.

Thanks Steve.

 

[steve lyden brown]

Hi Rodney,
Glad to have been of some help. Where I live I am within a cough and a spit of JZMachtech/ Porschons or even, if all else fails !, an OPC, so I wouldn't ever be tempted to give Portiacraft any servicing work.

I agree that the 996 is the better car over the DB7, but I have had 911's for over 20 years now and just felt like a change. My plan now is to run the 996 for 3-4 years and then get a DB9.
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Hi Steve,

I dont really want to give them the work either, but I gave the car to my nearest OPC (Staples Corner) to have a look at it, and they just wasted two hours without being able to cure the problems.....so I thought I would try someone else, that wasn't too far away.

In my quest for a 996 tip cab, I also considered the db7, but then I saw the Ferrari 456 was in my budget also (under 40k), but am just too concerned about costs and reliability...did you also consider the 456, its supposed to be a great car....

 

[steve lyden brown]

Yes, I did consider the 456, but only fleetingly since I was told that it is not available in convertible body. Is that your understanding ?
My requirements of a sportscar is that it is a drop-top and that I can get my 6 year old daughter in the back. Nobody does that better than a 911 !!!
I have had Ferraris before, in fact I only sold my last ( a 308 GTS about 2 years ago ).
Prior to that I had many years ago a 246 Dino, which I loved to bits (much more than the 308 ). What puts me off Ferraris is their mammoth running cost and poor reliability. Not only that, but until Maranello opened up nearby, all I had locally for servicing was a Maserati specialist and he didn't like Ferraris too much !

Have you thought of trying JZMachtech in Kings Langley near Hemel Hempstead ?.....they ain't perfect but they are the best for miles around !
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[jonathanw]

Steve

The electric hoist in the UK costs £750 plus carriage - mine cost about £400.

A transformer will cost about £30.

I fitted the hoist to the joists with the kit provided - I managed even though at the time I had a slipped disc - I am a reasonably competent diy'er .

The one touch switch can be fitted to any 996 cab and will operate while the car is moving up to about 25mph as on the very latest cabs - my facelift did not have this.

You should visit the sites in my previous reply. The switch was mailed to me and was well worth the money - about £75.

Jonathan

 

[steve lyden brown]

Hi Jonathan,
I visited the sites you suggested the minute I read your email. Unfortunately, Easyhoists UK cannot supply a hoist until well after the Summer, which is no good for me, so I will do as before when I have had TR6/"E" Type Jag/ Austin Healey 3000 hardtops to store, and build a frame for 'em in the garage roof.

Insofar as the one touch switch is concerned, this is a good gizmo, but I suspect it would be of more use to later face lift 996 owners, since these cars can have the roof raised/lowered whilst they are on the move, whereas, as I am sure we all know, the earlier cars can only do it whilst stopped.
Cheers,
Steve.