Help please - Targa rear wing joining details

[deano]

Dear all,

I have a wee dilemna :

remove the whole rear wing to make a few repairs, or, remove half of it (leaving the rear light and engine cover end).

Is anyone here able to comment on the relative size/difficulty of these two options? Is one a pig and the other OK for example?

One thing that I havent understood yet is how the rear wing is joined to the body between the rear window frame and the engine cover (end of part-4)

- is it spot welded and leaded, or seam welded?
- will I be able to see the joint when I remove the paint
- and will I be able to disconnect the wing there without destroying the shape.

Looks like the rest is just spot weld cutting.

I have had a good look around on Targa resto threads, but not much detail out there. Seeing the precise shape of the flanges of a Targa rear wing would tell me a lot, but had no luck finding a picture with high enough resolution to see clearly....

Appreciate any experiences you can share about this

[DustyM]

Personally I would favour removing the whole panel. The joint you speak of between the glass and engine cover is usually brazed.


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[PeterK]

Can’t comment on which is easier but I needed to get at the kidney bowl & the targa tool reinforcing plate areas. I cut the wing, approximately where you show your line, but forward of the wheel, not behind.
My challenges were butt welding an exterior panel and gap to the door. I cut the wing using a 1.6mm cutting disc, then used cutting discs as spacers when positioning the wing for rewelding.

If you’ve any doubt about the rear inner wing, and especially the inside edge of the rear lights, then I’d remove the entire wing.

[PeterK]

Seam at the top of the wing is spot welded on my '79 Targa.
Sorry - quite a lot of paint there now.

The 'interesting' joint will be here - the where the targa reinforcing panel sits over the targa hoop and under the rear wing.


My reinforcing panels had completely disappeared. It was only because of FatFuchs' resto photos on IB that I even knew there should be plates there. I also had to remake the top of the wings in this area, due to rust. It doesn't matter whether you remove the entire wing or just the front half, as both will need careful working this area. Maybe the other option is to remove the front part of the wing, but take your cut to the top, front of the panel, leaving the hoop area untouched.

[deano]

Personally I would favour removing the whole panel. The joint you speak of between the glass and engine cover is usually brazed.

Thanks.

I can see a flange tucked just above the parcel shelf that looks like the wing join - it looks like that's the only access, so looking really difficult to deal with properly.

Perhaps better to leave the join and cut the wing around that area?

I cut the wing, approximately where you show your line, but forward of the wheel, not behind. I cut the wing using a 1.6mm cutting disc, then used cutting discs as spacers when positioning the wing for rewelding.

If you’ve any doubt about the rear inner wing, and especially the inside edge of the rear lights, then I’d remove the entire wing.

Thanks for this - I've been following your thread. I think I am swaying towards removing the whole wings, partly so that I can be sure that every bit of them is solid, but I'm still not clear on all the attachment points and-or best places to cut. I think the join between the window and engine lid may need to be left in to avoid that headache. Not sure how its joined along the sides of the engine lid or to the rear latch panel ends...