Targa...why or why not?
 

I sold the '87 Carrera a few months ago and just dropped off my 356C to have a mechanic sort the engine, steering, and brakes. In the meantime, I can't tell you how much I miss driving the 911! I'm not even a speed demon.

So, why or why should I not consider a Targa? I know entry price is lower but then, so is resale price. What else should I consider?

Why not?

Because it's not a cab.

And it's not a coupe.

Basically, they cost less then the coupes or cabs. So, there must be a reason.

Targas are the best especially the Guards Red ones.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108267564.jpg

I love having the option to pull the top off at anytime and have a full sunroof. The coupes hold their value much better but I would say it is mostly the market that controls that.

Older p-cars are rare enough, Targas even more so. Who else has something like them that perform and are accessable (sp)? They look really cool, you can race them (something you can't do in a cab...

both of these could be reason To Buy, as well.

Jim

Driving a car like this is all about taking the top off. I sold my 912 coupe just to have a Targa (73.5 911)......Sure, I won't get as much when/if I ever sell, but I didn't buy it to be an investment. I think it's safer than a Cab. and quieter in windy/wet weather....My .02 cents worth.....

Why? Here, let my daughter explain it:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108269218.jpg

We were in our current car a few days ago ('72 coupe) and she told me that she wished the roof would come off.

I now have an 87 Targa and had an 83 SC coupe. The differences are many.

Pro Targa -
- can go topless WITHOUT getting windblown
- Built in roll-bar ( it saved me once already in a rollover )
- Harder to break into than a cab if theif is going to try to cut the material (targa tops have alu plates running the length of the roof )
*Minor* chassis flex ( I consider a plus cuz - call me crazy but -*I* kinda like it)

Con Targa
- leaks from top ( can be minimized with due care and determination )
- chassis flex ( if you don't like it )
- ruins the 'pure lines of a 911' mantra ( which I don't subscribe to FWIW
- wind noises from top ( can be minimized with due care and determination )

Hope that helps

Since I live in the land of sun, fun and Porsches I have a biased opinion. Most ladies don't care about chassis flex or wind noise or if it is a 3.6 or 2.7. It rains here so seldom I haven't a clue if my top leaks or not. Seems most people forget about one of the important things about P cars. Ladies with long blonde hair usually want to show it off without getting it too messed up by the wind. Yup, I married a blonde who was born in Germany!

To double the "unwantedness" my P car also has a Sport-o-matic. OMG, no top and a tranny that doesn't need too much attention! What can I say... I've spent enough years spending all my pay checks to foster my racing habit. I've still got a couple of my old race cars, but most days (key word is MOST) a topless p car can be more fun to drive ;)

BTW, DC stands for

Demolition Crew

but the Targa part is My P-car

Cheers,

Dennis

The design works remarkably well. I was a coupe snob until I got a targa and got it.

security is better than a Cabriolet, and you don't miss much in terms of top-off experience.

Depends partly on what you're going to use it for. If you live in a sunny area and like the topless ride, Targas (or cabs) are great.
If you're a track maniac and subscribe the flex issue, then get a coupe. While I love my Targa, I still prefer the rooflines of a coupe...that is until I remove the roof, the it's a wash.

I think the resale issue is moot. If you sell a targa for a few hundred less than a coupe then presumably you paid a few hundred less for it to start with...a moot subject.

While I also like the safety of the roll hoop, one deciding factor for me buying a sweet Targa was that the CFO (wife) was much more agreeable to me spending 20k IF the 911 was a Targa.

Today I took a nice Saturday morning topless ride on the local twisties...I'm still pretty jazzed about that.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170660&highlight=ultima te+targa+thread

This thread speaks for itself.

I've not found that targas are worth less than coupes in my particular market ... maybe so-cal is different, but I don't think it's that big of a deal.

I have a coupe and a targa. The targa is definatly the weekend, go for a spin with the wife car. If I could only have one it would be a hard to pick. I don't track my cars (yet) and the targa seems pretty stiff to me. I like the early cars so no AC is also a factor.

It's been said here before. Coupes may look better to most from the outside but targas look better from the inside.

Take the top off and go for a spin in one. Then you'll know.

GSpreeman:

I live in SoCal and a Targa is pure bliss here. Most of my favorite Porsche moments have been greatly enhanced by the open air factor of my Targa. I guess that is why Porsche decided the Carrera GT should be a Targa (duh). There are those that just don't get it. Thank God Porsche designers and engineers do!

LeeH:

That is one of the greatest "Porsche moment" photos I have ever seen. What a lucky, lucky man you are!

Sincerely,

Mike

If you like the Targa get one!! You can't see the roof line of the coupe while driving it.;)

Targa has more head room than a coupe. Roof problems can all go away for $800.00 even if you decide to leave it on.
From certain angles the lines on a Targa look a little boxy, right where the rear glass hits the Targa bar. Everything about the Targa has grown on me though. I think it is the same situation as some of us who have ended up with somewhat unpopular or undesirable colors. When it comes time to restore or repaint the color remains the same because the car takes on a personality that just can't be changed.
I didn't want a Targa but the best car I could find after looking for some time turned out to be a Targa. When the roof is off on a spring day I am King.
I have wondered why there seem to be more Targas than Coupes. I wonder if the original owner of a Targa was generally more of a weekend driver where a higher percentage of coupes got on the track and got wrecked. Or were just not as well taken care of in general. I think they sold in about equal numbers.
I have stiffened mine up considerably. I will be turning the odometer to 250,000 miles next time I drive and she has yet to show signs of cracking in half.

edit... two people have written me asked so,
The amount of difference on my car was impressive. The reason may be because it does have 250,000 miles. It may be that on a newer car it wouldn't make much difference I have no way of knowing but it changed the feel of my car completely. I have never driven without a strut tower brace so I don't know how much it helps but I'm sure it does.
This was the magic bullet, well worth the $170
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/911M/POR_911M_miscel_pg3.htm#item14
I never would have thought it would make a difference until the mechanic who did my alignment and corner balance pointed right at the spot the bar triangulates and said that is the weak point. So I bought it, I think he was right.
I like the way they look too. It looks much better over all than it does in the picture. The picture illustrates the location well though.

Coupes have the best lines, cabs the worst. When I drive my friends coupe, I feel claustrophobic.

Like Belushi said; Targa!...Targa!...Targa!

My early car that I'm working on at present is a coupe, and the lines are beautiful. That being said, my next purchase which will be more of a driver will be an SC or Carrera Targa for many of the reasons others have cited here. Good luck in your search!

Nothing beats a Targa. It is pure bliss and has the best characteristics of both the coupe and cab. I specifically sought out a Targa and I would again...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108320029.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108320095.jpg

Having owned a coupe and a cab, I finally found the perfect combo in my Targa. This one is the keeper. It's a street/track car (about 50/50) and I can't imagine a better combo. I've never found or noticed chassis flex of any discernable kind (with strut brace and bolt in rollbar installed) at the track. Have Cars Inc. rebuild your Targa top one time and all the issues simply go away. I've since put probably 2X it's value into making it into the perfect machine for me (3.6, suspension, etc., etc.,)....and I have NO regrets. Was not inclined to make this kind of investment in my coupe (930) or cab (964).

On a 70 degree Sunday morning in North Georgia, there's simply no better way to start the day.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108326934.jpg

Damn Mr. Feinstein,
That is a pretty car!

Because of the percieved value difference you can get a much better condition targa for the price. If your not going to race regularly I think you'd be better off with a targa. The coupe does have a timeless roof line and it is stiffer and lighter. Once I figured out I wasnt going to build a race car I started the sale process on the coupe with intentions on buying a cabrio or possibly a targa. For me the targa looks better in black because the trim blends together and there is also the memories of riding in one long ago that was a black targa... The car is just as functional and fun either way.
It's funny how this divide has been created as long as targas have been around.
The NSX was unavailable as a coupe in the usa in 95 since they werent selling and 96 were special order only.. Why? no one wanted the coupe unless it was for racing and most are weekend toys to cruise around... If we were on an NSX forum we'd be starting from the opposite end of the spectrum saying yeah the coupes arent as bad as everyone says..plus they're stiffer but, you'd really be better off getting an NSX T car for resale... Imagine that.. a brand where the targas are worth more...
Just go out on a warm day and test drive a targa with the top off then a coupe...and remember that most 911's don't have decent a/c if it's still on the car..... Then decide what you're going to use the car for...Good luck

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108330829.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108330850.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108330874.jpg

Mike Feinstein - that is one of the nicest looking 911s I've ever seen. Black targas with polished fuchs really do it for me. And blue ones too ;) .

