Hi MC, I have a 1995 Cabrio and the rear window is starting to pucker and pull away from the top. It looks like the glue is letting go. Is that repairable? I got a price to replace the window at about a thousand dollars but the shop said that they would not recommend it. They suggested an entire new top at about two thousand dollars! Help. Tom
A – Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the top shop is correct. The window is not glued to the top as it appears, it is actually heat bonded during installation of the top. There is a resistance wire that surrounds the window that heats up when voltage is applied. It literally melts the window into the top. Porsche has revised this process and sent bulletins on it but suffice to say, glue won’t work as a repair.
As far as the window replacement, the shop was probably recommending against it because it would look different than the rest of the top and based on age, the top is already 13 years old and probably deteriorated. It would not be long before you would have to go back and replace it anyway. For my money, the difference between a whole top versus just the window would make me consider just the window but, as a seasoned veteran once said “buy the best and cry once”.
The newer tops do not seem as strong or as thick as the older Cabs and I like the zippered rear windows too. Durability seems to be reduced on the newer fabrics and the bonded window idea hasn’t held up to well either. Too many bean counters? By the way, the price you got on the top seems reasonable to me compared to others that I have researched. –Hi MC