'83 911 SC Targa Seals Replacement Q's

[sjsst41]

Here's the dilemma: Our '83 SC needed to have Targa Top seals replaced (for a long time), and probably about 10 years ago I had purchased a URO seal kit, with the intent to replace myself, but was pleased that I recently found a reputable shop that has experience performing this work (very familiar with air-cooled 911's). I did provide this kit to them for the install.

Couple of issues the installer found:

1: the URO lateral roof seals don't fit well (at all) on the targa top, so we're just going to purchase Porsche OEM seals. No big deal. I did a recent search and there are a few negative reviews about these URO seals not fitting. Any one make them work? Just curious.

2. The replacement seals around the A pillar and B pillar (Targa Roll bar) come up short on both sides where they meet with the door seals (maybe about 2", give or take). Based on the documentation the installer has, this is due to them being the later "B" seals, so not really unexpected.

My question to resolve issue #2 - if I purchase new door seals, assume the PN I order will be of the later seal design and close the gap? Just would like to verify from someone in-the-know.

Any info is appreciated.

Thank you !

Steve

[UROParts]

Hi Steve, coincidentally we're reviewing those two targa lateral seals after receiving feedback from Randy at WhaleTail Canada. We'll report back after our engineers evaluate them.

[sigchuck]

I have had the unfortunate experience of replacing every piece of cockpit weatherstripping on my 83 targa.

For the A-pillar/top of windshield frame seal, I think the only real option is Dan Pechtel at Cars, Inc. My understanding is that all other seals (including Porsche seals) are for the 964 targa and don't fit properly on older cars. Dan is a wealth of information on targa cars, and had his seal fabricated (I think) from measurements on a correct NOS seal for G-body and earlier cars. To top it off, it comes with excellent instructions and is priced competitively to 964 seals.

For the B pillar/rear seal, I would recommend using a Porsche product, notwithstanding the price. I ordered a URO piece a couple of years ago, and (no offense as I understand they're trying to improve their products), I didn't even attempt to install as it looked like a piece of junk (send me a PM and I can go into more details). I ended up going with the OEM piece, which was cheaper than the Porsche piece, but I still have issues, primarily with the fact that the rubber seems to be way too hard and doesn't form well around the back edge of the window when the door is closed. Instead, it just compresses and water can still penetrate. Some day when I have money burning a hole in my pocket and some extra time, I plan to go with the Porsche seal.

I wouldn't worry too much about the length of either seal as the door channel weatherstripping is pretty easily replaceable (though I think I also bought URO for these as well since I didn't know any better).

My solution is just to avoid rain if possible. The car is sealed pretty tight, but there's definitely still some water incursion in a hard rain, and some dribbles are noticeable when I'm washing as well. Not a big deal for me as I haven't found the 911 to be a lot of fun on wet roads anyway, but the leaks are kind of annoying nonetheless.

[UROParts]

^ Thanks for the PM regarding the B-pillar/rear seal.

[sjsst41]

Thanks for the feedback ! Sounds like I have more research to do, I did contact the installer and instructed them to stand-down on the work.

We definitively try to schedule any driving events based on the weather

[LIRS6]

Originally Posted by sigchuck

For the A-pillar/top of windshield frame seal, I think the only real option is Dan Pechtel at Cars, Inc. My understanding is that all other seals (including Porsche seals) are for the 964 targa and don't fit properly on older cars. Dan is a wealth of information on targa cars, and had his seal fabricated (I think) from measurements on a correct NOS seal for G-body and earlier cars. To top it off, it comes with excellent instructions and is priced competitively to 964 seals.

^^^ my experience as well ^^^

After a glass-out repaint, my shop installed a replacement seal for my '79 Targa - the front corners stood up considerably, so I changed out the seal myself using Dan's seal. Perfect fit.

Jason

[UROParts]

Originally Posted by sigchuck

For the A-pillar/top of windshield frame seal, I think the only real option is Dan Pechtel at Cars, Inc. My understanding is that all other seals (including Porsche seals) are for the 964 targa and don't fit properly on older cars. Dan is a wealth of information on targa cars, and had his seal fabricated (I think) from measurements on a correct NOS seal for G-body and earlier cars. To top it off, it comes with excellent instructions and is priced competitively to 964 seals.

If anyone is interested, here’s a quick breakdown of the front Targa seals:

1974-1977: p/n 911 565 090 45 - This is the original seal, which was superseded by 911 565 090 47.

1978-1984: p/n 911 565 090 47 – This is the too-thick version seal when purchased from Porsche, OEM and most aftermarket manufacturers. If you buy this seal from the above-mentioned source, you will receive the correct-height seal. When Porsche later realized their seal thickness error, they issued a bulletin instructing technicians how to shave down the seal, instead of correcting the seal thickness in manufacturing. Many DIY enthusiasts question the logic of Porsche's decision.

1984-1989: p/n 911 799 565 80 – This is the later 964-style seal for roller-latch tops. (911 565 090 46 was superseded by this seal.)

Hopefully this info helps clarify things.

[Jack Stands]

When it comes to Targa seals, I find it best to just go with Dan’s recommendations. He knows all the little nuances that make for a watertight Targa.

[SlowSpeedMAN]

Has anyone had luck with current URO lateral and rear rollbar seals? Ive been seeing that they update their parts to fit better but dont see any followup on updated parts fitment..

[UROParts]

Hi guys, we haven't made any running changes to the targa seals recently.

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Found six ratings for Rear Seal 911 565 091 45 online, 4.8 out of 5 stars:

5.0 out of 5 stars: "Good Quality"
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2023
"Fit well but not wearing well! The fuzz on rubber seal showing wear within a few weeks. Trying a 303 product to act as a lube to see if this will help."

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For the Front Seal 911 565 090 47 (at windshield frame), 4.4 out of 5 stars:

5.0 out of 5 stars: "It actually fit my 1984 911 Targa Porsche"
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2023
"This is the first time since replacing this seal numerous times over the years that it fit like a glove! Even OEM never fits without altering! The price is also great!"

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For Front Seal 911 799 565 80, no recent reviews (not since 2014).

[UROParts]

Some history on front Targa Seals 911 565 090 47 (ours is the old-style for 1969-1985 cars) and 911 799 565 80 (new style): https://apaindustries.com/apasite/parts/120/91156509047.pdf