356 Replica Targa Coupe

So you'd start with a costly coupe body and whack the center piece out?  Or do like the early Targas with the roll bar and soft back window removeable section?

I've always liked the canvas fold back roof like used on early VWs.  It seems like they would fit the 356 roof line.

@Chris Howard

Chris, I think fabricating a Targa model with a coupe body would require pretty extensive and expensive modifications/fabrication. Perhaps a less lofty goal may be to put a roll-back canvas sunroof as @WOLFGANG mentioned in a coupe's roof.

I think that would be pretty cool and a lot less Frankenstein-ish as a Targa attempt. Whatever course you take, I'd love to follow your project progress. 

"Welcome to The Madness" known as replicar ownership!

The old original Targa -

Original Targa and OG. 

@Chris Howard 

Chris, I'm pretty sure a lot of the guys here look forward to following your project! 

Thanks for the replies.  I made a quick sketch below showing the removable section I have in mind.  Excuse the quality as I just freehanded it on my iPad.

More details:
No removable back glass or clear plastic like early 911 Targas.  A roll bar (rectangular?) at the B pillar location and a roll bar or steel reinforcement around the windshield.  The targa top and roof area around will be metal or metal-backed for the interior clamps and reinforcement.  The targa top front and back would have ridges that fit into metal channels.  You could possibly embed a sunroof in the targa top also.

What do you think?

This would be interesting to watch come together.  What would your plan be for the door glass frames?

@Chris Howard posted:

Thanks for the replies.  I made a quick sketch below showing the removable section I have in mind.  Excuse the quality as I just freehanded it on my iPad.

More details:
No removable back glass or clear plastic like early 911 Targas.  A roll bar (rectangular?) at the B pillar location and a roll bar or steel reinforcement around the windshield.  The targa top and roof area around will be metal or metal-backed for the interior clamps and reinforcement.  The targa top front and back would have ridges that fit into metal channels.  You could possibly embed a sunroof in the targa top also.

What do you think?

What you are proposing would be a huge undertaking, and would likely either rattle or leak badly enough that the advantage over a coupe would be lost.

If you're looking for encouragement, we can do that-- we've all got our particular brand of illness, and are always looking for somebody to use as a benchmark ("look at this guy baby-- I'm not THAT crazy"). Still, the heart wants what the heart wants-- and if this is your muse, it doesn't matter what any of us think. Go for it.

If you are looking for honest input, I'd agree with Wolfgang and Jim-- the sweet zone of "bang for the buck", targa-style open air roof in a coupe would be a sliding rag-top. If I wanted a coupe, I'd get one for sure. If I had a Ghia coupe, I'd want one for sure. If I had a Beetle coupe, I'd want one for sure. They open a car up as much or more than what you are proposing, plus they are a feature that other people would find desirable, should you ever decide to sell.

It's an interesting project that's never been done. Every time I've undertaken a "one of a kind" thing, I find out halfway in why nobody's ever done it. Forewarned is forearmed.

Easier to buy a new Miata.  

No surprise that I'm in agreement with Stan here. Sliding ragtop all the way. It keeps the door/window openings working the way they should. This will give you 95% of the targa feel you're looking for without adding squeaks,rattles, and LEAKS! 

The ragtop will give you what you need, but without all the nasty stuff that takes away from wanting to drive it. What's the point of building something you don't want to drive?

Thanks to all.  I’m a problem solver at heart, worked as an engineer in high tech for over 20 years (M.S. Electrical Engineering).

With modern gasketing and weatherstripping techniques, and proper clamping, you are overstating leaking and rattles.  No one who daily drives a soft top Speedster in rainy and/or hot climates should EVER consider my targa top approach to be hugely worrisome.  Lol.  Wind buffeting and noise anyone?  I live in Dallas, TX where it is ball-scalding hot four months out of the year and want the air conditioning not to struggle.

I would consider this project the 356 Targa “Porsche would’ve built”.  No doubt this a professional project with a show car result.  Something a custom shop could hang their hat on.  If you are such a shop and are willing to cost share development, contact me.

To Lane’s question it’d be best for the door glass frame to become part of the body and top as in many modern cars.

Keep the comments and questions coming!

The Mazda RF top going down is fun to watch!  I had a Porsche 914 and the RF (retractile fastback) makes its removeable targa top look archaic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_dD0cWWl34

Interesting concept for sure. It would be interesting to see some mockups but a sliding roof might be more attractive let alone a solution for top storage which would be no fun IMO. to be caught in the rain with the targa top at home  

@Chris Howard

Whatever path you choose, more power to you. I know many of us knucklehead SOCers would certainly enjoy following your project. The journey is the adventure! 

@IaM-Ray posted:

Interesting concept for sure. It would be interesting to see some mockups but a sliding roof might be more attractive let alone a solution for top storage which would be no fun IMO. to be caught in the rain with the targa top at home  

The Porsche 914 targa top stores in the trunk.  Should be able to store a 356 targa top under the hood but may require a custom gas tank design.  Hood centered fuel filler cap would be out of the question.  Thanks for the question.

@WOLFGANG posted:

The Mazda RF top going down is fun to watch!  I had a Porsche 914 and the RF (retractile fastback) makes its removeable targa top look archaic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_dD0cWWl34

The Mazda Miata RF sort of copied the 2014 Porsche 911 Targa:

https://youtu.be/6H7xSw7bEms

@Chris Howard posted:

The Porsche 914 targa top stores in the trunk.  Should be able to store a 356 targa top under the hood but may require a custom gas tank design.  Hood centered fuel filler cap would be out of the question.  Thanks for the question.

