TroyN

I just picked up a SC Targa and plan to use it for DE and top-off fun. I've ordered the Targa stiffening bars from Automotion and am planning to also install either a 4 point cage or possibly a full 6 point cage. Obviously the 6 point cage is going to stiffen the car more than the 4 point but for those that have installed a 4 point, how much stiffness does it add? I am looking mostly for chassis stiffness vs. safety, at least for now.

A local shop will do a custom cage that will allow me to use the top still but with the top off it would affect the visual lines of the car.

Anyway, thoughts?

demonfish

i have had various cars with cages, both rear, full and full race...

i honestly think a rear cage is just no so much pointless... but can cause problems...

Yes, you benefit from a stiffer rear end (ooh er) BUT this just transfers any flex to the next weak joint, where a standard car spreads that flex thru the whole chassis..

I had a rear cage in a car, and noticed where the a pillar joined the roof skin, it started to crack, i then repaired that, it did it again.... i then repaired, went for a really basic six point with door bars, and it never came back....

so its something to think about.

sjanes

I had a rollbar (4pt cage) in my Targa and it did almost nothing for stiffness. I now have a Safety Devices bolt in cage and it has helped, but not as much as I thought. I was told by a club racer that had the same cage in his targa that it helped a lot when the cage was welded down, so that's what I'm going to do.

TroyN

Thanks guys. Sjanes, do you have any pics of your cage and one w/ the car w/ the top off? Looks like I may be plunking down $1800 for the custom welded in cage...

Peter Zimmermann

Something to consider is what year Targa you have, if it's the '82 in your signature then you should have a car that you can have fun with (from '81, SC Targas received all of the chassis stiffening technology that Porsche developed for the '83 > Cabrios). That said, the car will never be as predictable as a same year coupe, regardless of type of cage, it will always retain a bit of a Flexi-Flyer personality. A rear hoop, which is not a "cage," will give you an extra layer of safety, but not much else. To gain stiffness you have to build a cage that goes through the fore and aft bulkheads and connects to the shock towers. Of course, doing that will ruin the car for anything other than competition, which means that it'll be time to do all of the other mods that will allow the car to fit a certain class.

TroyN

Thanks for the input, Peter. Yes, it's the 82 in my sig. The car is stiffer than I expected, especially with the top on. I'm not looking to club race or anything so am not worried if it never gets as stiff as a coupe - at least for now! Now to ponder what to do...

genripper

I have a 81 Targa, and as much as I want to sport it up with all the usual stuff, I don't want to overstress and loosen it up more than it is already (although it feels amazingly tight for 26 years and 138,000 km). I've put a Weltmeister strut bar and am contemplating the Targa side support bars, but that's about it. There isn't much point in going to crazy with a Targa or Cab in my mind. Now a Coupe on the other hand.......