|
|
|
|
| Author |
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
|
Hard Targa Top Arrived!
The top arrived today. The company held me in town long enough for UPS to get here. UPS really worked with me great after I called and told them that I was headed out of town.
The finish and quality of the glass work looks good, and the inside is finished nice. The rubber gaskets are OK... Not Porsche rubber nor quality but then its not Porsche price either. Was not expecting "targa" quality rubber. The real let down was the mounting hardware. Its not anything that is unsafe but just a bit hokey. I will replace it with some aircraft hardware or the like. The aft mounts are simple "eye" bolts that stick into the roll bar holes. The front mounts are again "eye" bolts that go down through the windshield frame. I received no instructions and could not figure out how to do it otherwise in the 20 minutes I had to play with it before heading out of the house. The down side is that the only way I could figure out to do this was to push the eye bolt end through the vinyl then screw on the rubber covered nut which was provided. Not a big letdown but will try to work out something else.. It is covered up by the sun visors but then comes the second problem... The nut keeps the sun visor from going all the way up and out of the way. I will drive it to the airport to head out of town and let you guys know how quiet it is, but from the looks of it, it should be a lot quieter and safer (no way to cut inside and steal things) than the stock Targa top. The top looks totally stock from a few feet away and mine will be sanded down and painted to match the color of the car ASAP. Would I do it again? Yes... Worth it so far and assume that I will feel the same way after driving it... Will post some pictures after I get on the ground and in a hotel if I can figure out how to do it! Gotta run ... Will report back when I get down again... JoeA |
||
07-11-2001, 08:15 AM
|
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
|
Did not make it clear in my post. The forward bolts go through the holes in the windshield frame that the stock targa top uses. There are small pins in the normal targa top that go into holes in the frame and the new top uses these instead of the latch holes futher inboard on the frame.
No drilling or such, got the top on in 10 minutes and spent another 10 adjusting it... More later.. out the door now. JA |
||
|
07-11-2001, 08:18 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Porsche Money Zen
Posts: 1,701
|
Keep us posted, Joe. I'm interested in this myself.
------------------ Mark Szabo 1986 911 Targa 3.2 1987 Escort 5-speed 1.9 RIP The Porsche Owners Gallery |
||
|
07-11-2001, 02:10 PM
|
|
|
Registered
|
I am still interested too!
------------------ Mark Isaak '74 Targa |
||
|
07-11-2001, 02:55 PM
|
|
|
B58/732
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Hot as Hell, AZ
Posts: 12,313
|
Ja! Ja! Ich auch!
------------------ blue '81 SC Targa |
||
|
07-11-2001, 03:32 PM
|
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
|
OK...
Drove the car from the house to the airport and it worked fine, but I did not have the time nor distance to get too fast. My gut feeling is that the top needs some support or "tie down" in the middle of the unit as well as the outside corners as it has now. The wind noise was lots better than the stock Targa top but above 60 or so started to get some wind noise from the front, and feel that a middle tie down would help this a lot. The side and rear noise levels were good but at the higher speeds you could hear a bit of wind and this needs improving, especially for a 911. I will get with the maker and see what we can work out. Really want to get back and tweek the thing but am now gone for five more days. Hope the other gent on the forum who purchased one will get his and spend some time working with his. Hope this helps... so far so good and cannot wait to sand the puppy down and paint it to match the car. Joe |
||
|
07-11-2001, 05:04 PM
|
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Depew, NY, USA
Posts: 62
|
Will this thing fit a 84 carrera? or is it only for the earlier Targas. For the $$$$ seems like a deal, as long as it doesn'tfly off or leak
|
||
|
07-11-2001, 08:53 PM
|
|
|
Registered
|
Joe:
What year is your car and do you know if it will fit newer models (87)? Thanks, Michael [This message has been edited by michaelw (edited 07-12-2001).] |
||
|
07-12-2001, 02:11 PM
|
|
|
Registered
|
Joe,
Before you sand it, I would give them (Sundial) a call. He posted this on the classifieds: >> doing a non pebble paintable ltwt 5lb. race top anyone interested ?...sundial << >> the price will be the same 299. plus 50 shipping, but now you can paint the top to match your car and you will take the wt off where the roll inertia is most crical but the std deluxe sparetop is only 15 lbs any way i may make a carbon fiber trick looking sparetop but the cost of the resources is almost the price of the std sparetop and every one knows how fads are thats why we like 911s, classic is timeless, just like art << Just a heads up.... ------------------ John '81SC Targa |
||
|
07-12-2001, 03:40 PM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Millis, MA USA
Posts: 56
|
So what's the verdict, people, is thing good enough for a Porsche? If so, I'll get one, but it's got to be as good as the rest of the car, don't you think?
