Targa Top - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

gump · 06-26-2004, 06:08 PM

well i'm kind of car shopping and looking at a 97 vette. really nice car low mileage in great shape. i really like the targa top that vettes have. all the benefits of a convertible but the durability of a hardtop. that said i got to thinking about this 01 gt coupe i was looking at the other day. i thought to myself how hard would it be to turn a regular coupe to a targa top? so googeling i went and found this place. LINK personally i think it looks pretty sharp.

my question is how hard would it be to do such a project? also what might be the charge for someone to do it? their website says around 3 hours install time. i thought their may be a body man on here that could give me some advice.

heres a couple pics...

merkerguitars · 06-26-2004, 10:10 PM

Wouldn't be too hard to do yourself, but it would be easier to take it to a body shop. The only problem i could think of would be trying to find the weather stripping for the front and back.

Tech · 06-27-2004, 12:14 AM

i guess it wouldn't be too hard, hope it functions well

but if i was in the market for a vette like you, just find one with a targa already

bodypainter · 06-27-2004, 03:02 AM

Don't forget the roof is structural. I hope whoever does something like this has a plan to reinforce the frame and body. Convertible and targa top cars have to be stiffer than a car with a roof.

TM875 · 06-28-2004, 05:05 PM

I would just be afraid that, after doing it, the body would twist into a pretzle the first time I went around a hard curve.

Ever wonder why convertibles cost so much more than coupes? Whereas some of that cost is just mark-up because more people want them...a lot of it is all the extra reinforcing that goes into the body. With no roof...or at least no real structural roof, you have to stiffen the body. Remember, the targa Vettes still have a structural bar to connect the frame together. That Mustang in the picture does not.

Stick with the way it was designed...don't try doing that yourself unless you're a Wyotech graduate.

gump · 06-28-2004, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TM875
I would just be afraid that, after doing it, the body would twist into a pretzle the first time I went around a hard curve...

thats what i thought. i read through their site and found this.

Quote:

Will my cars rigidity or handling be compromised???

No...The subbody designed by Ford is very strong and incorporates multi wall
design and is similar to many pics you see in mags of full unibody subbodies.
Subframes are recommended if not already installed. Road tests have been performed in various conditions with excellent results.

The subframe connectors are for added measure as we know how much torque
these cars have and some of them out there have aaaaalllloooootttt of
torque...

Our test car has 400 Ftlbs at the wheels, a very tight road race suspension 4:10`s and Kenny Brown subframes with sticky Kumho MX tires.

i talked to a local bodyman today and he said that he could make it right. the more i find out the more i'm scared of it. i have an email into the company im just going to wait and see. i appreciate the comments

KirStang · 06-28-2004, 05:56 PM

The mustang doesn't have a one piece chassis like other cars. The middle of the mustangs chassis lacks reinforcement, and here's where subframe connectors come in. If you're going with a targa top, make sure to get full length subframes and have it welded professionally by a shop.

gump · 06-28-2004, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KirStang
The mustang doesn't have a one piece chassis like other cars. The middle of the mustangs chassis lacks reinforcement, and here's where subframe connectors come in. If you're going with a targa top, make sure to get full length subframes and have it welded professionally by a shop.

well after doing all that would the car be safe to drive? what about maybe adding some more horsepower? (i dont know much about the frame of car) thanks for the info

choskins · 06-28-2004, 07:19 PM

Don't do it if you intend to use the car for any type of racing or tough driving. I think it looks cool, but the car was not designed for it. As such, you would have to add cross members, etc., to stiffen the frame.

Plus, I find it hard to believe they can fully weatherstrip. On top of that, where are the latches? How does it connect? The Vette has four bolts. When that top is on, it ain't coming off without a wrench. Aftermarket roof chopping is never good.

TM875 · 06-28-2004, 09:30 PM

I would almost think that, if you really want to do this, it would be better to take an already stock convertible and turn it into a targa.

This way, you're just adding strength onto the body, not taking away from it. However, it would also make it weigh a lot more.

Quote:

Originally posted by gump
what about maybe adding some more horsepower?

Yes, adding MORE power always makes the car less likely to twist. Hell, I bet if you just bolted Ford's new V-10 from the GT into that Mustang, it would be good to go. That sucker would never twist (and the tires would last for at least 100 thousand miles, too).

choskins · 06-29-2004, 05:08 AM

06-26-2004, 06:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
gump Addict Location: TN	Targa Top well i'm kind of car shopping and looking at a 97 vette. really nice car low mileage in great shape. i really like the targa top that vettes have. all the benefits of a convertible but the durability of a hardtop. that said i got to thinking about this 01 gt coupe i was looking at the other day. i thought to myself how hard would it be to turn a regular coupe to a targa top? so googeling i went and found this place. LINK personally i think it looks pretty sharp. my question is how hard would it be to do such a project? also what might be the charge for someone to do it? their website says around 3 hours install time. i thought their may be a body man on here that could give me some advice. heres a couple pics...

06-26-2004, 10:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Wouldn't be too hard to do yourself, but it would be easier to take it to a body shop. The only problem i could think of would be trying to find the weather stripping for the front and back. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

06-27-2004, 12:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
Tech Addict Location: Baltimore MD	i guess it wouldn't be too hard, hope it functions well but if i was in the market for a vette like you, just find one with a targa already __________________ -Tim- ~I swear sometimes i feel like i'm married to a child. ~You better watch who you're calling a child, Lois, cause if i'm a child than you know what that makes you? a pedophile. and i'll be damned if i'm going to stand here and be lectured by a pervert.

06-28-2004, 05:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
TM875 Addict Location: Amish-land, PA	I would just be afraid that, after doing it, the body would twist into a pretzle the first time I went around a hard curve. Ever wonder why convertibles cost so much more than coupes? Whereas some of that cost is just mark-up because more people want them...a lot of it is all the extra reinforcing that goes into the body. With no roof...or at least no real structural roof, you have to stiffen the body. Remember, the targa Vettes still have a structural bar to connect the frame together. That Mustang in the picture does not. Stick with the way it was designed...don't try doing that yourself unless you're a Wyotech graduate. __________________ "I've made only one mistake in my life. But I made it over and over and over. That was saying 'yes' when I meant 'no'. Forgive me."

06-28-2004, 07:19 PM	#9 (permalink)
choskins Psycho Location: Greenville, SC	Don't do it if you intend to use the car for any type of racing or tough driving. I think it looks cool, but the car was not designed for it. As such, you would have to add cross members, etc., to stiffen the frame. Plus, I find it hard to believe they can fully weatherstrip. On top of that, where are the latches? How does it connect? The Vette has four bolts. When that top is on, it ain't coming off without a wrench. Aftermarket roof chopping is never good. __________________ "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." - Sigmund Freud

06-27-2004, 03:02 AM	#4 (permalink)
bodypainter Psycho Location: Sarasota	Don't forget the roof is structural. I hope whoever does something like this has a plan to reinforce the frame and body. Convertible and targa top cars have to be stiffer than a car with a roof.

06-29-2004, 05:08 AM	#11 (permalink)
choskins Psycho Location: Greenville, SC	LOL! __________________ "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." - Sigmund Freud