Cure for a squeaky targa top?

Hi Fellow Dino (GTS) owners,

The latch above the passenger seat is driving me crazy. How do I tighten the mechanism?

I usually drive with the top off. But started work at a place where I end up parking under a tree. Just too many leaves to hassle with taking the top off and on. Plus not much space to open the doors wide enough to get the top in/out behind the seats.

Thanks,

Manny

 

Manny - trade the gts in for a coupe. While you may have to pay more for the coupe, the step up is worth it. No leaves or squeaks.

Jim S.

 

The easiest thing would be to replace the interior surround gasket. Short of that, you might want to subtly cut the gasket in that area and slide tubing inside. I don't know of a way to tighten the hinges without detroying them. Not the best advise, but something that could work

 

When I was younger, it was all about the wind in the hair. All my cars had removable roofs. As I'm getting older, I still appreciate the alfresco experience. But the purity of the coupe and the feeling of lightness imparted by the amount of glass is tugging at me.

I thought typically, targas were a premium over the coupes. Is that a regional case? Or has things changed? I really haven't kept up with the Dino market. Mine's intended to be a keeper. Over 12 years now.

 

From what I've seen, open Dinos still command a decent premium in the U.S. over closed cars, condition and provenance being equal. In Europe, the values between open and closed are more or less the same, with more drivers preferring the closed car, but the open car's relative rarity still holding values even.

 

Hello Rory,

GTS are at a 20% premuim to GT Dinos in Europe too. But you are right, more and more people prefer a GT because of the cleaner design...

Regards Matthias

 

As far as I can surmise, the problem is that the material the top is made of loves to get a squeak out of the rubber trim.
You could try silicone spray on the areas where the back of the roof touches the trim, that should quieten the rubber somewhat.
Much of the noise will probably come from the latches themselves as they tend to loosen up on a drive. If the silicone does not help and the noise stops when you apply closing pressure on the levers and........ you don't want to drive with both hands stretched out behind you, holding the levers closed, you could try.............

The solution afforded to me by Maranello UK, namely, to tightly close the levers and drill a 1/16" hole through the lever and some way into the top. Find a nice looking 1/16" pin with a loop on the end and slide the pin into the lever locking it fully shut!

They even supplied a cute little chain and attached to the top and the pin.

I also glued a felt strip under the roof, where it came into contact with the rubber trim.

It worked pretty well.

 

I'm trying to visualize what you're describing. But having a hard time. Might you post some pics? I'm leery about drilling into any part of the car. But seeing photos might spur some ideas.

I'm pretty sure it's not the rubber bits. It sounds very metallic.

 

Matthias and Need4Speed - all those people are mistaken. Coupes are what real men drive. They don't need no stinking wind in their hair, bugs in their teeth, or leaves on their seats. Coupes will withstand the test of time, whereas Spyders will collapse from their own lack of midsection reinforcement. Don't dare put one up on the lift and try to open a door! And when a large bird with indigestion realizes his disdain for things Eye-talian, guess who will get the worse of it...

No, you can try to pay less for a Coupe, but that misconception is perpetuated by the "gold chain" gain driving fancy new stuff like 430s with tops down and thinning hair. Those really in the know understand the premium to be placed on a coupe.

Jim S.

 

Then its the latch. The levers are probably half open as you drive. Check to make sure they are not loose.

My car is still partly in boxes but will try to get at the top and take a picture

 

Dignini,

Thanks for your suggestion. I've determined that it is the latch. When I'm driving, if I push against the lever with my finger, the sound is gone. There's quite a bit of movement there. There must be a way to tighten this up.

 

At first the holes were simply drilled into the fiber glass in the position shown . After years of use and pulling the pin in and out, the area around the holes became scratched and the holes themselves elongated (a little) and not very pretty. So I enlarged the holes, and inserted the head of a pop rivet. I did not "pop" the rivet. But rather, took the pin out and epoxied the head into the top. On both sides, front and back, 4 in all. When closing the top, I simply close the lever, push the pin through the hole and drive. It makes a world of difference.

The pin, passes through the lever and into the rivet head in the front and out the rivet head in the back.

I think sliding tubing to stiffen the rubber is good idea, it will remove some of the slack, put more pressure on the hinges and keep them from slopping around.

Apart from this, The locating pins back and front need to be tight. I found that before this modification, there so much vibration from the top that the pins became loose.

Have not dug out the levers yet. Will look over the week end.
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Manny
went through a few boxes but did not find the levers. I did however find two items that I believed lost. So I am elated at that. I will be at it again tomorrow.

 

Dignini,

I appreciate your efforts. The photos you posted made the concept clear. It would surely work.

Thank you very much,

Manny

 

No problem. Hope you get it sorted, it can be really annoying!

 

true!!