Convertible tops date all the way back to the dawn of the automobile. You know, back when carriages became horseless. But as the decades piled on and technologies/materials evolved, the convertible top industry has never been more intricate.
With so much available information — all of it varying by automotive year, make, model, and other key factors — several myths have developed that keep confusing and confounding convertible owners and future owners alike.
To help dispel the six most common convertible top myths, our friends at Rennlist teamed up with Robbins Auto Top, a member of the TopDown automotive family, to learn a little about convertible top myths and convertible top truths.
Let’s Roll the Top BackOn 6 Convertible Top MYTHS Most People Don’t Understand!
From life expectancy and repairs to material choices and voiding your new top’s warranty, here are the six most common convertible top myths!
1. Convertible Tops Last Forever
Maybe if they’re never used and sit in a climate-controlled garage with the perfect amount of humidity. But, otherwise, convertible tops are a wear item just like brakes, tires, and various fluids. Weather, pollutants, and UV exposure are all teaming up to destroy your convertible top.
Still, Robbins says the average, daily-driven convertible top lasts only seven years. So, if you own a convertible long enough and you actually drive it in, you should expect to replace it.
2. It’s Cheaper to Repair Than Replace
Repairing convertible tops can save money. But not always.
Here’s the catch. It takes just as much, if not more, labor to repair because, in order to make said repairs, you first have to remove the top. Which means paying for labor. Then you have to ask, is your convertible top material in good enough shape to survive removal and reinstall? Old material loves to tear with all that tugging and stretching. And given the top’s age, it’s also more likely to fail in another way, even if you can manage the repair, which could ultimately double or triple your costs.
Which, by the way, is the company Singer calls to install tops on their staggeringly expensive Porsche reimagingings.
3. The Thickest, Most Expensive Material is Always Best
Convertible newbies love to research The Very Best Top Material Ever Made and demand it be installed on their convertible.
But The Best =/= The Best For Your Convertible.
Why? The most expensive, most luxurious top materials are also the thickest, which helps sound deadening, but won’t work for all applications because thicker materials need more room to fold. AKA, room your application may lack.
Thankfully, most modern Porsche convertibles and cabriolets were engineered for the thickest/best materials on the planet — various forms of German A5 — but older models and collectibles have to be more careful wth smaller frames and tighter spaces.
4. Installing A Convertible Top is DIY Friendly
YouTube University for DIYers is great. But make no mistake. Convertible top installations are not for first-time DIYers. You need tools and techniques to avoid catastrophe when dealing with aging frames and delicate materials like cloth and glass. All while pulling and stretching and prying and assembling in a very specific order over many hours of hard labor.
Basically, it’s far too easy to damage a new top or break your car if you don’t know what you’re doing. Which is why DIY installations most likely void convertible top warranties.
It’s no surprise that new cars are made as cheaply as possible to maximise profits. But that also means new convertibles often ship with factory flaws that lead to premature wear. Or that the automaker will switch suppliers and end up with “OEM replacements” that don’t fit quite right.
Robbins Auto Top — like its other TopDown siblings, including the interior specialists at GAHH Automotive — doesn’t just replicate OEM, it makes products that are BETTER than OEM. Additional padding on common wear spots. Thicker window frames less likely to fail and leak. Hiding ugly stitching with upgraded production techniques. (And I know this because I toured their facility in person and saw how the company’s engineers improved basically everything.)
So why not spring for better-than-OEM materials? And all the color and fabric customization you could have never ordered from the dealership?
6. You Can Always Order Based on the Year/Make/Model
Many OEMs have been so inconsistent over the years that they’ve produced multiple convertible top styles within a single model year (or across multiple generations). Examples include ‘68-’72 GM mid-size models, ‘87-’93 GM F Bodies, ‘14-16’ Aston Martin DB9 Volantes, and more.
That’s why you need a pro involved not only for installation, but to guide you through the ordering process. And why, if your current top fits well, measurements must be taken to help identify the correct replacement.
