Anyone here with a 996 cab with plastic window?

[Guest]

Hi folks,
I would be so greatful if you can help me out.

Some time back a silly tw4t decided to stab my soft top and I finally got around to claiming it on insurance.

Insurance said no probs. Then they instructed me to take it to Lloyd's, Porsche's approved body shop. I have heard many stories of butchery at this place so had some concerns. Expresed this to my insurance but they said that I can either take it to them or to Reading. Hmmm.....

So I took it to Lloyds. A few days later I got a phone call. They said that they had to flat-bed it to Manchester to their special fitting shop to have it done.

Friday of that week I get a phone call to say its ready. So I go ther to pick it up. As I pull up in the car park there is my Porker all gleaming and wih a new hair cut. I walk around it and notice the back window is peeling from the rag top. Oh sh1te!

So I said obviously I wasnt happy. When he looked at it he said that aint right. SO they sent it back to Manchester to be redone.

I get a phone call the following week to say that they hav looked at it again and he wanted to get my approval to go ahead and stitch the window in like on the Boxster. I said I will do some enquiries and call back.

I called Reading and spoke to a nice chap there who does all the soft top roofs. He said that he had just done one on my model year car and it is extremely difficult to master. In fact he had to put 4 windows in before he got it right. The plastic window is £400+ each time but PAG are aware that they are difficult to fit so recompensate the cost. He said they have a special jig to put the roof on. As far as he was aware it was the only one in the country. The process is you fit the soft top on the frame "off" the car and stretch it for 24 hours wet. If you dont do this the window will break its seal when the soft top is closed. He said that in no way must it be stitched in. It is specially heat welded to the rag top and if you mess it up you loose the window and may reck the rag top.

So I go back to Lloyds and explain all this to him. He said OK. no problems sir. We will flat-bed the car to Reading and that specialist cand do the job. That way it's done right. SO happy with that I said OK.

Today I get a call from Lloyd's to tell me "good news, we got hold of a jig in Manchester and they have used the jig to put your window in. It will be ready for pickup on Friday".

Now I have big concerns that they have cocked it up and it hasnt been done right.

Also, I didnt mention that I wanst too happy with the way the top met the front window. It didnt look flush and the front corners didnt look smooth almost like there was a fold in the cloth on the corners.

Unfortunatly I didnt take any pics of my car's rag top before the work started. I need some pics to compare the work and show them what it "should" look like if I see it isnt right when I go to pick it up again tommorow. If you have a "plastic window" based 996 softtop I would be soooo greatful to you if you could take some pics for me so that I can compare it with the work being done on my car.

I need some close up pics of the rear window especially where it joins the rag top at the seem.
And some of the front corners where the rag top meets the front wondow A piller so that I can see that the top meets the window flush properly and that they have the corners done correctly.

Many thanks in advance and sorry for this short notice.

Cheers,
Berny

 

[Steve777]

If my colleague at work is in his tomorrow I will try and get some pictures for you. Not promising but I'll try

 

[Guest]

Mnay thanks Steve. Hugely appreciated.

 

[John Ware]

If you're feeling flush and fancy a glass rear window instead, click HERE. The UK supplier will probably be this lot although when I spoke to them last a few months ago, they wanted to be sure of quality in the longer term. They've been supplying the Boxster hoods with glass windows for a while so quality should be ok. I'm intending to swap my hood for one of these in year or so.

Unfortunately, I can't help with photos of my car's roof as the hardtop went back on last week.

 

[Peter_Bull]

Scouser
I can take some of my car tonight when I get home. Call me on 01995 670047 / 07970976158 to discuss further.
My car is still mint (6700 miles) so it is as left the factory.
(Am at the dentist 2 - 5 today - ouch!)

 

[Diesel130]

At the dentist for 3 hours ! Yikes :-(

 

[Paul Fraser]

John, have you contacted BAS in Wales to see if they are going to do one? I only ask as GAHH seem to be using the the somewhat ugly orange heating element in the pic on the website. BAS used this on their original Boxster hoods but then moved to one that was either OEM or looked the same: I would imagine if they are going to do a 996 one they would go with the OEM looking one from the start.

 

[John Ware]

Last time I spoke to them (around a year ago), BAS weren't planning a 996 hood. That may have changed since.

 

[Guest]

Many thanks to Peter Bull and Steve777. They both posted me some great shots that I will, hopefully, "not" have to refer to when I pick my car up. It's this sort of comradeship that makes this club what it is. Again thanks heaps guys.

Re Glass alternative:
When I spoke to the engineer in Reading, he said that it is possible to put an OEM glass window
in but it requires a new soft top too. It costs about £1600 extra. Since my soft-top had already been replaced and the window was the issue I missed the post on that one

Re the Gahh rag top. IMHO it looks hideous. The window is too small and makes the car look even more frumpy than it is. In any case, my situation is an insurance claim so OEM parts will be used.

Cheers again guys

 

[John Ware]

Interesting to hear about the glass OEM window. I was always under the impression you had to replace the entire frame and mechanism at the cost of a fair bit more than £1600. I agree about the GAHH hood, although it hints a little at the Speedster. However if I go for glass, which I almost certainly will, I guess beggars can't be choosers.

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: John Ware

Interesting to hear about the glass OEM window. I was always under the impression you had to replace the entire frame and mechanism at the cost of a fair bit more than £1600. I agree about the GAHH hood, although it hints a little at the Speedster. However if I go for glass, which I almost certainly will, I guess beggars can't be choosers.

Hi John,
I hope I didnt mislead you. That's £1600 over and above the cost of a new ragtop and plastic window. And yes they have to replace the frame and mechanism that's why the rag-top is different. In essence you cant get an OEM glass window fitted in place of a plastoc window unless you replace the rag top too.

Cheers
Berny

 

[John Ware]

Ah, that explains it. Ta. Speedster-look it is then. []

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

John

Could you send me an email, as there is something I'd like to ask you off-topic.

 

[Guest]

Bah! still waiting for my car. It will be 4 weeks since I dropped it off to them on Monday.
Absolutely rediculous! And Lord only knows what it will be like when I pick it up.

 

[Guest]

Folks the saga continues with my car. One muck up after the other.
I decided to post everything on Porsche-1.net instead of duplicating everything on both forums.
If you are interested, read the latest on it here: http://www.porsche-1.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9694&st=0