hard top vs. targa top
- Thread starter ginglesturbo
- Start date
I have.....I owned both for a year, 87 HT and 89 targa and drove both all the time.foreverpsycotic said:
I wish I still had my 1983 Supra....
SUNROOF!!!
But seriously, I have never owned a targa, but have rode in them and the only positive I've heard is the look and the fun. I talked to a MkIV owner with a torquey BPU targa and he said it was so unstable it snapped a window switch.
Rock > Rubber
SUNROOF!!!
But seriously, I have never owned a targa, but have rode in them and the only positive I've heard is the look and the fun. I talked to a MkIV owner with a torquey BPU targa and he said it was so unstable it snapped a window switch.
Rock > Rubber
targa FTW
All you people saying it feels like a wet noodle need to know a couple things... The chassis needs to flex for the suspension to do it's thing right. My car handles better with the top off at times, and shimmies a little over bumps (most of this is the windsheild vibration it seems). If you want to solve MOST of the shimmy, tighten the subframe bolts like you're supposed to.
Also, I could have never had the experience I had one day driving home from work. Took the top off cause it was an awesome day out. Pull out of the parking lot and start cruising along. Next light I see an elise and an old ferrari...both with the targas off. Cruised with em for a couple miles knowing that there was very few cars I could be driving at that moment that would give me the same experience...
All you people saying it feels like a wet noodle need to know a couple things... The chassis needs to flex for the suspension to do it's thing right. My car handles better with the top off at times, and shimmies a little over bumps (most of this is the windsheild vibration it seems). If you want to solve MOST of the shimmy, tighten the subframe bolts like you're supposed to.
Also, I could have never had the experience I had one day driving home from work. Took the top off cause it was an awesome day out. Pull out of the parking lot and start cruising along. Next light I see an elise and an old ferrari...both with the targas off. Cruised with em for a couple miles knowing that there was very few cars I could be driving at that moment that would give me the same experience...
it really is pretty easy to address most of the issues with the targa off... Subframe bolts are one of the single greatest improvements. I still stand by my targa > ht anyday of the week.
how can the chassis flexing make the suspension work...the chassis is flexing...so the suspesion is not...so therefor no targa handles better with the top off...that is ridiculous....targs are cool but i dont think they handle better...they wouldnt have put all the extra support in them cause they hanle better or to make it handle better...they were trying to get it as rigid as they could to the ht....but they didnt....anyone will tell you chassis flex is bad...and it does NOT help the suspension work
Blackfin said:
Targa, its a height preference. Im 6'3", the targa has more head room. I tried the hard top, but it felt confining. Oh, and theres nothing like some spirited driving down a country back road on a sunny day with the top off and the BOV fluttering.
yep, chassis flex is taken into account when a car's suspension is tuned...
don't argue about it, read some books on it... quite a few suspension components need to flex to work properly on most cars, ours is no different...
great example is a C4 vette... the chassis flexs so much that the back hatch glass must be opened and targa must be removed before putting it on a lift or they may shatter... but they handle quite nicely.
not getting into an arguement in this thread as it isn't the place, but chassis dynamics is extremely complex...
I do have to say one thing, the supra's targa is great compared to T-tops or a convertable. It's very well insulated compared to the alternatives...
don't argue about it, read some books on it... quite a few suspension components need to flex to work properly on most cars, ours is no different...
great example is a C4 vette... the chassis flexs so much that the back hatch glass must be opened and targa must be removed before putting it on a lift or they may shatter... but they handle quite nicely.
not getting into an arguement in this thread as it isn't the place, but chassis dynamics is extremely complex...
I do have to say one thing, the supra's targa is great compared to T-tops or a convertable. It's very well insulated compared to the alternatives...
Poodles said:
of couse chassis flex is taken into account...and if its a hard top its NOT gonna flex as much as a targa
targa is the win for fun in the sun.
just the other day, loaded my car with 700lbs of people, took the top off and went on a drive into the "country side" to this place that has AWESOME hand-made burgers. 3/4lb burgers, with steak fries and a sweet tea for under $9. then, on the way back, i hit the twisties. both my passengers knew the route since all the roads are known by guys w/ sport bikes. theres alot of low speed technical stuffs, sharp turns, increasing/decreasing radii, banked turns, blind turns, etc. the car did pretty well. alot of 40-60mph stuff w/ the top off. the car didnt understeer ONCE. it did power slide alot coming out of the turns though. there was shake from my windsheild and my front end seemed to shake at a different rate/direction than the passengers going over bumps/tracks but it definitly held the road better than a taurus or anything else that is not meant to corner. i also left the top off ALL day, i just put my sweater on when it dropped into the 50's; it was great!
on the ride home, i have uneven pavement and i could HEAR the chassis flex as the door panels rubbed against the dash. i put my thumb and forefinger on the gap between my door and dash as i rolled over the broken pavement. it really only flexed on the matter of a few mm. its the same amount of movement as you would feel when you leave the front targa bolts un-tightened (threaded but not torqued) if you put your fingers on the weather stripping. its minute but you can feel it. and beleive it or not, a 0.020" to 0.015" gap/movement/step is QUITE tangible despite how miniscule it is.
EDIT: nevermind on the flex... i did the same "test" w/ the top bolted on and the door panel moved just the same as it did w/ the top off. i think its just the doors moving... idk.
just the other day, loaded my car with 700lbs of people, took the top off and went on a drive into the "country side" to this place that has AWESOME hand-made burgers. 3/4lb burgers, with steak fries and a sweet tea for under $9. then, on the way back, i hit the twisties. both my passengers knew the route since all the roads are known by guys w/ sport bikes. theres alot of low speed technical stuffs, sharp turns, increasing/decreasing radii, banked turns, blind turns, etc. the car did pretty well. alot of 40-60mph stuff w/ the top off. the car didnt understeer ONCE. it did power slide alot coming out of the turns though. there was shake from my windsheild and my front end seemed to shake at a different rate/direction than the passengers going over bumps/tracks but it definitly held the road better than a taurus or anything else that is not meant to corner. i also left the top off ALL day, i just put my sweater on when it dropped into the 50's; it was great!
on the ride home, i have uneven pavement and i could HEAR the chassis flex as the door panels rubbed against the dash. i put my thumb and forefinger on the gap between my door and dash as i rolled over the broken pavement. it really only flexed on the matter of a few mm. its the same amount of movement as you would feel when you leave the front targa bolts un-tightened (threaded but not torqued) if you put your fingers on the weather stripping. its minute but you can feel it. and beleive it or not, a 0.020" to 0.015" gap/movement/step is QUITE tangible despite how miniscule it is.
EDIT: nevermind on the flex... i did the same "test" w/ the top bolted on and the door panel moved just the same as it did w/ the top off. i think its just the doors moving... idk.
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