Lanre Soetan

I'm looking for a 997 T4S but worry the roof will rattle all the time, I'll drive on cobble and bumpy roads. Should I switch to a C4S instead?

groovzilla

you should either:

1. pave your roads
2. wear earplugs
3. move

RennlistTomE

There's a ton of misinformation about the Targa roof.
That said, the problems that occur are almost the result of crappy maintenance, including that done at most dealers.
It's a pretty simple DIY. Complete clean-out, strip the gooey lube, correctly lube the entire mechanism etc etc takes about an hour. 1/2 hr refresh maybe once every 18 months.
Search 'Targa Roof Squeaks' or some such thing on this Forum. And FYI one instance misidentified as coming from the roof, is a high pitched squeak / chirp, that actually originates from the pod surrounding the rear seat belt. A bit of felt jammed around the perimeter of the pod is the fix. 10 minute DIY.

Obviously if you want the 'highest likelihood' of zero roof noise go with a Coupe, no sunroof. Next on the list Coupe with sunroof. Next Targa. Next Cabriolet.
But that's no guarantee. Plenty Coupe owners have had problems running down noises in roof pillars, behind door cards, in seat belts etc etc etc.

rap

Greyghost230

I really don't find that the roof rattles at all (2009 997.2). I get some rattle from the center console ash tray area that drives me batty on rough roads - but not the roof.
Generally I drive with the roof open and it makes ZERO noise. With the roof closed there seems to be some torsional sounds that take place.
Maybe because the glass section doesn't offer as much torsional rigidity as a solid metal roof.
I enjoy the open air, open light and everything about the Targa.

Greyghost230

4. Go FASTER, when you are airborne, the sound will disappear

Iceter

Lanre Soetan

Thanks. This is good to know.

Lanre Soetan

Thanks guys. Saving my pennies.

Petza914

Good advice here and what I do on my Cayenne Turbo S Panoramic roof which is a similar large glass, multi-panel design. Annually, I use a Teflon spray lube in place of the thick grease and Gummi Pflege on the seals.

FYI, there isn't a sunroof delete option for the 997, so option 1 in your list is not possible.

Lanre Soetan

C4S?

groovzilla

C4S is a great car - I've owned 3 996 C4S's and started with 2005 997 S and now my 2007 C4S with great options.
I highly recommend C4S - Great looking, better handling bigger brakes/etc - But the widebody is what it's all about.
Hard finding nice color combo but they are out there.

**There was an RL member here in Seattle with nice blue/black 2008 C4S Targa for sale earlier this year - it didn't sell and I believe he still has it.
Only issue was some road rash on front bumper which was $1500 fix to look perfect

Lanre Soetan

Wide body, hips. I'm all hips. Looking will be fun. Thanks GZ.

RennlistTomE

Hey Rap -
I'm not sure what constitutes 'a bit', but....
If it's a 'rattle' initiated by short-period bumps when you're driving in a straight line, the culprit may well be the front diffuser. Try placing a bit of stick-back felt along the edge where it rests on the assembly when closed.
If it's more of a buzz / squeak when turning or when the car is subject to torsion, it may be the track of the sunroof. Make sure the grooves in the track are completely cleaned and re-lubed with a dry product - McLube or Liquid Wrench DRY. If the tracks aren't stripped of the old goo, the dry lube won't help.
Of course all of the above assume that the noise is indeed coming from the roof. I had a squeak coming from the rear upper seat belt pod. Not the mechanism, the pod. Took me a couple of months to locate. Would have bet a ton of $$ that it was the roof.

rap