Help - All fellow targa owners past and present

[Rainking]

Happy New Year! My New Year's day fun run ended with the discovery of a small hole in my targa top. Small but painful to find... Don't ask me how it got there...It is about the size of a dime and I am concerned with it getting bigger. I am thinking the best thing to do is address it right away which leads me to my question. What is the best way to patch it or glue it? Suggestions or please point me in the right direction.

[Paul K]

Rainking:

I suspect it's time for a rebuild, as I doubt that's the only bad spot. Repairing it so you can't see the repair will likely be expensive & difficult. I suggest you contact Dan Petchel at Cars inc. & get his opinion & a quote for a rebuild- he's 'The Man' when it comes to targa tops.

FWIW, I wish I had ponied up a grand & had Dan rebuild my targa top. I suspect I'd have enjoyed the car a lot more with a properly fitting top.

Good luck!

Paul.

[Rainking]

Paul,

Is that how much it costs to rebuild it? $1,000? It fits properly and looks pretty good overall...I know it will bother me to see the fix but...I would need to wait awhile before spending another $1k.

[VaSteve]

Go get some clear or black glue and put it in that hole. It will keep until you get he funds to fix the top. Is it on one of the folds? Mine cracked up like that when I got the car in 2003. When I finally got Dan to recover the top, he said it was original. So, 20 years ain't too bad.

[DRACO A5OG]

+1 put some black 3M weather sealant on so it will not allow moisture in there. I punctured mine when tapping down the clips and realized I had a screw underneath while I was a tapping, DOH!

[Paul K]

Originally Posted by Rainking

Paul,

Is that how much it costs to rebuild it? $1,000? It fits properly and looks pretty good overall...I know it will bother me to see the fix but...I would need to wait awhile before spending another $1k.

That's how much it was when I had my '89. According to Dan Petchel, targa tops sealed so well it was 'like driving a coupe' when they were new.

Vintage Porsche Parts and Targa Tops for Porsche

[Rainking]

Thanks for the advice. So does the 3M weather sealant also act like glue so the crack doesn't expand? I am in southern California so I am not worried about the weather as much as I am about it getting worse. I realize that I will need to redo it eventually so appreciate the recommendation but I just got the car! Is there anything else I should put in there before the 3M weather sealant?

[Rainking]

VA, that is agood question about whether or not it is on the fold...I did fold it no that long ago and since I just got the car, it may have been some time since it was folded. Will check. Thanks!

[mystro]

Dont use glue or sealant..
There are inexpensive kits sold at boat shops and appolstery shops just for small holes like that. It's just a simple black vinyl repair kit. Do a Internet search.

My 88 targa top is original except the head liner was replaced. It's in perfect condition and far from needing replaced. The previous owner just knew how to take care and maintain the top.

[HarryD]

If you want to just patch the hole, try this kit by Permatex:



http://www.permatex.com/products/Automotive/specialized_maintenance_repair/fabri_vinyl_fiberglass_repair/Permatex_Dashboard__Vinyl_Top_Repair_Kit.htm

You can find it at most Auto Parts Stores.

[KCinBR]

Patch it to protect from the elements, then:

recover it yourself, thats what I did. I got all the material from Carsinc (Dan Pachetl)

If your frame is good and straight, you can do it, assuming you are Diy guy. I covered mine in 06 and shortly after that had an opportunity to do a side by side comparison of my work and one professionally covered by Carsinc. My covering job looked every bit as good as the professional job. Was it a lot of work, YES, but the results were worth it and it cost me less than $300.

Here is a link to pics from the whole process
https://picasaweb.google.com/KCinBR/TargaTopRebuild02?authuser=0&feat=directlink

ONE MORE THING......DONT FOLD THE TOP IN COLD WEATHER!

[Targalid]

Those little rips are a sign of worn out vinyl. They will get bigger. Mine expanded to over a foot long one winter with the cats using the targa top as a springboard. I pulled the edges together with gorilla tape, sealed the rips with NAPA vinyl repair glue and when that was dry, after a few days, I sprayed the whole top with chip seal, the kind you use for rocker panels. It looks pretty much like the original finish but as noted above, you can't fold it in cold weather.

[911Texan]

KC - You 'da man. Great pics of the targa top rebuild. Just what I was looking for last night (but didn't find this this a.m.). I really want to rebuild my '84 targa top and you've given me the motivation to pursue it. My '84 has some variations from your '88 interestingly. And someone has meathooked the cast tabs (broken off) the clips grab. I get to do some REAL work on mine - *$^@!#$&. Thanks! - Rich

[nesslar]

There are in fact a LOT of differences along the time line. '84/'85 the same I think, '86 stands alone I believe, then '87-'89.
I believe via UPS, even across the country, Dan would recover (if that is all you need) for under $200 including shipping.
Of course all the above could be wrong; don't think so, though.

[KCinBR]

IF you are not a pretty good DIY guy I would at least get a price from Carsinc before I jumped into the job, it's a lot of work.

Vintage Porsche Parts and Targa Tops for Porsche

[911Texan]

Yeah I just spoke with Dan and I'm getting scared now. I know it's his business to scare me out of doing it myself but when he said my flapper boxes will be piece of cake compared to restoring the targa top, I puckered. I'm gonna send mine to him when cashflow permits. We're also kicking around the idea of a possible hard targa top product. My company can manufacture - and we'd like to start doing something outside of aviation to diversify a bit. Hmmmm... - Rich

[RSTarga]

I would highly recommend that you have Dan rebuild it if you want it to last another 20 years.