Targa Bar Seal

[golftime]

OK Targa owners, more questions as I try to unravel the mystery of the Targa top and how it seals. I believe the seal in the photo is referred to as the Targa bar seal. I also understand the area where the window meets the seal is designed to be covered with cloth to allow the window to slide freely. If so, mine looks pretty thin? The rest of my seal looks OK. How much difference will I see in the cloth betwen the new and old. And what is entailed in the replacement? It seems the old seal is glued to the Targa bar? Are there alignment issues that go along with a new seal?

[nesslar]

Get yourself a fabric marker, black, and put a coupla coats on it. Just keep marking away until you get it nicely blackened. Every year or so touch it up. Your's looks to be pretty solid still, I would just follow my (proven here) advice!
And I don't believe the cloth is even necessary ; I have seen it removed, and the same marker used to darken the rubber underneath. Either way, no problem with the windows that I've seen. You CAN peel that cloth off and be done with it.....

[golftime]

Very helpful, thanks Nesslar.

[DRACO A5OG]

keep the fabric on and darken it.

the exposed rubber will cause the window to go up with some resistance unless you maintain it with some lube. Ask me how I know.

Here is a test, with the door ajar raise the window. Observe.

Close the door and raise the window, Observe.

If you have an old bicycle inner tube place it where the seal would be and raise it, it should bind a bit.

Sorry my 2 cents.

[nesslar]

Oh no, I agree, no "sorry" necessary; that's why I said his "looks solid"....best left orig. in this case I have to say.

[golftime]

Ok, the existing cloth looked very thin to me with a few areas where it was actually worn thru. I was just wondering if the cloth on a new seal would be much thicker or if it was worth changing now. I was planning on changing the lower door seal which is in poor shape and thought I might change both at the same time. Sounds like living with it is the best plan. Thanks again.

[Jdub]

The Kiwi shoe polish applicators with the squeeze bottle and foam mesh ends work very well in this situation - get the Bishop black socks color (joke!). Squeeze it on liberally.

[nesslar]

That sounds like a great way to go!

[kach22i]

I used fabric paint per the tech article in Pelican.

I used black with some white added, could not find any gray mixes mentioned in the article at my local craft store.

A huge change when combined with painting the faded Targa bar. My wife says it looks like a different car now.

Before


Before Detail


After


After other side


They want almost $300 for that piece of rubber....................I'm too cheap for that.

[golftime]

Kach,
Wow, the difference is impressive. Aside from the aesthetics, I was also concerned about the windows sliding up and down absent the cloth. I believe I had read a thread here some time ago indicating without the cloth, the window motor would burn out due to friction between glass and rubber. I saw Draco mentioned some lube to avoid that but not sure what lube would work, particularly one that wouldn't transfer to either the window or your clothes as you get in and out. Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions.