[flash]

over the years people have mused about a hard top for the 968 cab. other cars had it. they made a bunch of 944S2s and enough 968s to seemingly justify making one. yet, they never sold one.



many years ago, when i was first getting into the 968, i ran across a pic that eric sandoval had sent me of a removable hard top on a car. i remembered it well, but could not find it. it was a small shot, but clearly showed the hard top. everybody thought i was mistaken.



as it turns out, i am not nuts, and thanks to a guy for whom i just installed a supercharger kit into his 968 powered 944, i now have the pic again, as well as a showroom shot of one. as you can see, it was done by ASC, who did the conversion to cab for porsche.



   

   

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Ernie]

Sharp! Good lines that blend well w the body.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

while it certainly would do the job, i'm not sure i love it. being body color kind of bugs me. not sure. it may just take getting used to. being a function over form guy, i certainly see the advantages. i also remember all too well the problems of having a hard top.



i'm also not sure what would happen to the soft top.



still, at least i had not lost my mind, and the thing is real

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[MCL968]

Having a removable hard top would add some functionality to my Cab. There are a few months here in the high desert when it's too cold for a soft top, but it's still dry.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Bulti]

A thing of beauty imo. Maybe they intended to sell those in contrasting colour too?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

don't know. they never did follow through.



we've had this discussion before, and even mused about making one. the issue is the cost. retail would be close to $3k for one with a heated rear window and a headliner. that's outside most budgets, when you consider that people won't even change their soft top until it's flapping in the wind.



having had removable hard tops, i can tell you from experience that they are a pain in the butt. this is not something you take on and off regularly. it would be something you put on in the winter, and then remove when summer comes around. they are bulky, heavy, and awkward. it's always either a 2 man job, or you need a pulley system. even with a pulley system though, it's a pain because you have to have the car positioned just right or it gets unwieldy.



i put this one in the column of "nice ideas that don't work". that's why i never made one, and probably why porsche never did either.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Ryan]

The wrap-around rear window screws up the roof line if you ask me.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

interesting. that's one of the things i like about it. it also lends itself well to becoming a targa.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[JTP]

That looks just like the Miata hardtop. Agree that the wrap around rear window looks funky. I had a hardtop on my Boxster and it was easily installed/removed by myself. It wasn't too heavy and dropped in nicely.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[94SilverCab]

I had a hard top for my Miata. Drove to my house, winched the top into the rafters of the garage, never touched it again until I sold the car...



P.S. The wife hated it hanging in the garage because she would always run into it when the car was out...



Jay

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Transaxle]

The hard top looks great. Should fit the 968 even better than the 944. Is it that difficult to build a small number of them?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

trans - it would fit exactly the same on the 968 as the 944. they are identical in that regard, since they are the same tub and the tops are the same.



first you would have to make the molds. that would be a long and expensive process. then the prototype. then tweak it for details. probably looking at about $15k to get the first one. you could only make one at a time too, unless you made more than one mold. so, you would have to do quite a few to make up the cost. each unit would cost quite a bit to make, and then you add in a division of the up front costs, anticipating a specific number of sales. my guess would be the retail of the units would have to be close to $3k.



jtp - no idea how you would do that with a 968 top. it would weigh about 80# and be very awkward. you must be 7' tall with really long arms and a strong back

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[968cabx2]

Put me down for 2 of the first run if they ever were to get made. I love the look and the thought of extending the amount of time I could use the car throughout the year is a welcome idea.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Transaxle]

[quote name='flash' timestamp='1418771347' post='164510']trans - it would fit exactly the same on the 968 as the 944. they are identical in that regard, since they are the same tub and the tops are the same.[/quote]



Flash - sorry for my dusty school English . I just wanted to say that it would even look better with the softer lines of the 968.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

ah - no worries. i tend to agree.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[schwarz968]

I'm in for one if it matters... Just out of curiosity, has anyone tried contacting ASC to see if they will sell drawings, molds (if even avail) of go in to production (limited run)?



I can only hope the top would come with seals that would be less expensive than the current Porsche seals. A fairing type cover for the removed cloth top would certainly improve the limited visibility.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

not sure the cloth top would be removed. it isn't in any other car that has one of these.



i contacted ASC years ago. no dice.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[schwarz968]

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

got the email



to be clear to everyone, i have no intention of getting involved in any development of this. i looked into this closely a few years ago, and again a couple of years ago. it just isn't practical. i don't even want one for myself. i only posted it to show that i wasn't crazy in saying that i had seen one, and that obviously it could be done.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Rap]

Do you worry about being crazy or thought of as such? Has someone called you crazy? Notice how I only use that word.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.