Jim McIntyre '85 targa |
||
|
07-13-2001, 10:47 AM
|
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
|
Just back in CONUS from across the pond and can help with a few questions.
The top is on my 85 model Targa and believe that it would fit any of the 89 and lower but am not sure. Believe that it would fit any of the "pre-roller" targas but this needs to be confirmed. Should be home on Sunday latest and will do some more work on the puppy and will report back then... Joe |
||
|
07-13-2001, 09:13 PM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: AZ
Posts: 8,414
|
Hey Joe,
Just bringing this post back to the top (pun intended!). I am going to be buying an `88 Targa here next week, and am considering picking up one of these tops. I am anxious to hear if you have had any new developments, news or comments to report about your new "Sparetop". -Eric [This message has been edited by freefly (edited 07-17-2001).] |
||
|
07-17-2001, 12:40 PM
|
|
|
|
Registered
|
Interested as well. Any progress?
------------------ rj cilurso 87 911 targa |
||
|
07-19-2001, 12:14 AM
|
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
|
After getting back home and having a few days to drive the car with the hard top, its going well.
Top needs some refinement and the two of us (that I know of) who purchased the tops are working with the guy who is making them to work out the bugs. The front attach points worked fine but made sun visor operation less than perfect, so this was the first place I worked with. I now have it working fine after picking up some hardware and playing with the top. There is one other area that that needs some attention, and I do not want to go into right now, and Sundialent is working on correcting it as we speak. Its not a problem that cannot be corrected and as long as he is working on it I would prefer to work with him instead of getting on the forum and bashing him or his product. All in all I like the top. Its more secure, quiet and seems to work better in the summer with the a/c. It also gives me more headroom (am 6'1") if that is a problem in your car. I will not give up my normal Targa top and will use it in spring and summer. The hard top will stay on during summer and the worst part of the winter. From a few feet away you cannot tell the top from the stock Targa top. I will sand and paint mine to match the rest of the car, then it will look real different! If you are interested in this top, I would wait a bit until we can de-bug the unit and get it out the door with no problems. I did not expect a polished, refined unit from day one, as this is not something from the factory (and not with the factory price either), so for me its not a problem. Someone who is not handy with tools and likes to tinker with something may not feel the same way. I am helping the seller as I like the top and am not in any way financially or otherwise involved with him. I have wanted to have something like this for years for my car and its worth it for me... Will let you all know how the progress is once we get the puppy more refined. Personally now that I have corrected the "sun visor" problem there is only one remaining area that needs to be corrected, and when this is done the top should be a big seller. Joe |
||
|
07-19-2001, 04:13 AM
|
|
|
B58/732
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Hot as Hell, AZ
Posts: 12,313
|
Thanks for your candor--let us know when you guys are finished because I'll place my order as soon as I see it posted!
Oh--and what are sunvisors?  Is Sundialent serious about the non-textured paintable version? Because I'd buy one of those, too. ------------------ blue '81 SC Targa |
||
|
07-19-2001, 06:41 AM
|
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 424
|
Targa owners of the world unite!!
I think we have a solution.  Once those final bugs are worked out -there will bea line of Targas - anythinbg to reduce wind noise, leaks. Not to mention Joe selfless devotion to a better cause.  |
||
|
07-19-2001, 10:43 AM
|
|
|
Registered
|
I'm psyched at the prospect of a functional hard top. I'd drive mine all year long if it would just stop raining inside....
------------------ 1969 911S Targa 1999 Eurovan Camper |
||
|
07-19-2001, 01:34 PM
|
|
|
Registered
|
Painted top would rock and the money sounds right. Keep us posted. I was thinking about getting a goldfish for the back seat but I'll prolly just replace the seals and try to line the top up better. Cheaper than fish food in the long run... maybe
------------------ rj cilurso 87 911 targa |
||
|
07-20-2001, 06:12 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Porsche Money Zen
Posts: 1,701
|
Joe, how's the new top do with water? Does it seal well?
------------------ Mark Szabo 1986 911 Targa 3.2 1987 Escort 5-speed 1.9 RIP The Porsche Owners Gallery |
||
|
07-20-2001, 11:01 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Bellingham, WA, USA
Posts: 400
|
Wanted to bring this back up top. Joe, Living in the NW I am very interested in the water tightness. Have you doused it yet? And I can't say this enough, "Thanks for testing this for us"!
------------------ Rob Fix '78 SC Targa |
||
|
07-24-2001, 09:13 AM
|
|
Thunder
Lazarus
Hot Mess
1987 Porsche Carrera 3.2
Pan Pan
Pepper
