Deja_Vue

Been doing a search and still can't seem to find an answer. I hope some of your gurus can help. I just purchased an 03" S and need to replace the soft top. I understand the OEM top is made of Viny/PVC material. I've read on some of the threads that the canvas material from Proches are more durable and flexible to a degree, than the OEM S's soft top.

Does any one know where I can find an aftermarket one made with similar canvas material that Porche's offer?
Has anyone tried the Haartz Cloth/Haartz Stayfast/Robbins? How is that compared to OEM/which is better material?
Are there any high quality soft tops out there...

Looking to replace the top soon. Thank you in advance!

Deja_Vue

A local shop quoted me just under $1700 for an aftermarket top from Heertz, including install. The material Heertz Stayfast. I ran through a thread that mention that Heertz quality is comparable to beems and Porches. Do any of your gurus know anything about this top... how the material compares to the OEM top? The shop tells me that it's an exact replica, with better material. Any experts on these top material out there...

Thank you!

lazymashi

http://topsonline.com/model/Converti...nda_S2000.html

i currently have the EZ ON black stayfast cloth due to thieves...
have had it for about 2.5-3 yrs with no signs of wear and tear...
there are reinforcements where the infamous tear occurs, so you don't have to worry about this issue...
the material is definitely a much higher quality than the OEM denim...

as for pricing, i took it to a local shop who quoted me 8 hrs of labor at $70/hour... so in the end, the total costed little over a grand...

hope this helps...

Deja_Vue

Thank you very much lazymashi! For a hundred dollars more I wondered why Robbins charged more than EZ ON. I emailed them and it turned out they are exactly the same product just priced differently. Did you ever inquiry about the differences between the two. That website is awesome in the fact they offer information on local shops that do offer the tops. lazymachi, could you send me pictures of your top, vuex0076@gmail.com. Are they exact replicas or do they have smaller windows like some aftermarket tops?

S2K-lester

Did my research and replaced my with a Stayfast Hartz with no regrets. I like cloth much better than vinyl. It has a nice deep black smooth look but I feel vinyl tops are more durable a easier to clean.

BM612

The robins stay fast is a better top. The robins top is a tri-laminate top which will help reduce outside road noise better than the OEM top. The robins also looks more like the tops you find on porsches and BMW.

BM612

The robins stay fast is a better top. The robins top is a tri-laminate top which will help reduce outside road noise better than the OEM top. The robins also looks more like the tops you find on porsches and BMW.

emdzey01

A robbins top uses the same haartz stayfast cloth as an ez-on top, so there's no difference at all as far as material goes.

Which means the ez-on cloth top is also a tri-laminate top (which means the cloth has a layer of rubber underneath to prevent water penetration and then another cloth layer which acts as your headliner.

The difference between an ez-on top and a robbins top (both in stayfast cloth variety) is the construction. They manufacture their tops using the same material; it's a matter of quality control on how they sew/bond the seams and glass correctly. Both ez-on and robbins tops, when installed properly, should fit perfectly.

I dont have experience with robbins tops but there were a few annoyances with my ez-on experience. I wish the holes were already punched through (instead of just marked) at the rear and front attachment points. Other than that, installation was relatively painless. The effort and amount of time to replace the top had more to do with the design of the frame itself and how it's mounted on the car.

takeshi

Don't overlook the countless existing top replacement threads.

Denim? OEM is vinyl.

Deja_Vue

I just read this some where that the Robbins reduces noise wise due to an acoustic like material. Has anyone tested the 2, Robbins and EZ ON...

A local tech fella mentioned that since EZ ON and Robbins switched to an online company and new ownership, their tops are just not what they used to be. Any comments...