From rear wipers on supercars to color-matched air vents and factory ski bags, these are the strangest things you could legitimately spec from Stuttgart.
Rear Window Wiper on the Porsche 911 Turbo
A rear wiper makes sense on a hatchback. On a high-speed, whale-tailed 911 Turbo built for Autobahn runs? Less obvious. Yet since the air-cooled era, buyers have been able to specify a rear window wiper, even on performance-focused variants. In rainy climates, the sloped rear glass of a 911 collects spray quickly, so the option had genuine utility. But visually, the tiny arm perched beneath a towering rear spoiler looks like an afterthought.
356 B Carrera 2 – Rear Windshield Wiper (1968)
It remains one of those details that signals a car was ordered by someone who actually planned to drive it year-round.
Factory Fire Extinguisher in Road Cars
For years, Porsche has offered a factory-mounted fire extinguisher as an option in road-going 911s and Boxsters. Mounted ahead of the passenger seat, it is easily accessible and neatly integrated. For track-day regulars, it made sense. For daily drivers? It was an unusual but confidence-inspiring addition. It’s one of the few strange options that actually reinforces Porsche’s motorsport roots.
PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes) With Yellow Calipers, Even on Non-GT Models
Carbon-ceramic brakes make sense on track-focused cars. But Porsche has allowed buyers to spec its signature yellow calipers on surprisingly comfort-oriented models. The Porsche Cayenne Turbo, for example, could be ordered with massive ceramic brakes designed to withstand extreme heat. In practice, most owners would never approach their limits. It’s less strange technically than contextually: supercar-level hardware fitted to a luxury SUV primarily used for commuting.
The Refrigerator Compartment in the Porsche Panamera
That’s not a portal into an alternate ice-age universe…
When Porsche entered the luxury sedan market, it committed fully. Early Panamera models could be equipped with a refrigerated compartment integrated into the rear center console. This wasn’t a cooler tossed into the trunk; it was a built-in chilled storage unit meant for executive passengers. It signaled Porsche’s attempt to compete directly with high-end German sedans on comfort and prestige. In a brand historically defined by lightweight engineering, a factory mini-fridge feels wonderfully out of character.
Porsche Ski Bag
The good folks at Stuttgart figured owners of Porsches are likely going to need to transport their favorite ski equipment to their favorite slopes in their favorite car. So instead of sending them off to figure out which aftermarket ski bag is best for their particular application, the manufacturer provided the options to purchase a tailor-made ski bag for the specific Porsche vehicle.
The bag itself is well-made, fitted with proper mounting points, and tailored to the interior. It isn’t a generic accessory; it’s a deliberate acknowledgment that some Porsche owners genuinely planned to drive to the mountains.
Carbon Fiber Windshield Wiper Blades
In a move that sounds like caricature but is genuinely real, Porsche now offers lightweight carbon-fiber windshield wipers as a factory option on certain 911 models, including the 2026 Turbo S. These wipers are roughly 50 % lighter than the standard steel units, reducing un-sprung mass and adding a subtle performance benefit while visibly signaling that no surface was too small for carbon fiber.
For about $1,300 usd/ $1,773 cad, the option can be ordered through Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur alongside other carbon elements like roofs, exterior trim, or interior accents. Functionally, they work exactly like normal wipers, clearing rain and debris, but serve as a statement piece: a small detail that underlines how deeply Porsche’s customization programs can go.
Broad Arrow Auctions has released the complete digital catalog for its upcoming inaugural Chattanooga Auction, set for 12 October 2024 at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Tennessee and we have it here for you to drool over (see below).
Among the 90+ collector cars on offer at the single-day sale are no less than 15 variations of the 911 model, including such rarities as the 1984 Porsche 911 SC RS Gruppe B “Evolutionsserie”, the vertible “missing link” in any Carrera RS collection.
Friday, October 11 9:00 am – 5:00 pm ET Saturday, October 12 9:00 am – 1:00 pm ETAuction Saturday, October 12 1:00 pm ET
