Targa to Cabriolet Conversion

Resources:

Parts:


A view of the inside rear quarter, with the top mounts

Here's the 'folding top base'

I'm guessing this bracket holds the top on.

Another view (sorta) of the entire mount system

The windshield frame on this car looks identical to my targa

Here's an example of a late-model(C2) top - this won't work without major surgery!

Bracket sections from the convertible in the previous pictures

Detailed pix of the mount

Pix of the inside portion, showing the factory reinforcement and 'cup' for the fasteners.

Early targa windshield frame

I have a top - now what?

Factory conversion instructions (thanks to Erick Wolfe)

Before I got started, I tested to make sure the top really would mate up with my windshield. It did - perfectly.

Removing the interior paels

Removing the targa bar cover

Removing the targa bar seals

Removing the targa glass - careful! It's heavier than it looks!

Ready to cut...

Point of no return - we're committed (or should be...)

There's a series of screws which hold down the outer trim - these aren't immediately obvious, as the whole thing is coated with rubbery goo.

Test-fitting the roll bar

Took it out for a coffee run the next morning

Here the mounts are lightly tacked-in prior to a test fit of the top.


Committing the welds.

Installing the rear mounts

Reference pix

Another cab conversion

Here is the proper way to ship a cab top. I made a sturdy plywood box, bolted the top to it, and then padded all of the contact surfaces with cardboard.
About $40 in materials and a couple hours of work. Home Depot will cut the plywood to the size you need, so you don't have to own a table saw.
Simply throwing it in a big box with some wadded-up paper like the Porsche recycler in the Bay Area that I bought it from is insufficient and inexcusable.