RE: Idea - Inexpensive Hard Top Dolly

[Carrera787]

RE: Idea - Inexpensive Hard Top Dolly

I own a 911 Carrera Targa & Boxster S with hardtop and needed a dolly stand for when the tops were not in use. I found the official tops tought find, or expensive when I did. The following is therefore a real basic hard top dolly stand with wheels, constructed for under $20!

The dolly is super simple, but hope it helps fellow Porsche brethren.

Friends say it is great for their Boxster & 911 Cabriolet hardtops, with one guy beefing-up the upright a little (1.5" upright with 8" support were fine for me).

Components:
1) 1 x Harbor Freight 1000 Lb Capacity Mover's Dolly - $19.99 (pre 20% off token)(link->1000 Lb. Capacity Mover's Dolly)
2) 1 x 42' length of 1.5" x 1.5" wood,
3) 4 x 90 degree brackets (4 screw type),
4) 5 x 3" wood screws,
5) 16 x 1" wood screws,
6) 3 x 1.5” diameter furniture felt leg pads.

Layout:
1) One 28” upright attached mid a dolly cross beam on the outside edge the beam, with a 90 degree bracket either side,
2) One 8” upright attached on the inside of the 28” upright, with 90 degree brackets either side, and three 3” screws holding the two uprights together,
3) Attach a 6” crossbar on top of the 28” upright with two 3" screws,
4) Attach 3 furniture felt leg pads in the crossbar to support the hardtop when in use.

Sample Pic:


Hope this helps!
-Adrian
(adrian.p.hughes@boeing.com)

[Wayne 962]

Very cool idea! Too bad the book is already out, I could have used that in there!

-Wayne

[nathan_h]

Originally Posted by Carrera787

RE: Idea - Inexpensive Hard Top Dolly

I own a 911 Carrera Targa & Boxster S with hardtop and needed a dolly stand for when the tops were not in use. I found the official tops tought find, or expensive when I did. The following is therefore a real basic hard top dolly stand with wheels, constructed for under $20!

The dolly is super simple, but hope it helps fellow Porsche brethren.

Friends say it is great for their Boxster & 911 Cabriolet hardtops, with one guy beefing-up the upright a little (1.5" upright with 8" support were fine for me).

Components:
1) 1 x Harbor Freight 1000 Lb Capacity Mover's Dolly - $19.99 (pre 20% off token)(link->1000 Lb. Capacity Mover's Dolly)
2) 1 x 42' length of 1.5" x 1.5" wood,
3) 4 x 90 degree brackets (4 screw type),
4) 5 x 3" wood screws,
5) 16 x 1" wood screws,
6) 3 x 1.5” diameter furniture felt leg pads.

Layout:
1) One 28” upright attached mid a dolly cross beam on the outside edge the beam, with a 90 degree bracket either side,
2) One 8” upright attached on the inside of the 28” upright, with 90 degree brackets either side, and three 3” screws holding the two uprights together,
3) Attach a 6” crossbar on top of the 28” upright with two 3" screws,
4) Attach 3 furniture felt leg pads in the crossbar to support the hardtop when in use.

Sample Pic:


Hope this helps!
-Adrian
(adrian.p.hughes@boeing.com)

This is a cool idea. Any photos of it with a boxster top on it?

I assume the glass goes "down", and the top (exterior) faces the upright?

Doesn't it want to slide off the front? (I'd be tempted to put a lip on the front, opposite the upright.)

Finally, why not a 2x4, instead of partially stacked 2x2s on the upright? Does the shape of the top make that "cut away" (the shorter of the two upright 2x2s) necessary?

[mikesz]

Thanks for posting, I finished mine last night and put the HT on it. Very solid, inexpensive, easy to make. I already had the dolly and some of the brackets. I put 2 L brackets on the front then screwed a piece of 1x6 poplar to the brackets then stapled a piece of carpet to that to hold the underside of the top on the dolly so the top would not slide off.

[ghtaboma]

Man, that's a good idea! Reminds me of a scooter we used to make as kids. An orange crate on a 2 x 4, and old skate wheels.

[masraum]

I just got a Boxster S with the hardtop and don't have much space to store it since I also just moved from a house with a 2 car garage to an apt with a parking garage and a small storage closet.

I'd happily pay the $225 or so that I've seen for the Porsche unit that folds, but my local dealer told me it was discontinued. The ability to have it collapse for storage sounds good. I've seen a few others online, but since I can see or touch them, I'm hesitant to buy them. This seems like a pretty good option to me. I think I might use 2 uprights towards the outside of the dolly with a single crossbar running between them for an extra bit of sturdiness.

This is great! Thanks for posting.