New Saratoga Targa Top....Maybe....

Embs · Embs's Garage

Perhaps I am kicking a very dead horse, but maybe not.
I have searched the past threads and done some research into the saratoga top. I would personally really like to have one if the past issues of the previous top could be and were resolved.

With a complete new targa top going for 5k to 6.5k, 2 or 3K for a well fitted tinted hunk of acrylic would be okay with me. I have talked to and emailed Saratoga Technologies, I think they are interested but they don't realize the potential. There could also be OEM/patent issues I am not aware of.

I personally believe a limited production run of these tops (past issues resolved) would sell very fast. I also think it could be quite profitable. Maybe Pelican could be an exclusive re-seller....Maybe Pelican could casually contact Saratoga and get the ball rolling....
$$$$$$$

If anyone else is interested in a revised Saratoga top, please email the nice man below at Saratoga (Don Paddock)
and express your sincere interest:

dpaddock@saratogatech.com

Visit their website at:
http://www.saratogatech.com/about.htm

BlueSkyJaunte · 08-14-2002, 04:12 PM

I've never seen a Saratoga top, but I wonder if they were any better than the Sparetops sold by Felix (Sundial).

Early_S_Man · 04:39 PM

As the owner of an 'original' since 1980 ... I would hope their choice of material for the rubber seals is just a bit better the second time around! It was a 'foam' composition rubber the first time, and without any UV resistance ... just started to crumble away after four years!

Here is the original brochure:

Embs · Embs's Garage

Warren,

Thanks for the excellent old literature. This board is an infinite resource for great Porsche info, I love it.

zuerchers · 08-15-2002, 11:14 AM

i emailed him and this was his response...

"Mike, sorry to say it has been at least 12 years since we stopped making
the 911 roof panels.
All of the tooling has since been disposed of and there is no
plans to ever produce those
tops in the future.Thank you for checking with us anyways.

Don Paddock"

JWest · 08-15-2002, 11:31 AM

The "safety concerns" in the article are funny. Is fabric stronger than acrylic? Is an open roof stronger than acrylic?

Wrecked944 · 08-15-2002, 01:07 PM

I was one of the people participating in the earlier threads about targa hard tops. Unfortunately, I had to stop my research when my tranny went south and needed a rebuild (BTW - Just got the front cover back on the transmission housing this afternoon. Woo Hoo !!). In any event, I was seriously thinking of just making a fiberglass mold and making a DIY hard top. To this end, I received some pics of a saratoga hard top from a nice 911 owner named Gabbie which I still have on my drive somewhere and which I will, of course, gladly share. I figured I'd return to the targa hard top project after the transmission was complete. It didn't seem like rocket science except maybe for the fastening hardware.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Embs · Embs's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by zuerchers
i emailed him and this was his response...

"Mike, sorry to say it has been at least 12 years since we stopped making
the 911 roof panels.
All of the tooling has since been disposed of and there is no
plans to ever produce those
tops in the future.Thank you for checking with us anyways.

Don Paddock"

My response was that they weren't convinced there was enough demand for them, of course maybe that was just to get rid of me, I have emailed the company more than a few times.

TimB · 08-16-2002, 01:39 PM

So who's going to lead the charge? There must be someone who can make them. I'd shell out some $ for one it it worked - just for coolness factor.

Early_S_Man · 08-16-2002, 03:54 PM

My own feelings are that either a sheet of 1 mm bead-blasted Titanium or Kevlar/epoxy composite would be the ideal 'hard' covering for my spare top. Since my car doesn't have a brake booster ... stowage doesn't present a problem. However, for SC's and Carrera's ... stowage for any 'hard' top DOES present a slight problem!

Joeaksa · 04:26 PM

Warren,

I have a Sundial hard top and storage in my 85 model is not a problem! I slide it behind the seats inside the car and it rests there, so having or not having the brake booster is not a big factor as long as someone does not mind this.

Personally I usually keep the hard top on the car for long time periods, either all summer when its too damm hot to even think of pulling it off or in the winter when its colder than I would like. A factory "targa" top is the one that I would use with the car when in the parts of the year when I would pop the top off and drive somewhere, and use the hard top for other time periods.

Agree with you that making the seals work and for a long time is very important. I for one would love to see Saratoga or another company spool this up and start production again. I have just written Don at Saratoga. Do we have any Pelican members in North Carolina who can go by the factory and see if we can convince them a little stronger to resume production?

Joe

bell · bell's Garage

boy i love a challenge

i just happen to have a spare folding targa top which i was (and am) going to restore, and i can use that for designing a new frame. i think i see something i can do to create a very nice looking lexan top. also a machine shop rents our back building at work so i'm going to bump heads with a friend there and see what we can come up with. i've worked with lexan for years and now fully understand the targa "latching system" so i know i can combine the two.
let me brainstorm and i'll start a new thread soon.

john walker's workshop · 09:01 AM

why not just make a copy of the original hard top. those saratoga units look kind of cheap in real life.

john walker's workshop · 09:01 AM

here's the inside.

john walker's workshop · 09:01 AM

here's the header latch receiver. most targas already have the holes.

s2per · s2per's Garage

Yeah, Lexan, fiberglass or FRP, a replica of the factory hard top would be a VERY nice addition to most Targas. I'd be a customer for sure.

Joeaksa · 08-16-2002, 08:32 PM

John,

That top looks like its not being used very much... I would be happy to help you "dispose of it" to keep it from taking up room in your shop!

Nice to see pics of the factory unit. Always heard that the latching system was different but did not know how until now.

Bell,

You sure would have lots of support for making a new type of top. Main problem with my "sundial" top was that over 60 mph it tended to raise in the center and let air in the interior. Needed more stiffness or a stronger latching system.

Thx,

Joe

bell · bell's Garage

i'm going to concentrate my efforts to my 85' carrera targa first, i have the T handle type latches, not the "buckle" style.
i've got some very good ideas......i'll post more when i organize my resources over the next couple of days.

masraum · 08-16-2002, 09:56 PM

I've actually wondered about that myself. If nothing else it should be possible to convert a spare folding top to a hard top without too much work if you were handy, and you would still have Porsche quality hardware, or I guess if you were more handy and had more spare cash you could use some new hardware and combine it with the Porsche hardware and come up with another solution that would be at least as good, probably better. Hopefully one of you guys will come up with something so by the time I've got the stuff that I need to do to my car done I will just be able to buy one of these awesome hardtops.

al lkosmal · 08-16-2002, 10:11 PM

How many targa owners out there would be interested in an aluminum hardtop? Non-folding, highest quality construction, materials, seals, latches etc.? What price would the market bear?

Al