Hard Top Q

[Peter_Bull]

I am sure Richard will be able to assist me here.

Can anyone confirm what the outside centre section of the hard top is made from?

Unfortunately I have put two very small dents in mine just above the drivers head area. Did them when it was hung on the wall, and, like most of you, I am a perfectionist and I find it hard to live with... grrrrr!!!

If its alluminium great - the dent masters will be able to roll them out - if they can be got at in that area.

Otherwise .... I will just have to live with them

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

I am sure Richard will be able to assist me here.

Don't be too sure! [] []

I don't really know, and I can't seem to find anything that tells me. Now, if it was any sort of plastic used on the car it would be no problem....[]

I would have thought that a decent paintless repair place would be able to sort it out, even if it was a steel panel. They did a car park dint in one of my rear wings just before I bought the car, and it was a perfect job.

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Use a magnet?

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

Trust you to come up with that! Far too obvious for me! [8|] [8|]

 

[Rodney Naghar]

I reckon it's steel anyway, the hard-top weighs in at 32kg, pretty hefty for aluminium.

 

[Peter_Bull]

ORIGINAL: Rodney Naghar

Use a magnet?

For steel yes - but won't work with alluminium though.

 

[Rodney Naghar]

No I meant you can tell if it's steel or aluminium if you place a magnet on top and see if it sticks.

 

[Peter_Bull]

Hi Rodney
Magnets do not stick to alliminium - ferrous metals only. Will have to get info from somewhere else I guess. Maybe my OPC will know.

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Hi Peter,

Sorry I now see the confusion.

You wanted to know what the hardtop was made of. I was suggesting one way of finding out was if you placed a magnet on the top. If it stuck, then you'd know it was made of steel, if it didn't then you'd know it was aluminium.

I hadn't considered it may be made of plastic as the hardtop is so heavy. Well I just carried out the magnet test, and it doesn't stick. So that rules out steel.
Then I got a brainwave...when I was having the centre section of my hardtop resprayed in the summer (due to some paint bubbling) I saw what it looked like sanded down and prepped. Underneath the paint it was black. I don't know why I forgot about this. So that rules out aluminium.

Anyway, I'm pretty certain it's plastic.

Phew! Got there eventually[]

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

I don't think it would be plastic, or it would appear in the recycling info list: https://techinfo.porsche.com/techinfo/pdf/en/envmanual/b_10_en.pdf

 

[Rodney Naghar]

The plot thickens!

Not steel, not plastic, but it's black under the paint.
Could it be some kind of treated aluminium?

Ok I just called Porsche as this is now bugging me, they say it's made from aluminium![8D]
But black?

They must put some lead weights in there somewhere!

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

Maybe the black is an etch primer?

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Could be, but it was the same matt black colour as a bare PU bumper....maybe it's just a coincidence.

 

[Peter_Bull]

Hi Rodney & Richard

Thanks for trying for me - maybe we will eventuially find out.

In the meantime I will wait until I call in the dent man 'cos if its plastic then I doubt he will be able to roll out the dents.

Thansk again chaps.