Hey all! Coming over here from the 964 section. I'm just about finished "restoring" my 964 Targa, and starting to itch for my next thing. I live in Santa Barbara where the weather is almost always nice (this year being an exception), and Vargas just make the perfect vehicle for around here. While I love the 964, the targa roof is just too fiddly so I leave it off all the time, and thus my 7yo daughter doesn't love riding in it unless it's quite warm out.

I love the idea of the 993 Targa and being able to retract the roof, but wondering if there is anything to know about them (other than them being traditionally not very desirable and heavier than their coupe counterpart). Are the roof mechanisms reliable or do they become a huge pain? Anything else to know?

 

I have a coupe but I absolutely LOVE the 993 Targa. Who cares about little extra weight? These cars are not fast by today's sports car standards anyway and very few people take them to a track.

993 Targa had a panorama roof before there was a panorama roof.

The only downside is that the roof mechanism is expensive to repair (or that what I've heard).

 

Hi Forbidden,
The 993 Targa may need a bit more servicing over time than the sunroof. Finding one who is familiar with it can be an issue.
The regular coupe sunroof is quite large for the size of the car and so is a reasonable alternative and for many is extremely reliable.
I read some anecdotal information that it is best to not lift the Targa-equipped cars one jack stand at a time due to the twisting forces created being bad for the Targa roof.
Lift Bars are a good option to lift the Targa car onto jack stands for the DIY folks eliminating twisting forces.
Lift Bars are discussed on this page:
https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...-your-993.html
Andy

 

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately I may have missed the window where targas were cheaper, much as I did with the 964. Good point on the regular coupe sunroof being large, I'll have to check that out.

 

Never heard of that before but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense.

 

Love my Targa: there is so much light in the cabin. Roof open is less wind noise in your ears vs windows open, which is nice for summer — or as I call it, “Targa season”. Gets a lot of questions!

Downsides: can be challenging to repair, can squeak, especially when the car is cold. Find one with the roof in good order — don’t assume you can get a deal on one with a bad roof. Will cost you more.

 

Perhaps the most sensible view point I have read on the targa

 

I've had my Targa 10 years and ~40k miles of street and track use. The old car has nearly 160k miles on it and its roof works great. The talk of "you can't do X with a Targa" just doesn't match my experience at all.

 

I am fairly new to 993 Targa ownership, and I love it!! As mentioned above, it is a panorama roof! Some of the higher mileage Targas can still be found at reasonable values. Good luck, either way you go.

 

Makes sense. On 991 Targas, the owners' manual explicitly forbid to open or close the Targa roof when the car is not on a flat surface (like 2 wheels on the pavement) for fear it will twist the body.

 

There are not many 993 Targas on the road. At the last Luft, there was only one other 993 Targa there. They are definitely unique and I always get a ton of questions and compliments on the full glass roof. I personally love my Targa and nothing beats the open air feel on a beautiful California day. If it gets too hot out, the rolling cover helps a ton.

I haven't had any problems with the Targa roof. I always open and close mine slowly to minimize any issues.

I agree with the comments above regarding the small increase in the weight and less rigidity. I drive the car hard in canyons and it keeps up fine with the other P-cars and BMW Ms out there. I ring out the engine on freeway on ramps every chance I get. The car is a hoot!

 

 

Did you mean to say that you open and close, when moving slowly or stationary?
Afterall the roof mechanism operates at fixed speed anyway.

 

You are correct. I meant I intermittently push the button for a few seconds and pause as I open or close the roof.