Well I guess if it is narrow and long it might fit  

@IaM-Ray posted:

Well I guess if it is narrow and long it might fit  

Yep.  Turned turned sideways (90 degrees) it should fit.  Make some nice mounting brackets.👍

I believe the 911 Targa had a folding top you could stash away at one time.  👎

I have never been a fan of the Targa roof.  To me it doesn’t look like a 911 should.  That is, of course, only one man’s opinion.  It’s just not my thing I guess.

This, however, definitely grabs my attention.  The concept of “personalization” with these cars is one of the reasons I started down this rabbit hole!

Every vehicle I’ve owned (including all the motorcycles over the years, and of course, my VS) have had their share of custom personal touches.  That’s what makes this all so much fun!

Go forth and conquer that Targa Speedster!  I, for one, will very much enjoy the progress.

The targa gave the 911 an open air feel.  I don't recall seeing many 911 Cabriolets back in 70's.  I didn't like the look t the time - but the stainless steel roll-over bar has grown on me. Wasn't the section removed on the original targa a foldable vinyl covered section?  At least that concept would fit in frunk or back seat.

How about the two piece firebird targa top?

Was that a T top. 

The T-top is a blast from the past!  The Targa seems to have stood the rest of time, but I can’t think of a T-top on anything since mid-70’s GM products.

 @WOLFGANG : I agree with you about the stainless steel roll-over bar on the Targas...it has grown on me as well.  I just can’t get past the big back window.  It always makes me think of what Chevrolet did to the Corvette in 1978!

I'm not a fan of that big piece of glass either. It's like the designers gave up after the initial roll over bar design and just said *** it, just fill it with glass. I know the early versions had a vinyl insert, which is totally ridiculous.

One of my all time favorite shapes in automotive design is the way the roof blends into the rear quarters on the early 911 cars.

I like the SS on the Targa but only if the car is black  

I had a '78 911SC Targa back in the day. Had the SS roll bar cover powder coated matte black, blacked-out the wheel centers, put a funky whale-tale on it and lowered suspension 2". Would autoX that bad boy and piss off all the other members of my PCA chapter. The things we did to our cars in our youth (some good, others not so good). 

@Chris Howard the more I think about it, the more I think your Targa 356 conversion would be the ultimate Outlaw Coupe! 

You have to be some kind of Outlaw to drive a replica 😁.  I’m a fan of the black 911 Targa with black Fuchs wheels.  Always liked the combo on Porsche 944s (my teen years).  Not sure on a 356 Targa.  I’m starting to plan.  I suspect most good experienced coupe builders are majorly backlogged with no need to take on development (without a huge upcharge).  I may order a coupe body and do the top development here in Dallas.  I would like to incorporate genuine Porsche Targa hardware (brackets/clamps) so may start collecting some off eBay, etc.

Targa=parts car for a coupe.

The Targa-related spare parts should be easy to get, yeah.

The engineering you're getting yourself into though...

@Chris Howard you may be on to something with your 356 Targa...

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/...-photos-specs-price/

Yes, I’ve seen the 2021 992 Targa images.  The Targa lives on.  I’m toying with a couple of approaches that perhaps everyone here could give me feedback on:

1.  My original idea above of coupe body with removable targa section and rectangular stainless-clad roll bar.

2.  A speedster body with two-piece removable hardtop (targa section or entire roof could be removed) with rectangular stainless-clad roll bar.

I would like to use Porsche 914 targa latches (below) as the hardware is plentiful, cheap and seems period correct.  Thanks, Chris

I was intrigued.  So I did a very quick, crude Photoshop sketch.  I wonder if, like a Targa, this would require a significantly wider B Pillar than the coupe's original?

The fact that the top of the windshield is lower than the leading edge of the roof is distracting (maybe only to me). All the Targa's windshields are at least as tall as the roofline. And, I think a wider B pillar might help, I just don't share your vision.

But look, that's just a first shot over the bough rendering, so have at it and make it your own!!

I like the idea of the full length cloth sunroof like on some of the early VW bugs.

That’s an interesting look for sure!  It didn’t occur to me until I saw the rendering that the windshield on a Speedster is angled differently and noticeably lower than one on a coupe.

I’m no engineer but I venture to say the size and strength of the B pillar and roof will depend on how safe one wants the vehicle to be should it be involved in a roll-over (God forbid!)

I agree the retractable cloth top would look pretty darned cool.  I don’t think that is an option to the original poster though.

If you're basing the project on a replica body then the strength of the B-pillar is probably not that important.  I like the rendering you did, but I would leave more of the leading part of the roof so that the top of the windshield isn't so far below the top of the, um, top.  I would think that would act like a scoop and really produce some turbulence in the cabin.

There would be a little extra “roof” bulk at the top of the windshield for clamping and gasketing (glassed in steel or aluminum bar stock).  And, I would incorporate a small spring loaded wind deflector that would pop up when the top is removed to reduce wind noise.

As far as the B pillar my thought is the front edge of the roll bar will follow the front  edge of the B pillar and perhaps be panel-bonded to the body/roof if I go the coupe route.  I think using 1”x4”(?) rectangular tubing for the roll bar would be a targa touch.  Chris

I don’t know if you guys have followed this UK gentlemen’s four-year build but he actually incorporated a VW Beetle sunroof in his coupe.  I believe he tried a sunroof assembly out of a 911 first and it didn’t work.  Putting an OEM Golde sunroof that was a 356 option in would be the holy grail of coupe upgrades:

http://www.project-spartan.com/

I'd be more likely to put in a partial ragtop rather then convert to a Targa. The VW one makes a lot of sense.

Nice!

No rags for me.  I would try to match an original 356 coupe sunroof if I went the sunroof route.  This guy did a pretty damn good job with it.