OK, 2003 Targa on the radar-who love's theirs?

I've got a "real" Targa already, in which I'll be buried, either by accident off the mountain, or by my wife's efforts. I've been looking at 993's, but I've not found "the one". For some reason, I started looking at 996 Targas, and found a couple that interest me. I also found a nice Coupe too... I look at one of the Targas tomorrow, and I'll give it the once over to see if I take it any further from an exploratory aspect. But, I wonder how current Targa owners view the roof system's reliability and utility? I've got the hot rod fun car for track days and sprints up Palomar. Now, I'm looking for a good driver for longer trips with creature comforts such as A/C. A 996 surely seems to fit that bill, and seems to be a better bang-for-the-buck than a 993 on the current market. Thanks! PS-I'm not really dumb enough to put an apostrophe in "loves", it's my computer screwing around again. I wish we could edit thread titles!

First thing a pre 996 driver says when getting into a "modern car" is the insides are way nicer than their air cooled. Of course the a/c and other creature comforts are always there. I don't own a cab so I have no idea of leaking, rattles or any other things those cars might have.

Best car of the 911 range, yep open myself up there. Easy access to the back for luggage etc with the hatchback window. I track her every time possible. Great to drive and almost as rigid as the coupe. As for the glass roof, wow is understatement, there's nothing like travelling at 70mph and deciding you want some open air driving. Push button and roof opens. Then when you hit a spot of rain, quick to close never taking your eyes of the road or traffic through either operation. You'd be surprised how many 911 or 996/7 owners have seen the new targar's but have never seen the roof open or the back window pop up. As for the track, I get a full set of track wheels , chair, overnight case and numerous tools in the cabin no problems. Then the compressor, jack and other bits and bobs up in the front compartment. I love my car, would get another in a heartbeat.

I recall one 996 Targa owner having an alignment issue with his Targa recently, don 't know the outcome. I drove an early 70s Targa(AC) in the Willow Grove area one day while my friend drove my Audi Fox and I still remember how much fun it was.

Eds coming to the dark side.

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Ha, Ed's tired of thinking of things to spend money on in Ruby-she's done. She'll stay with me, so I'm not so focused on the performance aspect of the next car, which I originally thought would be a 6-GT3. I was then "certain" the 993 was what I needed, but now I'm thinking why not a 996. But, I figure a Targa in SoCal has served me well so far, why not another? Thanks guys for your input. We'll see what happens tomorrow on my visit.

Love mine more and more everyday. Rear access is great. Giant roof is great too even when it's not open! No downsides unless you want to lose a few pounds without the glass roof.

The only downside I've had in my month+ of ownership is with the roof open the visibility out the back window is restricted.

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Resistance is futile... I know you can't resist those 996 headlights. Goodluck with the decision-making!

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Indeed, they were what drew me to the model to begin with....

Ed, I just PM'd you.

+1 on visibility reduced with the Targa open. Only had mine for 2 weeks and it has been raining in Puget Sound the whole time I've owned it so the top hasn't been opened since the test drive. Can't wait for Summer trips in the Cascades..

I've had my 2004 996 Targa for three months now. I always drive it with the sunshade retracted. I like the open feeling of having the sky just above my head. I drive it around town with the roof retracted, but I have found that on the highway, at 70+ mph, I get a bit of buffeting that I'm not tickled with, but will have to wait till the summer to experiment more. Make sure that you wear a hat with the top open. You will end up with a sunburn for sure. I'm not sorry I bought it. There are those that declare that the roof will develop problems down the road. I think that the issue is going to be lubrication, and I am lubricating the track with white lithium grease to make sure that it opens and closes smoothly. larry

I love the idea of targa or convertible, just make sure you have a warranty for it, if not you expose your self to trouble, those cars are close to 10 years old now and the technology isn't cheap to replace. I own a coupe but I would have considered a targa if one had come my way.

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The 996 is a fantastic bargain, It's a great car and I really enjoy mine, being in the Northeast and also having a Targa in my driveway I want with a Coupe but the Targa's are great.

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Having followed the Ruby's life on the 911 forum I'm sure Ed can handle any issues the 996 can dish out.

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+1000 and the first thing someone coming from an old car might say is the interior is nicer, but the first thing they say when they drive one is - "Whoops I think I broke the floor pushing the clutch in" and "where's the sound?" Sound can be fixed ! Many happy with the FisterD mod They are really a great car Ed, fun as heck to drive and IMO a Targa is beautiful but I would look for a C2 for a couple reasons. 1: no "top issues" 2: less weight 3: more choices availabe (targas are a tad more rare) That said, I love the Targa and as I will always say, too many cars, not enough time/money so own all you can !!

See my post entitled by searching: "Targa noise solved (?)" - i haven't figured out how to insert a link here yet... It was a little dissappointing to find a problem with my *new* car, but you have to take the good with the bad on an eight-year-old car. I know that, at the very least, I can perform a free fix myself by simply cutting out the little curtain that's causing me trouble. It's purely cosmetic and you really don't notice it anyway unless you're looking for it (i never noticed it was out of position when I inspected the car). Despite some problems, I would buy a Targa again over a coupe. I think it's a really impressive car to be in.

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I wouldn't go so far as to say that the curtain is purely cosmetic. The curtain serves a really important purpose. In the summer, in the bright sun, you may find a time that you will not want the sun baking the car while it's parked. Or, you may find that you don't want your bald head baking in the sun. In either case, you'd be toast (literally) if you didn't have a sunshade to close to keep the heat and direct sun out. larry

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https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...se-solved.html LINK ^^

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I've seen Ed's pristine 911 in person. I love it!

I would love to have a 996 turbo targa !

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No, no. I mean that little three inch cloth strip that slides with the top along the C-Pillar. My sunscreen works fine.

T-top 996 is the only way...!!

I've had my Targa for about 6 years - no problems with the roof, or the car. The 993 targa roof tracks are a little more complicated/finicky and prone to issues from what I've seen - 996 was a nice improvement. The "hatchback" window is an often overlooked benefit that makes the space behind the front seats much more accessible and useful. My other cars have sunroofs and I always have the shade pulled back on them, so even if the targa top is closed having the "open" sky is great - a panorama roof is an expensive option on other high end cars, even if they don't open. The Targa is as modable as all the other p's - I've added pss9s/sways, FisterD, Softronic, plenum, etc ... way too much fun! When the time comes I would strongly consider a newer Targa 4S. A big for Targas.