Targa -> Cab -> Coupe

[widebody911]

Got the new top yesterday. Unfortunately I had a bit of flu-like symptoms, so I couldn't really do much with it yet - it took every ounce of energy I could muster just to uncrate it.

This thing is unbelievably light - 20lbs! But IMHO, $2900 is a tad too much.

Click to enlarge

[sfmlaw17]

Where did you get the top? How is the fit and finish? I have been contemplating this too and just leaving off the cloth top. It would be nice in the winter too.

That is a good bit of money after paying for the targa to cab conversion. I know your pain brother.

[jester911]

Thom, keep this up and you will have a complete car.

[Kurt B]

Is it well made?
How much work is it going to be to make it perfect?
What does it look like underneath, and how does it mount to the body?

[Kurt B]

If you did have a guy create a copy of it, could you guys come in lower than the 2900, and if so, how much?
2900 is definitely a lot of cashola frankly, but I really like the look of it...anyway..
BTW. I see the underneath photos in the list. I guess I was more curious about how it actually attaches, but I guess it has holes for the 3 allen bolts that the cab top uses..

[widebody911]

One of the things that irks me about the product is that for $2900, "attachment is left as an excercise for the user"

The rear is held down by these 'pegs' which go into recesses in the rear corners - where the wires fro the defroster and stuff go though. I could engineer something to make it use the B-pillar cab mounts, but I would attach a bracket of some sort. For the front, he offered to attach factory latches, but I would have had to provide the latches. I'll figure something out.

If I was going to repro this, I think I'd rather pull a mold from an original. The finish work on this piece is 'average'. The $2900 price tag comes about because he's the only game in town.

[Chuck Moreland]

This is a an interesting approach. It gets you the aero behavior of a coupe, yet keeps the center of gravity as low as possible. Not unlike the guys who replace the skin of coupe roof with glass, except you've replaced the whole thing.

$2900 is a lot for a peice of fiberglass though and for that much I'd expect a very good fitting product. I'll be interested in following your impressions of this as you complete the installation.

[hkspwrsche]

Do the windows attach the same way? are you going to use stock glass or plexi since it will be track only? how solid is the top?

[widebody911]

Originally posted by hkspwrsche
Do the windows attach the same way? are you going to use stock glass or plexi since it will be track only? how solid is the top?

It uses OEM windows, although I'll be using Plexi/Lexan windows rather than glass.

[Kurt B]

thanks for the FYI Thom. I can't wait to see how it looks--and then there's the matter of getting on a scale to see how much the car weighs. I wonder if you'll be able to put the Z06 in your sights once it's all together.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by Kurt B
thanks for the FYI Thom. I can't wait to see how it looks--and then there's the matter of getting on a scale to see how much the car weighs. I wonder if you'll be able to put the Z06 in your sights once it's all together.

Hate to disappoint you, but the stock Z06 is already in my rear view mirror...

[JeremyD]

Wow $2900 for a raw piece of fiberglass. I'm in the wrong business!

[JMPRO]

Having had several f/g pieces made for resale , i can see how the price could be high. A mold to make the top is very likely a multi piece mold which requires assembly and disassembly for every part and the part is large making handling a labor intensive process.Also a low volume part such as this would require a sizeable cost addition to the part to prorate the cost of the mold. The mold and tooling for my targa hard top was over $600.00, i suspect a mold of this size and complexity could cost upward of $2000.00. Did this top come from the co. in Flordia?.
I am a little surprized to see the poor quality of the trimming of the window holes and the fact you have to figure out how to mount it.
I am sure you will do a good job of figuring out how to mount it and it is not my intention to bad mouth your part, like you for $2900.00 i would expect a part that is closer to being finished.
Rather than using latches in the front you might use the holes in the windshield header at the extreme corners and attach a bolt to the top that goes through the holes for fastening.

[Eric Coffey]

Thom-

You might want to give John Walker a call. He has a hard top (OEM I believe!) that he is using on a 930 cab, and could probably offer some insight regarding the latching mechanisms.

[Ove]

Nice, Thom,

I'm looking forward to see the finished project!
But even more to watch how you figure out the many problems along the way and put the car together

[Bill Verburg]

Thom, that piece in properly thin l/w c/f w/ a full cage tied into all the suspension pickups would be a killer setup.

[makaio]

Can't wait to see the end result!

[masraum]

Looks good, or at least like it will once you're done with it. It looks like the contour across the top of the windshield is a little off, similar to the way my old targa top fit. I too am surprised that for $3000 you get something that is far from finished, but I'm sure it's a very, very low volume part, so I guess I can see it being a much more expensive part that a front fender for a 911 or a hood for a camaro.

PS HAPPY THANKSGIVING, eveyone!!!

[Rufblackbird]

wow that thing is very cool...but not sure about $2900 cool

[kach22i]

Awesome.

Brainstorm: Someone recently posted a picture of a cropped top 912. It had a Speedster windshield, so I imagine the head room was nothing to brag about, or you had to sit on the floor boards......................................What if the company which made that glass top of yours, made a lower version?

I think you would have to switch to plexi-glass/acrylic side windows, but they are lighter anyway.

You would have a Speedster, cropped Coupe, Targa.