Design 911 offer a complete Targa Top Restoration Kit for your Porsche 911 from 1964 through 1993.

Our Targa Top Restoration Kit is probably the best you can buy for completeness, originality and fit. The kit includes everything you typically need to bring your targa top back to factory new condition.

We use the original German materials that exactly match Stüttgart factory specifications; deep grain vinyl roof skin, foam backed nylon headlining, densely woven linen backing cloth and insulation material. All materials are precision cut, edge bound and pre-formed to guarantee a factory authentic fit.

The kit does not include any hardware or weatherstrips. However these can be re-used in most cases.

The kit comes with easy to follow step-by-step installation instructions and pictures. Installation requires no specific tools and is comfortably within the ability of a home mechanic.

Fits:

Porsche 912

Porsche 911 1965-89

Porsche 964 1989-94

A friend of ours Paul Davies got in touch a while ago with his story on how he restored his. Read on for the story –

Some say it’s the most unloved of all the 911 models. Certainly during the air-cooled era compared with the tin-top coupe only about one-third lift-off roof panel versions of our (well, mine anyway) favourite Porsche were produced. More scarce they may have been, but they also tended to be less valuable on re-sale — roof line not quite so smooth, wind noise greater, and oh those water leaks! But don’t believe all you hear, or read. There is the good side. Removing the Targa bit and folding it into a boot-size package gives the driver and passenger open air motoring without the wind-buffeting torture of a full convertible, in place it makes the interior as secure as a tin-top, and the ‘roll hoop’ panel adds safety and rigidity to what is an otherwise floppy body in convertible form. OK. 1 admit I bought my Targa because at the time — we’re talking 15 years ago now — it was cheaper than a coupe, and also the best available 911 I could afford, whatever the configuration. Since then that top has been on-off-on a million times. It’s never leaked, rattled or flown away, and I’ve grown to love it: also it’s pretty cool (as in stylish) I reckon. I’m also pleased to say values appear to have come closer to the hitherto top dog coupe. Perhaps the

Reintroduction of a Targa version of the 997/991 current incarnation has helped. Except, when you get to a certain age Clings get tatty around the edges. Five years ago I added a — rather neat I do say — patch to a split on the leading edge of the leather-cloth. but more recently cracks have started to appear in various other areas. The headlining was drooping somewhat, and the cast alloy perimeter frame was starting to look its age. Fortunately the rubber seals were still up to it, although a bit tired looking. Replace, refurb, ignore and battle on, or what? Last time I saw a complete replacement top for sale it was somewhat north of £8000. Now I can’t find that advert anywhere on the interweb. Talk to a few friendly specialists about taking on a repair job and they tend to kick the can down the road. Dave Nunn of Southbound, the very best Porsche trimmers in the UK and possibly the world. said yes they do re-build Targa tops but don’t quote a price until they’ve got all the bits in pieces. I now know why. Then salvation. Design 911, purveyors of almost any Porsche part you can ever imagine, supply a four-piece DIY restoration kit. Top quality pre-cut leather-cloth roof covering, foam insulation panel, linen lining, and ribbed cloth headlining. All at £346.80 including the dreaded VAT.

 

 

The Essex outfit also sells several of the bits and seals that may be required. They also have a downloadable set of installation instructions. whilst web-searching (try ‘Targa Top restoration’) revealed two videos on how to do the job from Lakewell, a Belgian company who appear to sell a kit similar to the Design 911 item. Do It Yourself it was to be, brave chap that I am. Was I mad? Should I have left it all to Dave Nunn? Read on, dear reader.

First off, a product description. The top consists of a cast aluminium outer frame. the sides rigid and the front and rear jointed to allow folding. When extended the front and rear parts of the frame locate in clips (four front, four rear) to maintain the shape of the top. Onto each side section of the frame is fixed a rubber seal that has a channel into which the raised side window glass fits and a metal strip that (hopefully) acts as a ‘gutter’ and (more importantly) firmly locates the roof covering left to right. The aforementioned frame clips are fixed onto five separate longitudinal roof plates that provide rigidity for the roof covering and are linked together by webbing tension straps. The linen lining is glued to the top side of these plates, the gaps between the plates providing the flexibility that allows them to concertina together when the top is removed and placed in the luggage compartment.

 

 

 

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