Formerly Steve Wilkinson, I have a question for you?

[JonT]

the best handling production sports car in the world is a targa as well

[vash]

i just flipped thru a forbes magazine and there's steve! it was actually a smaller mag, inside the main mag. i think they called it "forbes FYI" i gotta admit, the picture of the yellow car is great. and yup, it really was a barn.

i love my coupe, but i gotta admit, i miss the targa i gave away. i wish i could have both. but if i get one more 911, it will still be a coupe. the lines are just too damn sexy.

[Wavey]

Originally posted by efhughes3:
"This has been discussed 'til everyone is blue in the face."

And yet someone still asked the question, hence this thread.

"but the main positive benefit is the open air enjoyment."

Exactly. So you've got a car with at least three functional negatives (chassis flex, noise and leaks) VS one sensory positive. And the visual difference is entirely subjective so there's no point in arguing that.

"Using the term "less structurally sound" is going overboard a bit, they do flex."

Right, they flex because they're less structurally sound. Which would you rather be in when it rolls over?

"I also think all sorts of rust problems is a huge misnomer."

Do a search on "targa" and "rust".


Originally posted by trader220:

"I totally enjoy the top off driving."

So why is your car for sale?


Originally posted by svandamme:

"the CGT is a Targa... 'nough said."

I think we're talking about 70's technology welded steel unibody 911 Targas. Hardly the same thing as a high-tech carbon fiber tub.

[svandamme]

that rust ... is fixed on mine
that flex ... doesn't bother me for country rides, i don't track mine
and even if i would , i'm not good enough driver to actually gain seconds a lap ... and i doubt much people would be on this board...

that rolling over... i plan on not rolling over... thinking doom like that and i wouldn't be driving a car at all unless it came with a roll cage and other crap...

the open air driving is not a visual thing , it's a sensory thing... it's fun
driving through a forrest on a sunny day with a targa is more fun than in a coupe, so is going through a tunnel with the roof off, and downshifting so i can have my S howl ...

as for leaking , mine leaks a little bit in the rain.. just a little
but it's my weekend fun car, i have my beater for when it rains

noise.. well , my engine makes more noise than the wind ,
and even doing 100mph , i have no wind on below the ears..
try that in a coupe with the windows down ( unless you have an actually working AC , then you can close them, and be completely isolated from the outside world)


as for the visual aspect of the roofline... why would i care about that ?!?! i want to be sitting IN the car, not outside looking at it...


as for Steve taking jabs at Targa's .. well , it was enjoyable reading , but by no means the definitive word on what 911 ownership comes down too. and i'm sure it wasn't intended to be so...

[Westy]

Well,, I would have said something, but SVANDAMME did just fine as my Proxy.

[Joeaksa]

Alan C,

Believe that you have it a bit wrong. We Targa owners use all the rusted out coupe's as parts cars for our Targa's!

Mine does not rust, does not leak and I can live with the flex. 9 months of the year the top is off and life is good with a Targa. Course if I lived in the NE where SW lives I might feel the same way!

The only thing better (without involving girls that is) than a Targa with the top off is taking the doors off of my plane and flying it around!

JoeA

[masraum]

I had a targa and still would if I could have afforded to keep it, the miles were getting up and it was getting ready to be expensive. I wasn't happy about selling and I'll be back one day.

I loved my targa

I bet you won't see a coupe that looks like this though.

[efhughes3]

Originally posted by Wavey
Originally posted by efhughes3:
"This has been discussed 'til everyone is blue in the face."

And yet someone still asked the question, hence this thread.

"but the main positive benefit is the open air enjoyment."

Exactly. So you've got a car with at least three functional negatives (chassis flex, noise and leaks) VS one sensory positive. And the visual difference is entirely subjective so there's no point in arguing that.

"Using the term "less structurally sound" is going overboard a bit, they do flex."

Right, they flex because they're less structurally sound. Which would you rather be in when it rolls over?

"I also think all sorts of rust problems is a huge misnomer."

Do a search on "targa" and "rust".


Originally posted by trader220:

"I totally enjoy the top off driving."

