Targa saggy bottom...?

[Fuchs915]

Having been lucky enough to attend Barry's welding/bodywork course earlier this year and having bought sheet metal and a welder, I am slowly gaining in competence (or incompetence - what a difference a space can make) and will at some stage need at least some kidney, sill and lower a-post work, which I would like to do myself. I am hiding behind my usual "What could possibly go wrong?" mantra.

I have done a little investigation and when I jack the car on the engine, the top gap closes a little. I simply put some tape taut from A-post rain gutter to the targa hoop and it became slack when the taking the weight of the engine on a trolley jack. I'll look at this in more detail using more strips of tape and take some measurements. So this will give me an idea of the sag the engine is currently causing, but not what may already be 'built in'. As a rough check, the gap between the roof and the hoop looks larger than I would expect, but don't know what the gap should be on a perfect car. Is there a way of measuring between reference points that would at least give a rough guide to just how saggy the shell is, without putting it on a jig?

Thanks

Kevin

[Nick Moss]

Targas sag. Putting it on a jig will not tell you the amount of sag as it will be so flexible that it will probably fit all the points, unless it is bent from accident damage. Keep it on its wheels while doing any sill work, and keep the doors fitted so you can check the gaps.