Installing a Robbins
Glass Window Top
Robbins and GAHH both make glass window tops for '97 thru '02 986 Boxsters. In general the task of installing one is much the same though Mathew Johnson was kind enough to provide these supplimental notes.
Here's a little review of my install of the Robbins glass window top:
Removing and installing a new top is really not that difficult. In hindsight, I can see why everyone says that if they had to do it again, it would be very quick (6 hours or less).
- The Robbins top is very good quality material, but the glass window does make it a little odd getting into place, since it weighs a lot more than the plastic. Extra hands help, but it can be done solo.
- Get the back centered, it will bunch up and cause the mechanism to drag on one side if it's not straight. The rear most bow should have a marking at the center. Line up the center seam of the top with that.
- The smaller 'tab' or flap on the inside of the top is the one that gets wedged into the top most slot in the back bow. Use a wooden dowel or something similar to push the plastic 'wedge' strip in there.. Again, be sure the top is straight.
- The plastic deals in the B pillar? Just buy new ones. $45 from the dealer. Just do it. The old ones get brittle and things just break on them. You'll probably bugger at least one of them up while you're figuring out how to remove them. (the four part numbers are 986-561-560-01, 986-561-670-03, 986-561-559-01, and 986-561-669-03... neither part included the four push pins... so I've got to look them up, and replace them. The top will hold the parts in place temporarily, but having the pins in there guarantees a little security)
- Get about 8 to 10 small clamps. Use these for clamping the sides of the top to the aluminum plates to let glue dry.
- If you want to use double sided tape, get some good upholstery or automotive tape. Office stuff just won't cut it. Trust me.
- When unscrewing the four screws on the sides (after removing the little retainer with the phillips screws), there ARE four screws, the back one is just covered by some of the weather stripping. BE SURE TO GET THE LAST SCREW... or you could bend up the aluminum plates. I bent mine up a little, but was able to reshape it.
- When you're attaching the aluminum plates to the top, do this with the top off, laying on a flat, clean surface. Use an awl to punch the holes in the material so that you'll be able to see them when you're getting the top on the car.
- If you use glue to attach the plates, use your clamps and let the glue set for the MINIMUM amount of time needed.
- When installing the top, line up the sides (the aluminum plates) and screw them in first. Then stretch the material over the front of the frame, and glue it down. Use your clamps to hold it, and again, let it set for the minimum amount of time.
- At the base of the B pillar, when getting the screw in place for the cable termination, put the screw through the cable eye, the lockwasher and the tab in the top, then use a pair of needlenose pliers with one hand to stretch it into place while you use a screwstick in the other hand to line it up and screw it in.
When all is said and done, the top will be TIGHT. When trying to close mine for the first time, the hook was about 2" away from the socket on the window frame. It took myself and a buddy to pull the top down enough to get the hook in. Close it slowly to let the material stretch a bit. If you have a heat gun, (not a blowdryer... they'll overheat too quickly) heat up the area around and aft of the B pillar to stretch the material. Once you have it closed, let it sit in the sun during the day for a few days. Today, almost a week later, I put the top down, and when I put it back up, I had to pull it forward a little to get the hook in the latch.
The rear window works by not attaching the top material to the bow behind the B pillar. In the OEM top, there are two 'tabs' that slides into the 'primary' bow (the one that's just behind your head) and bow behind it. When the top opens, the rear bow collapses to the front, folding the top material, forcing the plastic window to fold. With the Robbins top, the top does not attach to that rearward bow. It is allowed to slide forward to the primary bow, giving enough material to fold over and allow the glass to sit down in the top compartment.
Visibility is changed a little bit... given the top of the glass is probably 2" lower than the plastic window... so it almost feels like I'm looking downward out the rear window... but the glass is CLEAR!! It's a little bit of a tradeoff, but over my old top with the very foggy rear window, it's a HUGE improvement.
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