As update to earlier threads, a 996 hardtop will fit on the 997 cars, including the wide body cars. Sum total of the parts cost needed for the retrofit was $ 250 , not counting the cost of the top of course. Install time on the parts was 30 minutes tops and I'd rate the job a 1 on a 10 point scale of difficulty. Attached pics of the top on my '07 997 C4S.

 

looks good. any more pictures?

 

Is it really the identical part?
Thanks,
Verde

 

If you are asking if it's identical to the 997 top in every detail I haven't a clue. I have never seen the interior of a 997 top but suspect it may be different in some way than the 996 version. I do know for a fact that the mounting hardware affixed to the 997 top itself is different as are the corresponding mounting pieces for the body of the car. However, as the mounting hardware is not included with a new 997 it's more cost effective to use a 996 top and buy the mounting hardware for that version of the top. Besides, the object of the project was to determine whether or not a 996 top will fit a 997 the same way it fits onto the 996. The answer is yes and buy the looks of the way the top sits on the car I would suggest that if the parts are not identical one would be hard pressed to notice the difference.

 

very nice looking. i'm not a big fan of hard top looks but i think it looks better on a 997 than a 996 for some reason.

 

Camera battery on the charger. Will post a few that give a better look at the whole car when the battery is juiced up. These were just to confirm the fit of the 996 version top on the new car.

 

Thanks for the info. I always debate whether I should get the add-on top or not...

 

Thank you for clearing up this mystery for me, as I had found a wide assortment of answers to this question. Can you advise what model year your 996 hardtop came from, as I understand there were some minor mounting hardware changes made between 99 and 04. Also, do you have the part numbers required for installation on the car? I assume they include everything necessary to have a functioning rear window defrost.
Thanks again.

 

Thanks a lot. I have had that same question now for a while. As another poster suggests, the parts numbers for the 997 hardware would be much appreciated.

Have tried a water test yet?

 

Best guess for model year is '03 based on the info inside one of the interior side panels that needed to be reattached. Part numbers for the mounts that attached to the car are 996-561-653 -03 and 996-561-654-03. They run $ 122.11 a piece from Suncoast. They are marked left and right and the left mount contains the electrical connection for the rear defroster. The corresponding connection is already included from the factory on the 997's behind the roll bar on the right side. That part is plug and play. In Feb of 2005 the mounts and locks were changed to a screw type connection, the part numbers are the same as prior years only they in end in -04 instead of -03.

 

The parts are not really car specific as the mounting parts I listed will fit on a 996 as readily as a 997. They correspond to the locking pins on the top. As for the water test, washed the car with the top on the other day and there were no leaks. Am also impressed with how much quieter the car is at speed with the top on.

 

Here are a couple of better pics of the top on the car.

 

What about the anchor points above the windshield? Does the hardtop use the same setup as the soft top? I had been advised last year that there was some kind of modification required to the 997 if it wasn't ordered with a factory hard top.

 

thanks for the extra pictures. car looks great!

 

All that is required is the installation of the rear mounts that receive the locking pins already mounted on the top. The windshield already has the female receiving points for the tabs on the front of the top. The top latch connects in the same location as the soft top latch.