How to stow the "targa" top?

I stow mine the same as yours, latches up.
However, the official way is pins up.
I have an owners manual from an '86-'87 328 that clearly shows pins up on page #42.
The '85 owners manual has the same pic on page #41.

 

Yep, we've had this discussion before. There are those who do store it pins up (the prescribed way) and say that they've not experienced any problems with the pins poking/wearing through the cover. Personally, I prefer not to risk it, so I store it incorrectly.

 

Yeah, I store my 328 top pins-up as shown in the manual. My top cover is not leather. It looks like some kind of vinyl. I suppose it is OEM but I'm not sure. Anyway, it is constructed so that there's some slop where the pins are and there's no problem with them straining the cover and poking through.

Cheers, Mark

 

I do, always have. But the cover isn't leather, it's lined vinyl. No problem with the pins, and I've been doing it that way for almost 12 years!!

 

Pins up...not leather, vinyl. No issues.

 

Mine is stored pins up. The leather cover stays in my garage I never use it.

Matt

 

Targa top stays in the garage...never use it =)

 

I've always stored it pins down cos that's what I was told to do - seems to me as though there are almost small divots in the floor that the pins sit in.

Just looked at the manual & I can see why the picture is seen as showing it pins up - but is that thing sticking up in the picture a pin or is it the tip of a latch showing from behind the top?

Dunno - all I know is that Pins down makes for quicker stowing of the top

I.

 

Never really thought about it, when I went to look at the car, the top was stowed "pins down" so thats what I've been doing. The cover seems to fit nice and snug that way, mabe I'll try it the other way.

 

WOW. Since you never use it you should probably sell it to me for $100.00!!!
LOL.
-Luigi

PS: if you store it pins down the latches wear holes in the rear deck fabric,
ask me how I know this.....

 

Not, if you fold down the latches before you store it.

 

I store mine with the pins down, the top of the targa facing the seats, and usually use the vinyl cover.

I do use a soft material (ie.. face cloth) to put behind the leather storage compartment where the targa's rests as I have seen some cars that have torn, or marked leather because the targas rested on them for so long.

 

I've seen the book. I've also seen the windscreen frame with the top behind the seats, and it's just too close to my forehead.

So I store the top with the top aft (interior toward the seats) to give the driver's seat a bit more recline. That way, I don't have to readjust the mirrors when I take the top off.

But with the top slid over to let the driver's seat recline, it still pushes the pass seat forward. It seems easy to design a folding top -- until you start to look at the issues. It needs to be very rigid to form an element linking the windscreen to the targa loop. It needs to seal to the side windows to keep water out. It needs to fold small enough to put in the front with the tire, in the back, or behind the seats low enough to not interfere with recline. Not so easy.

But I store with the pins up -- but without the cover. The way shown in the owner's manual looks odd: you have to rotate the top 180 deg to drop it into that position. Let the front drop, and it would be top forward, pins down. Drop the rear of the top, and it's top aft, pins up.

The "right" way is with the top on the car -- for rigidity. Next best would be to leave the top in the garage, I guess.

 

Mine has always been pins down, top forward, latches up and 'closed'. My cover doesn't fit snugly if I put it in the other way. The authorized dealer I bought the car from told me that was the way it was supposed to go, and if you're removing the top by yourself, you're asking for some interesting contortions to store it pins up.

 

I was told to store it pins up or it will wear a hole in the carpet.