914 Targa Top Side
Seal Installation

Figure 1:
Deteriorated (shrunk) Targa Side Seal

Figure 2:
Left and Right New Targa Top Seals

Figure 3:
Targa Side Seal in Channel

Figure 4:
Metal Flange Wraps Around Seal

Figure 5:
Loops in New Seals that Wrap Around Metal Flange

Figure 6:
Seal Fully Installed into Channel

Figure 7:
Tight Seal Against Window

     The targa top seal was indeed a single piece, as advertised. A set of new seals is shown in Figure 2.   Installing it was a piece of cake. OK, a small piece of cake. It took me about 35 minutes from the time I opened up the garage door to the time I closed it back up again. Pretty fast, for me.

     Pulling the seal off was easy for most of it. The spots where I and previous owners had used silicone goop (and other goop) to hold the seal together did present some problems. However, a little judicious helping from my Swiss army knife did the trick.

     Scraping (most of) the remains of the goop took somewhat longer. Some of the black-colored stuff was NOT simple RTV, and it did not really want to let go of the metal. But it eventually did. Happily, a paper towel was enough to clean the chromed channels for the side-pieces.

     Installation was pretty easy. I started with the driver’s side piece. You just slide it into the channel. This channel is shown in Figure 3.   I used silicone lubricant spray on the areas of the seal where the edges of the channel run, and it slid in easily. I got that almost all the way in, then started on the passenger’s side. Getting the side part on the last little bit can be tricky, as there is a protruding metal flange from the channel, and the seal just about folds itself over this flange when it’s installed.  This is shown in Figure 4.  The small loop in the new seal is shown in Figure 5.

     Then I finished up the driver’s side. I had to stretch the top part of the seal a bit to get it to fit.

     Last was the top part of the seal. You simply put the lip of the windshield frame into the slot of the seal, and push HARD. If you’ve got it lined up, it slides on and leaves no gap between the front edge of the seal and the main part of the frame. I had to go over it a couple of times, but after I figured out how hard to push there was no problem.  The seal fully installed is shown in Figure 6.

     Then I put the roof on (it fits tighter!) and closed the doors. My windows still don’t quite go up all the way to the seal, but the side-seals on the roof panel now actually touch the top seal! And there are no more gaps on the top seal.  The window sealed against the Targa top is shown in Figure 7 (old seal shown, hence the cracks).  In order to get your windows to the correct HEIGHT, you need to remove the door panels, and adjust the window regulators (future tech article).

     So far this rainy CA day, the new seal seems to be holding up just fine!!

-DD

Dave Darling 74 914 2.0 (VROOM!)
dave@pelicanparts.com <--- OR ---> ddarling@wgss.com
"914: The Porsche Picnic Basket. A lid that opens on each end, and a handle in the middle.." -- CHD