So why is your car for sale?


Originally posted by svandamme:

"the CGT is a Targa... 'nough said."

I think we're talking about 70's technology welded steel unibody 911 Targas. Hardly the same thing as a high-tech carbon fiber tub.

Actually, the question posed by this thread was to Steve Wilkinson as to why he made his comments in his book, so it is not the same question of Targas vs. coupes.

Subjective is YOUR comment on noise, rust and leaks so "there's no point in argueing that".

I don't think I'd truthfully like to be in ANY 911 in a rollover without a bar or cage.

I stand by my statement of rust being a non-issue in my car at 20 years of age and 120K on the speedo-and she's not a queen.

At this point: whatever!

For some reason, your comments go past the typical coupes vs Targas and SC's vs Carreras light-hearted sparring that we all enjoy here. Why not go slam some other form of car on another forum?

[svandamme]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
taking the doors off of my plane and flying it around!

JoeA

Joe, can i jump out of your plane?
must note that i have flex in my own self, i leak on a daily basis , and i'll probably roll over a couple of times on the way down...i'm also pretty noisy when exiting, but hell , does it matter jumping out at 12000 feet?

[efhughes3]

And another thing!

I think I remember reading about Mark Donohue saying he actually preferred the flex of a Targa on a track in that he could use it to advantage.

[Joeaksa]

Stijn,

Anytime! Do you jump? I have a Brit "D" license and have jumped all over Europe. Was at the first Krakow boogie as well. Based now in Phoenix but jump at Eloy these days.

Have not jumped out of the Aeronca but its been done a lot before.

Joe A

[svandamme]

i've jumped several times before, but no licence(yet)
very expensive in europe to get the licence you basically have to pay the fuel to get the jumpmasters up in the air as well... and not many jumpmasters where i was at meant you were lucky if you found 2 dudes for one jump a day... didn't have enough patience... but at least got 4 solo jumps out of it... 1 high speed failure too ... great rush

[Dutchie]

OT Joe is the Aeronca the one that has a 911 like dashboard ? I think i flew in one of those a few years ago.

[Wavey]

Originally posted by efhughes3
For some reason, your comments go past the typical coupes vs Targas and SC's vs Carreras light-hearted sparring that we all enjoy here. Why not go slam some other form of car on another forum?

Just voicing my opinion, thought that was allowed here. Guess I touched a nerve. Don't take it personally.

[juanbenae]

i wont bad mouth another 911,, at least right here, right now. but if i had it to do over again i would coupe up again. im glad that when i found my car it fit all the other criteria i was looking for, and WAS a coupe. it may have been hard to walk from a 60k mile 78sc, even if it was a targa.

hey one last question,,, were there any 73 RS targas ever built?????

were any of the 911R's ever targas?

coupers are super

[Joeaksa]

Ed,

We have only an airspeed, compass and engine gauges, so not much up there.

Stijn,

Go to Florida, CA or Arizona and get your jumps in there. Lots cheaper in the end and you can jump 10 times a day if you want.

Still like the Targa! The cabrio is not for me as I like the rollbar but still like having the top off. Love the "longhood" 911 coupes but nothing like having the wind in my 3 hairs as I drive!

JoeA

[JonT]

We need a targa forum and a stupid coupe forum so we don't have to play together anymore. Jerks.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Ed,

Go to Florida, CA or Arizona and get your jumps in there. Lots cheaper in the end and you can jump 10 times a day if you want.

i know , just waiting till my boss sends me to Utah for some work stuff... then it's only a short drive to arizona ... only annoying part is , i've constantly denied any offers for trips to utah on the basis that there aren't enough pubs there and blatantly gave that as a reason.... me and my big mouth....

[KobaltBlau]

Originally posted by masraum
I bet you won't see a coupe that looks like this though.

worse:

[masraum]

I had a targa and loved it. It had old crappy seals and was still 95% leak free, only in really, really hard rain (you know, southeast US torential) or if the wind was blowing just right and the car was at the right angle, and then only in the passenger back floorboard.

When I get another I would like a non sunroof coupe, but if I found the right deal I'd get another targa.