stevev

I'm having a paint job done on my '75 911 Targa...and pulling almost every bit of trim off the car, because it's just pretty darn easy to do. But I'm hesitating at the rear glass on the Targa, because I heard horror stories at one high-end body shop I happened to visit. When I mentioned the P word and a paint job, the idiot said "Oh, figure on $20,000." When I added that it was a Targa, he said he probably wouldn't be interested in doing it, because "those are impossible to get out. We've dropped a few...."

I thought this was histerical, but is there any thruth to the difficulty of getting these out and back in again without breaking them? I'd sure love to check beneath that glass for rust, and get some fresh paint on it, not to mention putting in new rubber.

What am I getting into?

TIA,
Steve

Muf

Hi Steve.
I have also done the targa paint job and the guys took the rear glass out. They only told me that the sealing was too worn and cracked that they had to cut it out.
I needed to buy another sealing then.
There was a lot of rust beneath the glass so I advise you to take it out too.
I do not think the risk of breaking the glass is big.
The only problem may rise when they are going to put the glass back. It is better to find someone who has done it before as I understood it is quite tricky.
Finally the paintshop guys put the glass back (they have never done that before) but they were not able to install the chrome trim along the lower side.
They sent me to some other people when the pain was finished and those other people are working on the trim only.
I drove the car to them yesterday and tomorrow I am going to pick it up.

jlkline

Remove is the only way to go for a quality paint job, and resolve any rust problems that might be looming under there (i don't think the 75's were full galvanized)

I suggest talking to a dealer or a really good indie p-shop to find out who they trust to do Targa glass work, if the paint shop is not confident about the job. From what my body guy and others have told me. it is a PITA.

BTW, do you really want to use a body shop has "dropped a few"????

Doug&Julie

...or says it'll cost you $20k to paint your car?!?!?!? A good quality paint job should cost around $5k, maybe even less if you're doing dismantle and any prep work. I suppose you could pay a little more depending on the shop, but $20k?!?!?!?

I parted a '73 targa and found the rear glass easy to remove. Not sure about the install, but it can't be that hard. By the way, I still have that glass if your paint shop drops another. ;P

Good luck.

dmcummins

I painted my Targa myself with some help from my sons. Removing the rear glass was no problem. I just cut it out along the trim. The hardest part about installing it was getting the new seal on the glass.

I had never installed any glass before. If I could do it someone with some experiance shouldn't have any problems.

I can't imagine a 20k paint job either.

stevev

and the advice. I'm going to take it out myself, and find some help for the install.

As for that $20k paint job from the shop that "dropped a few..", I've never been back there since I laughed myself silly driving away when I heard that comment. Didn't mean to leave the impression I would be going back there!

I have an estimate for $2400 (I do the disassembly) including frames, from a reputable place that was recommended to me by a mechanic I trust. I'll try to post a before/after photos when it's done.


---steve

Steve Zitelli

I agree with Steve. I got a price of 2500 to repaint my targa if I did most of the dissamble work myself from a shop I used to repaint my 71 coupe before I sold it a few years ago.It wasn't concourse but it was nice paint job for the money.