Excellent, glad to be a beta tester if you want to see how it works on an 82. :)

Thanks for the bump.

yep, works on an '82. Right now looking for a few local volunteers for test fit to make sure that our sample size is greater than 1 before going to production.

Are you in metro detroit?

Looks great.
Will these use the stock side seals?

Thank you Graham,

the tops will be manufactured in such a way as to accept factory seals, guide pins and j-hook latches, we're dedicated to providing a turn-key factory type product.

How are the j-hook latches coming?

Very cool. Seems like this is what the factory should have done.

Sorry, Santa Cruz CA. Sort of an outer suburb of Detroit.

Here is where we are at.....

J- Hook Prototype is finished and ready for test fit/installation. You can see the latches in the pics.

Keep in mind when viewing the pics, this is not the final product rather the prove out for fitment.
That said, we're really close.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1403806908.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1403806961.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1403806988.jpg

toddc, your hard top looks excellent. Hope it will fit really good. Just one question: What about the center 3rd guide pin on the rear section of the hard top? Should there not be at least a thread so it can be installed as an option?

Now THAT is a great question....

I considered that option during the design of the J-hook frame and quite frankly I dismissed the need for a center rear pin based on the real world testing that was done on nineball's car with our original hard top.

The carbon tops are so stiff that there is no need of a center support in the rear. The original carbon top has demonstrated it's ability to resist deformation at track speeds exceeding 100mph and I have no reason to think the J-hook version will not perform the same way.

Regards,

Watching this whole project come together has been a real treat...and I don't even own a Targa!! BUT, knowing that a replacement for an old, leaky top may be available, I'd consider one now. ;)

Great comments, Tod. Just that when I do engineering projects I always think of building in extra safety if reasonably feasible. So, would not the 3'rd pin thread in the frame be an easy addition, just to be extra sure?

Good thought.
At this point, adding in the third pin is not really an option without considerable rework of the frame.

Keep in mind, the factory only did this for a short period of time on the folding tops for the early targas. They never did it on their own fiberglass hard tops that were available for the '75 model.
I suspect they also deemed the extra support unnecessary.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I understand that the 2-pin factory Targa tops were the early versions. My, all original, '79SC certainly is a 3-pin version. I think Porsche started the 3-pin version with the SC models, and all the way up until the end.

I offer no correction whatsoever, I am not intimately familiar with what folding tops the factory offered for what years.

We're comparing apples to oranges.

My carbon hardtop is a clone of the factory hardtop that was offered as an option in '75 that has been modified to allow the use of factory J-Hook latches that were used in all variations of the folding top from 74-86.

The beauty of this hardtop is that allows someone to install it as they would their original folding top with no modification required and the added benefit that items like latches and guide pins are serviceable without the destruction of the top which is something that is not possible with a stock folding top.

I truly hope this helps clear up that we are not making a comparison between vinyl tops and hard tops.

Regards,

The tops look great! Thank you for all of your hard work on this.

Are you planning to sell them ready to install on the car, or will the buyer have to source latches? Any idea on pricing yet?

Thanks Scott,

I'm going to offer both a complete top and a bare top.

Idea being that a buyer may have his/her own hardware left over from another top and want to use it and save some dough. Or perhaps want a complete top allowing use of the hard top while preserving their folding top.
Either way, OEM latches and guide pins are available from our host and others and we can provide as part of a package or end user can source themselves.

Right now pricing is being dialed in and not confirmed but should be right around the 2k mark for a complete top and less for a bare top.

I can test it on a 1978 if you like

Thanks for the quick response. Will the fiberglass tops be primed and ready to paint? What sort or pricing difference are you looking at between carbon fiber and fiberglass?

Hi Scott,
fiberglass will certainly be available and they will be delivered in primer ready for paint.

Being active in the Miata world, a hardtop on them transforms the car... the noise and comfort level are amazingly different. They stiffen the car up noticeably too on Miatas. I don't know on a targa if it would make much difference but it certainly can't hurt. Having convertibles all my life I don't notice the targa flex as bad as the coupe guys!

My biggest gripe with my targa is the noise of the targa top. I've considered sending it off to NJ for a rebuild but have held off given that noise is my issue, not leaks, torn top, etc. I would think the hard top would have a much better fit and would be significantly quieter. The significant other hates riding in the 911 with the top on because its so loud.

This is great post! I too have some friends in the miata community and have heard those same complaints.

As far as wind noise with my hard top, best thing I can report is that during the 100's of miles that Kris, (djnineball) and I put on our top, the wind noise was lower than that of his car with the soft top.... How much, we didn't measure. Gut check is that it's an improvement over the vinyl top.

Perhaps Kris will chime in when he sees this thread

it was more quiet, but i think the targa braces had a lot to do with that and i was comparing it to a folding top that was in bad need of being rebuilt. the targa bars are a HUGE improvement for the squeeks and groans targa tops can make (80-90% of them removed). no one will ever get rid of all the noise of a targa (until you take the top off that is) but between the braces and the hard top it was a vast improvement. having fresh seals plays an important part, and having the correct front seal as well.

Put me down for an '87 when you're ready!

What price range are these tops going to be in?

Right now pricing is being dialed in and not confirmed but should be right around the 2k mark for a complete top and less for a bare top.

Hi All,

Successful test fit on Jack's '76.

J-hook frame now proven after a few adjustments.




http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1404905761.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1404905781.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1404905800.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1404905821.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1404905839.jpg

Looks great. I want one for an '84.

Thank you,
please email me for details and we'll take it from there.

Best,

Todd

Good afternoon,

I would love some info for an 84' also.

Thanks!

Thanks Mean,

see above, email me and we'll take it from there.
Thanks!

Looks really nice Toddc!

Just beautiful todd this will be a huge seller congratulations frank

how long would this hardtop will be ready, l just love it

l like to by one if it possible and have it posted to oz

JD's

shipping to OZ is no problem. send me an email and we'll go over the details.
I should be ready for shipping in a couple of weeks.


Thanks,

after the first one is resting comfortably on top of my car that is... :)

Oh sweetheart, you know I will take care of your first :)

Shipping to AUS
 

I to would be interested in knowing the cost for either the fiberglass of carbon fibre top shipped to AUS

Regards Michael

Hi Todd
l will email you for prices on the fibreglass and carbon hardtop to Australia
cheers john