Behind the Scenes with The Late Brake Show & the Bargain Porsche Boxster
CarHoods Northern Teams Up with Jonny Smith for a Special Convertible Roof Episode
In January 2024, we were excited to welcome the team from The Late Brake Show, hosted by renowned motoring journalist and TV presenter Jonny Smith, into our Cheshire-based workshop. As part of his popular Bargain Porsche series, Jonny brought in his newly purchased Porsche Boxster 986 — a fantastic car, but one with some serious issues hiding beneath the surface, particularly with the convertible roof.
Diagnosing the Bargain Boxster’s Roof Problems
Jonny’s Boxster might have been a steal in terms of price, but it came with a range of faults that are all too common on early Porsche 986 models. Once the car arrived at CarHoods Northern Ltd., our team got to work diagnosing a series of roof-related issues — from snapped tension cables and misaligned frame components to a damaged drainage system, which is especially critical on the Boxster platform.
Blocked or damaged drainage channels can lead to water ingress and even cause electrical faults in the roof control system. These issues are often overlooked but can have serious consequences if not resolved properly.
Footage Lost, But the Expertise Remained
Jonny filmed the entire visit to our workshop, capturing the full process and our commentary — but unfortunately, the SD card containing the repair footage became corrupted, making it unusable for the final video.
While disappointing, we knew how valuable this content was to convertible owners and Porsche fans — so we didn’t stop there.
Same Car, Same Faults, Second Chance
Just days after hearing that the footage was gone, another Porsche Boxster came through our doors with the exact same convertible roof issues. We filmed the full repair process from scratch, capturing every critical step and repair insight. We then sent the footage over to The Late Brake Show team, who edited it into the episode so Jonny’s viewers could still see exactly what goes into repairing a faulty 986 roof system.
🎥 Watch the Repair Segment
You can now watch the final edited video featuring the full roof repair breakdown.
Click here to watch the episode on The Late Brake Show YouTube Channel
Why Porsche Owners Trust CarHoods Northern
Whether it’s a Boxster, 911 Cabriolet, or any other convertible, our reputation across the UK is built on:
📞 Got a Porsche Boxster 986 or another convertible with roof issues?
Contact CarHoods Northern Ltd. today — the UK’s leading specialists in convertible roof systems.