Have any of you restored a targa?

[FaBooker]

I have zero experience of this, so would appreciates your thoughts.

I've been offered a '69 targa. It's in bad shape - horribly converted to look like a 930 flatnose. Arches and front wings are fiberglass, as are the build out sills. The targa hoop has been cut, so it looks like a convertible. It is, in anyone's book, a horrid looking thing. It needs completely rebuilding.

On the plus side, it's matching numbers and comes with a spare 69 engine. Both the car and spare engine are 911e. The interior is all there less - predictably- the door furniture (both arm rests and map pockets). The seats have been recoversed but are original. Dash is not cracked and the steering wheel is in place. The fuchs are long gone, it currently wears some foul alloys that look like they belong in LA.

My query is pretty simple - is this worthwhile? The body will need blasting to strip to bare metal, and will require a lot of work. The engine runs but I guess will need rebuilding. The transmission is fine. I guess my biggest fear is the cut hoop and whether this has destroyed he car beyond repair and the structural integrity is gone.

If any of you have undertaken a similar project I'd love to hear your experiences. Cost, time, issues. I know it is close to impossible to gauge the costs without seeing or stripping the car, but ball park estimates or actual (terrifying...) costs on a recent similar build would help me make a call.

The car is in the Middle East. It just seems such a shame to leave it to die. As you'd expect given its location, rust isn't an issue.

The price of the car itself is minimal.

[ian_uk]

FaBooker said:

My query is pretty simple - is this worthwhile?

I was going to answer a straight no mainly because of "The body will need blasting to strip to bare metal, and will require a lot of work". But then you say "As you'd expect given its location, rust isn't an issue". The amount of work you are hinting at is due to the conversion I guess.

Restoring the bodywork on these old cars is horrendously expensive if done correctly and panels that require replacement have to be backdated from the later panels available from Porsche before you even start. Plus panels such as new wings are not cheap in themselves. Any original missing parts are expensive to find and purchase these days. Hoops can be replaced but again it is a case of if you can find one for sale and how much would it cost to get someone to part with one.

Also are you doing the work yourself for the love of it or are you getting an expert to do it?

Edited by ian_uk on Saturday 21st March 12:23

[EricE]

You can do it but buying the same car in your desired condition will save you a lot of money and time... many have to learn this the hard way.

PS: rust is always an issue with these cars unless they were restored and conserved at some point.