Targa wind noise and one other problem

[atc_marty]

I noticed some problems on my 87 targa yesterday and I'm hoping to get some insight from people with more experience than me.

First problem: the targa makes a lot of wind noise at speed. The sound comes from the front/windshield side. I examined the exterior and noticed that the leading edge of the targa seems deformed, as pictured.



Am I right to assume that this is causing the wind noise? Is it an easy, cheap fix?


Second problem: the rear right body panel in front of the wheel is supposed to be attached to the pipe-looking appendage inside the panel. For clarity's sake, here are some pictures.

This is the area I'm talking about:



This is the problem:



What's going on here? Is this a simple weld job? Should they have spotted this during the PPI? Thanks!

[nineball]

lots of targa tops look like that and have the same problem. the first step is to make sure that the clips are all engaged before you mount it. sometimes the top is a little warped (for lack of a better term) and not all the retaining clips hold the lip on the inside front. if they are not the problem then it's most likely time for a rebuild, but i may be wrong.

[vince_aust]

Marty the pictures of the rear wheel are a bit confusing - I assume you are talking about the rear suspension bar. There is an access panel (shown in your photo as the half round metal) that is easily removed when you need to replace/maintain your rear suspension bar.

The rear suspension bar is not meant to be connected to fender.

[Dave Colangelo]

The Targa suffers from wind noise for obvious issues but there are a few reasons/solutions. The rubber seals dry out and shrink/crack over time and some times need replacement. The roof and windows alike have a variety of adjustment screws etc. Over the years the chassis flex will warp the car to the point where you will need to adjust your top and windows a bit. I have the manual for this that Porsche published back in the day. PM me your email and ill send it over to you.

Regards
Dave

[atc_marty]

Thanks nineball, I'll check the clips. Hopefully I won't need a rebuild!

Vince, I'm not sure if its the suspension bar. But the pipe that's behind the semi-circle on the body is what I'm talking about. The picture of the inside of the wheel well shows the problem as I perceive it. On the other side, the pipe seems to be attached to the fender. I can see how this might be confusing, I'm not sure that I'm explaining it correctly since I'm not sure what I'm looking at. I'll take a picture of the other side, maybe that will clear things up.

[LakeCleElum]

Targa top often gets that shape from left being in the folded position for a long time....Best not to fold, and only short times if you do.....

[atc_marty]

I'm on my iPad so I'm limited in what I can do with picture editing, but I managed to crop the picture to show what I'm talking about:



Compare with this picture to see what I cropped:



Both of these pictures show rear right wheel well, in front of the wheel.

[HFR_Racer]

The rear suspension (torsion bar tube) that you've photographed is not welded to the inside surface if the fender +1...

[K Sykes]

That tube should not attach to the fender, but it still looks a bit funky. Here is what it should look like.



It's a cover for the end of the torsion bar and tube. Shouldn't be sticking out that far. A better picture would help.

[vince_aust]

Marty - I have a 87 wide body and my suspension bars poke out as far as yours but my fenders are wider at that point. My gap is similar to Kingsleys.

If I was to have a wide guess it looks like you have torsion bars as wide as mine but you have a narrow body 911 instead - this would lead to the narrow gap between end of bar and fender.

Here are the photos of my 87 rear torsion bars

[twistoffat]

Marty that raised leading edge is common especially among those who rest the targa top on their feet when folding it. You can press it flat and just hope it doesn´t get worse

[K Sykes]

I guess Carreras have longer torsion tube covers? My pic earlier was an SC. In either case, that is a suspension part, not a body brace. You'll see a small round plate, in line with that tube, in the side of the body to remove the torsion bar.

[kuba_kuba]

Torsion bar cover that you show is consistent with what mine looks like ('88 targa). You say that the other (Driver's) side looks different - can you share pictures of that side? That may be the side with a problem (assuming there is a problem).

[Jdub]

Air noise means the possibility of flipping your top off if the speed and conditions allow it. Our tops stretch at those points when folded, and do not come back flat, over time. Be ABSOLUTELY sure that your latches are still operating at two positions: The first to unlock, and the second the need to push the lever over all the way before the top can be removed upwards. Broken latches that lack that second requirement should be corrected.

Check the clips, and, with top off, clean front and rear seal thoroughly. Take silicone grease (only) and using your fingers rub this in to the seal all around. This quiets the top and can prevent air and water getting in.

Not a substitute for rebuilding the top. At this point in your car's life you need to do this, so start collecting the funds and talk to Dan at Cars Inc.

[tincob]

Marty, as far as the top is concerned, I have a 87 Targa with the same condition, only mine is worse.

As you can see from the photo of my top, the lead edge is deformed in multiple locations (arrows). It's due to the top shrinking over time. I've tried stretching it out but it didn't work.

I get the same noise and leaking condition.

It's time for a rebuild and I plan to drive over to see Dan in NJ in the spring.

[GeorgeK]

Torsion bar cover is strictly normal for a car equipped with the G50 gearbox. It protrudes that much, is close to the rear fender and should not touch / be attached to / be welded to the fender.
In other words, nothing's wrong under that fender.

[86 911 Targa]

I just went through the "Targa Top" excercise and performed the following:

1. Replaced the the locating pins (2) 911-565-074-40

2. Replaced the coverings (2) 911-965-217-40

3. Re-adjusted the front and rear cllips.
Note: when adjusting the clips, loosen the two screws/clip slowly,
and just enough to move the clips as they are only threaded two turns.

All available from our host-888-280-7799 X233 (Jason).





As per the prevous post, I never fold the top, and lube the seals
and locating pins & coverings with this:



The above fixes eliminated all of the rattles & sqweaks under normal driving conditions.

However, I'm not certain that a 100% noiseless Targa top is possible.

pm me as needed.

Good luck,

Gerry

[atc_marty]

Ok so the suspension bar issue is resolved. The gap between the bar and the fender is just unusually large in the pictures above, probably because of a blowout I had this summer that damaged the body around the fender. Thanks to all for helping me with this, I learned a lot! One more thing, though: can someone confirm that suspension bar is a good place for a jack stand?

Dang, I hope I don't have to get my top rebuilt for this. It's in good condition otherwise. Dave was kind enough to email me an awesome dealer manual for adjusting targa tops, so I guess I'll give that a try. I've heard of people supplementing the factory seals with rubber or foam house window insulation, has anyone else tried that? I don't want the top flipping off like Jdub described. It seems like adding foam might affect the clips and the fit of the targa...

[86 911 Targa]

Originally Posted by atc_marty

Ok so the suspension bar issue is resolved. The gap between the bar and the fender is just unusually large in the pictures above, probably because of a blowout I had this summer that damaged the body around the fender. Thanks to all for helping me with this, I learned a lot! One more thing, though: can someone confirm that suspension bar is a good place for a jack stand?

Dang, I hope I don't have to get my top rebuilt for this. It's in good condition otherwise. Dave was kind enough to email me an awesome dealer manual for adjusting targa tops, so I guess I'll give that a try. I've heard of people supplementing the factory seals with rubber or foam house window insulation, has anyone else tried that? I don't want the top flipping off like Jdub described. It seems like adding foam might affect the clips and the fit of the targa...

If this is the one I sent Dave, it will help.



Gerry

[Dave Colangelo]

Yup that's the one.

Regards
Dave