did a browze today on camaro trader online . came across " targa " , got to check this out . realized they were calling "T" tops targa . i've always thought of targa's as 1 piece removeable top section . "T" tops as 2 piece removeable top sections . now i know that a few people have made or had made targa tops on 3rd. gens. . thats not the point , are they correct to call "T" tops targa ??? IDK , i don't think so . anyone ???

 

Yes,I have also noticed this.In my opinion its as wrong as saying a car has dual exhaust when it really only has single w/2 tips sticking out.

The world is full of misleading info,and not all of us combined here on TGO can stop it.

People everywhere have their own beliefs and were not going to change them.

So,with that said,in my BELIEF,a targa top is as you stated(1-piece) not 2.

 

I have never understood why they call them t-tops when they are shaped like an "I" and the removable tops themselves are roughly square.

Mathius

 

yeah i thought targa meant 1 piece. does the "T" in T-Tops stand for anything? or is just "T"? if it dont mean anything we should make an official name for it haha.

 

I guess if you just count the center beam and the top of the wind shield it makes the shape of a T . I just posted cause i wanted to see the verdict on this one.

 

Thats what I always thought as well...

"T-top" makes more sense for t-tops than
"Targa" top does for...targa tops...what is "targa" stand for?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-top

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targa_top

Isnt history fun?

 

i think i've only seen GM refer to them as "removable hatch roof" or something to that affect on window stickers.

 

The new Pagani Zonda has a full CF body which in turn allows them to be able to completely remove the roof and the car stays rigid.

Pictures of targa 3rd Gens? I thought that couldnt be done due to our unibody frames, which is why we have a t-bar on the t-top cars. But I guess nice SFC's and roll cages may allow it?

P.S. My thoughts. Targa = 1 Piece, T-Top = 2 Piece.

 

CC1 Removable Transparent Tops – Lockable

id say T is for Transparent

 

i have seen a single reference in GM's literature as "TWIN-TOPS" I want to think it was in one of the dealer albums, or Parts catalog.

John

 

lol i wouldn't have thought of that (for some reason)

 

i always thought that gm had a patent or something on the t-top because ive never seen it on another make but apparently the mustangs had it once to. learn something new everyday i supose

 

Actually C&C made T-top conversions for Several cars in the late 70's and early 80's.

I do not have the list here, but they had some interesting cars that they actually made conversions for. I want to think that actually the initial T-tops on the 2nd Gen F-body was actually an aftermarket conversion. GM adopted it, and some years do not fit on others IIRC.

That GTA looks really good. One of the down sides of a one piece top is stowage. Did the C4 have adequate room to store the Roof?

John

 

Brennan,I have seen that car here before.I don't believe its factory.
I would love to know how that one piece top was done though!
That one piece leaning against the tree in the background is what amazes me the most!

So anyway,back to topic.
Is it twin or transparent tops?
Perhaps both.Maybe they were originally named tt-tops and the name got cut short to t-tops instead of tt-to's?

 

yes, the C4 top stored nicely in the rear storage area above the rear wheel wells. If the interior panels were modified and there were no rear shoulder belts in the way, I would guess it could fit similarly in a 3rd gen too. It's amazing how the origin of the term T-Top is such a mystery. There are several plausable origins... Transparent, Twin, T-shaped roof, Targa derivative, invented by Mr. T....

 

go to the fabrication board and search targa top, the car comes up a few times. i dont think it has its own thread tho. ive never seen a pic of it with the top on tho just the same ones as on here, kinda makes me question the reality of it

 

The Green GTA is not a factory thing...

The easiest way would be to make a targa top the part from some Plexiglas... and Use the factory fasteners. Actually making the window very slightly short would help pull it down on the seal. I would take the Two tops, figure out the spacing and then place them together to make a mold.

I make it sound easy, Since I make windshields for aircraft it would be for me, but you need a large Oven to form the plastic.

John

 

ya mustangs and i think dodge daytonas too

but does anyone notice anything weird about this? look at the gap where the t-top should go and then look at the one peice of glass in the back ground, its huge! and i belve completly fake, i mean lookin at the picture it seem that the black outter supporst are almost a foot wide, and the glass look phsicly too big, any one else notice this or just me?

but as for on topic, targa to me is 1 peice and seems to be on exotic europeans, the vette id just call it a removable top and t-tops are 2 peice

 

The green targa was a cali dealer option
Here are more pics

http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s...4/Targa%20GTA/

As for stowage, a local guy cut his hardtop off his 4th gen, attached T-top handles and called it a day. It barely fits in the hatch. For seals he used C4 parts

3rd gen and 4th gen roofs/hatches are similar in dimensions, storage shuoldnt be an issue

 

dont take this offensively but think about the red tape the dealer would have to go through to cut the top out of a car and sell it legally. and not to mention the cost, just seems unrealistic. unless you can show me some documentation then i believe you were misinformed

 

ya i see the pics but im still not sold, i know people who are really good at photo shop and could do that no problem

agreed, and think of how much weight it would auctually add, it would have to built on a convertable chasis for the rigidity and probally still need more bracing on the frame

 

there is really no "convertible chassis" for 3rd gens. The reinforcement they added to convertibles was far less than current aftermarket subframe connector offerings. In fact, the first convertible 3rd gens were dealer-ordered conversions from aftermarket companies. If anything, the history of 3rd gen convertibles would give credibility to the idea that targa conversions could've been dealer ordered.

 

I pulled the pics from an ebay auction a few years ago. It doesnt make much difference if you believe the pics are real or not

 

verts were sent to be converted from gm they were not a dealer option. a dealer option was something that was only available through one or few dealerships. and the fact that the targa was a dealer option and it seems there is only one in existance would make it a very rare and talked about car one would think, yet hardly anyone seems to know about it. which in my mind is a little farfetched

 

Convertibles started out as being a Dealer offering, GM and ASC worked together on the project and came up with the Camaro Convertible. Initially The Camaro in 1985 & 1986 was a ASC conversion for dealerships until adequate crash tests and epa efficiencies were figured out. AFAIK It was intended to also offer the Firebird vert in 1987 as well but the fuel economy of the Trans am as a Vert would not meet the EPA requirements, as it would not make the required 22.5Mpg average. Ultimately the project was dropped until the body style changed in 1991.

ASC offered Firebird Convertibles to Dealers from 1987 - 1989. They are identical to the Camaro in every respect except for some minor cosmetic changes, the fender caps and the spoiler specifically. it should be noted that The Firebird Vert in 1989 was also available with a 350 (they did not need to be EPA certified). A little known factoid is there are also a known 4 Camaro 350 Verts made in 1987 as a Dealer conversion by ASC, one was actually used to pace the Firehawk Series in the Late 80's.

The car in question appears to be a one of a kind, I too find it hard to believe that the car was a special Dealer thing. I have never seen another, and there is definitely no reference to it as being a factory offering.

Like you said it seems a little far=fetched. Besides how much more could you possibly fetch by offering a targa instead of a factory T-top. I would take a T-top or Convertible any day over it...

 

I am in no way saying that this targa car was or wasn't a dealer contracted conversion. I have no idea if it was or not and won't speculate. I was only chiming in to say that Convertibles were contracted out by many dealers at least as early as 1984 to a handful of different companies before GM started to send cars directly from the factory to ASC. Therefore, the argument stated by Brennan that a dealer would have too much red tape to get through to do a targa conversion doesn't hold water. And if several companies can chop the top off the car, add some bracing and have a dealer sell it as new, then the same could certainly potentially be done with a targa conversion

 

Ok, I see,