One thing, these cars all attract attention, regardless of body style. I can rarely go for a drive without people staring and/or waving. Even non-pcar drivers give a wave or a nod. Last week as I picked up my son from school, and as we approached my car, three other 10 yr old kids had their hands and faces pressed against the windows to get a closer look. I didn't know whether to scream at them to get their greasy paws off my car or congratulate them on their good taste.

Depends on what you want out of it. I love my targa, and would not buy a cab because I don't like the way they look - bad with the top up and better but not great with it down because it can't lay flat, like a vette for example. If you are going to race or autox you probably should get a coupe. If you are going to do a lot of pleasure cruising in nice weather get the targa. My targa top stays off for weeks at a time, and i don't drive the car in the rain. It was perfect for what i was looking for. If the car is to be a daily driver I would probably go for the coupe, because the targas have more wind noise and it is hard to get them not to leak, though it can be done. In my search I did not notice any real difference in value between the coupe and the targa (the cabs seem to go a little higher), and value is all over the map for cars of this age as it is so dependant on condition/maint. history and mileage. The lower mileage, better cared for car will be the one that sells higher, weather it's a coupe or a targa, and based on my search it will be rare that you find 2 cars of the same year in equal condition. I would have bought a coupe if I had found the right one before finding the targa, but I wanted the targa. I know I would have been happy with either.

Three reasons to buy a Targa:

I am about 6'2". In a coupe and cabriolet, my head touches the roof (or canvas), but in a Targa, I have 2-3 inches to spare.

I also think that with the solid rear window, wind turbulance at speed is less than with a cabriolet (although Porsche cabs are better than most).

You can claim (to your S.O.) that the targa bar acts as a roll bar, and so is safer than a cab even with the top off .

Even though I am a Targa guy, I have nothing bad to say about Coupes or Cabriolets. They are all Porsches.

Simply put, there are two types of people inthe world: Those that like Targas; and those that don't.

Decide which camp YOU belong in and move on! :)

For me, part of the "magic" is in the removable top. :D

'nuff said.

I have owned two Targa's and love the open feel. The lines of the coupes are great, not sure which way I will go again.

http://www.pbase.com/msnowdon/image/38926892/large.jpg

Sold to North Carolina.

Rear visibility is great in a Targa. Never having owned a coupe or a cab, I really can't say.

My Targa in San Diego
 

Living here in San Diego, my 71s Targa and I are very happy together.

I could not imagine being cooped up in a Coupe!

"Even a blind man knows when the sun is shining" - Jerry Garcia

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108355094.jpg;)

When I bought mine almost 2 years ago, I didnt know that Targas normally cost less...it never occurred to me that a Targa would be worth less than a coupe which you couldnt take the top off of...weird. Well, 2 years later and I'm still smitten. Here in Denver, we get very little rain so it's a great place to own a Targa.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1108359633.jpg

You're telling me this car doesnt have sweeeeeet lines? My @ss it doesnt! :p

There are several 3.6 targas around here: Mike Feinstein, Bill Verburg (OK 3.8), Moses. Interesting...

Call me a pigeon, but I prefer the coupe. I am sure having the top off is nice on Summer days as well as A/C and stereo.
Coupes lines are clean where as the targa's big black bar and rear glass seem out of place to me. The cab seems like a luxury version. I prefer the more basic, straight forward, too the point like Porsche approach... My head is in the car not in the clouds.
just my opinion. http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat5.gif

Do you like to look at your car or drive it?

That's how I made my decision. Sure a Coupe is prettier. No question about it. But I like to drive, not just polish, and that settled it.

:D

Of course, silly of me to say that, since my 69 is up on jackstands and will be for some time. At least I have it running finally...

Both. Can't polish primer bro. Mine is running and stands are put away. Most importantly: Regardless of what top we choose there all Porsches.
Pease