thewump

Hi guys,

Great forum.. Glad to have been referred here.

I keep being told ( by people who don't have one for sale so want me to buy their coupe ) that the Targa mechanism often fails and is a very expensive fix.

Any truth to this?

Thanks

Keith

sleddog

There are threads on this topic that you can search on that cover this topic. I have a 97 tarega and have never had a leak or a problem with mine. It is built on a cab chassis so it will have more flex than a coupe if that is of concern to you.

Most owners really take good care of their cars. Assuming the targa is a direct sale, you should be able to have access to all repair records and can make a judgement call. Make sure to do a PPI on any one you choose to buy.

thewump

Sorry.. I don't think that SEARCH option shows up until you are registered.. I was looking for it before.

Keith

97Targa

On a forum typicaly you hear about problems. Not many will start a thread about how much they love their car.
So I guess now's my chance! I love my Targa. Wouldn't get rid of it for anything less than a Turbo.
Never any problems with the top in the 3 years that I've owned it. If I did have a problem I'd fix it and keep on loving it.
IMHO they are the best of both worlds. Open, light (not dark inside) and airy. While at the same time they have the security of a coupe.
I didn't buy it to turn heads but it's rare enough to do so. Even at Porsche events.

P.S. The search tab is at the top of the page.

jonathank2000

Keith,
I have a 96 Targa with almost 80K miles on it. I usually drive with my targa top open and often open & close on the freeway. The only problem I've had was the shade portion (roller) malfunction...probably due to corrosion on the side of the roller due to salt in the air since I live so close to the beach and leave it open most of the time when parked and hardly use the shade mechanism. It's an easy fix and got all the instructions from other members years ago. Other than that, it's been working great!

Terry Adams

Up until this car, I had almost never been without a convertible sports car for about 35 years. I ordered my car new, and thought long and hard about Coupe, Targa, or Cab. I considered a Targa, but having seen the maintenance on my last 911 Cab top developing, I thought of the worst that could happen with a Targa. Here it is:

Targa nightmare and DIY repair by a brave guy

I am sure the other 98% of Targa owners are just fine with theirs, but these are 10 year old cars out of warranty now.

jimwood

Jonathan. WOW.
I have to stop and say your car is the best looking one I have seen on this forum. (Notice the period after the sentence )

Anyways, I have a Targa. I love it! The glass top is nothing short of awesome and huge. I drive around with the top closed 95% of the time. When it is open its an experience. I have had my share of 'verts, but the nice part of the Targa is you get the open air feeling, but when you pull up to a stop light, you don't feel as exposed.

I haven't had to get mine fixed yet, but due to the rarity of these cars its likely to cost buco bucks if it breaks.

jkuniverse

I know Mike J has provided details...but to be fair,this is not a Targa roof problem; it is a result of the incompetent Porsche dealer. I've owned my Targa for about 18 months and have no issues so far. I've read many topics on alleged "Targa roof problems" but so far I have not seen anything.

Terry Adams

Agreed Jason about the incompetent Porsche dealer, but I have to ask, with all those seals and moving parts, what caused the rust in the first place. Mike J lives in a place where it rains more than SoCal, so that would be a factor in considering both the history of the car, and the intended place of use of the prospective owner.

Mike J

I think it was the PO where the problems with my car started. The car is from Toronto originally and I think the PO drove it during some of the winters. Toronto has wicked winters and use lots of salt. When I bought the car I knew about it but the car checked out fine and it was actually (at the time) a very good price. I suspect the salt and crap that they put on the roads got under the seals and caused the original problems which was minor rust under the front windshield/top seal. Not sure if it was such a deal in the long term but it cleaned out my budget....

As Jason says my problems are totally generated by the incompetent stealer. When they removed and installed the roof they used way too much urethane and plugged the drains in the rear, causing the water to pool and causing surface rust. I doubt if this is common on Targas, especially those where the roof has not been touched.

My car has 75,000 miles and the roof mechanism works fine, including the roller blind etc. I have had to adjust some of the lift mechanism so the roof closed 100% properly, I suspect because the cables then to wear over time. It only too a few minutes.

Be aware that, because these are relatively rare, that finding expertise on the roof is difficult. If you do have problems use the list...there are several of us Targa owners whom together have quite a lot of experience with these cars.

When faced with dumping this car or fixing it, I had to think about what I like about the Targa. I really like the openess of the car, the flexablity of the roof and the uniqueness of the car itself. When I drive any other car it feels dark and closed in. I would not put in this much effort to fix this car if I did not love the Targa. Maybe a Turbo would sway me though....

Cheers,

Mike

Pedro356C

Hi Keith...last time I went to my wrench, in order to replace my CCU fan, the guy was there breaking his head as someone facing an impossible puzzle...there was this beautiful silver Targa and I asked about the problem...guy said: "the roof mechanism as always..."

That being said...I think the Targas are amazingly beautiful cars and this problem would not stop me from buying a good one...get the car, hope for the best and if you have a roof problem, deal with it...

Take care...

jonathank2000

Well said. When I bought my Targa (after a lot of research), the roof mechanism concerns were on the bottom of the list... still is.

tam993

I have a 96 Targa 70k miles, no top problems, no sai problems.

Josh_S

HI folks:

I again note that all the Targa fans seem to live in the sunny west or at least very temperate climes (BC). Would you anticipate more problems with the roof mechanism here in the frozen North?

Adrienne

Just chiming in here...I have had my Targa 3 years now, at 115k miles or so. I've adjusted it only once, due to some minor squeeking. There are 2 tech bulletins for the adjustment, and seems simple enough to do on your own.

Funny, mechanics I have spoken with worry about the targa top having problems, but none of them have ever had to repair one. Their concern seems unwarranted.