So has anyone here ever heard of the Petty Custom Targa top for your new RX7 from 1979??

http://cgi.ebay.com/1979-1980-Mazda-...2em118Q2el1247

Here's a brochure for sale on ebay showing the top.

Just wondering if it was a full targa conversion for regular RX7's and how it would have been done and if it was easy to do or quite involved.

Also...is there anyone doing anything similar nowadays??

 

First I've ever seen of that targa conversion. Would it be involved, yes. The frame would need to be reinforced, then there's the problem of making the targa top that fits, seals and doesn't leak air/water.

 

I believe they installed roll bars inside the car to help with chassis stiffness . I've seen that somewhere before but I cant remember where

Here you go

 

I can only dream :/

 

seats are really quite hot....and is it wrong i find her quite attractive?

 

Fantastic scans - Thanks a lot!

 

Dont give me the credit I d/l them from another thread and uploaded them here

 

Man, one of those would be perfect. Even a set of t-tops would be great for the RX7. Ah well. And by the way...I tried phoning them ...one of the numbers was not in service, the other number was a hispanic lady who had no clue who Petty Engineering was.

 

Not at all. I do as well.

 

badass. i thought about making the SA targa some day

 

That would be a sweet project, but I'm just not equipped for it.

 

i wish my fb was targa top

 

i'd prefer t-top

think itd be easier to do maybe. On the hotter days i just take my moon roof off and throw it in the boot.

 

Yes.. I want t-top!

 

I had heard that some targas were made, but this is the first real evidence of them I've seen, thanks for posting the brochure. For those that find the model attractive, keep in mind she's now nearly 30 years older, lol. For the era, she does look good though.

 

I've posted these here before. One of the first few has more info on the targa.

http://intertron.com/ron/images/rra1.zip

Change the number after rra to match the number for the article below.

1 September 1981
Custom RX-7 Conversions
2 August 1979
Inside Petty Engineering
3 August 1980
The First Convertible
4 November 1980
Avitar, The Convertible, Part 2
5 March 1982
Avitar ESP
6 September 1984
163 HP RX-7
7 September 1984
Gearing your RX-7 for Higher Performance
8 September 1984
Wheel Buyers guide
9 December 1984
Cartech Turbo
10 May 1980
RX-7 Fender Plot
11 June 1985
Ultima Security System Install
12 March 1983
Ultima I
13 June 1983
Ultima II
14 September 1983
Ultima Stereo Installation Guide

 

wow that look is very clean t tops would make it look to z style.. the targa is hot for sure. this is the first time ive seen one of these thanks for sharing

 

Here is a look at an 81 that was featured in Motor Trend mag. I just put back together a month ago and have finally worked out all the bugs. The motor is a 12a with sp and the Bae/ RayJay turbo. It now has a holley 380 mech secondaries (got rid of the carter AFB) and I run 6lbs boost. Car runs very strong through all gears , I am very pleased with the overall performance. As you can see it came with the targa roof and wide body. Next year i will be doing the bodywork with fresh paint.

 

Count me in on that action as well.

 

Very nice car. Do you have more info about the car's history? Was it done by Petty Engineering? Any chance of more pictures of the top and how it is secured. What type of seats.

This one even has staples. It was obviously taken during the great underwear shortage of the 70's and 80's. Life was good

 

I am not sure if it is a petty roof but it looks like it might be. The roof is constructed of an outer and inner fiberglass panel bonded together with glass. The car was purchased 21 yrs ago from the Mazda dealer in Winnipeg Manitoba, the work was already done and bought as you see it. The top is secured with a lever lock that moves a rod into the rear of the top, as you might see in the pic the front is secured by a dowel and cam. The silver handle pulls down to release and up for lock. The seats are Recaro leather with air bladder adjustable bags and also heated.

 

That is a hefty latch. That top won't be coming loose. Thanks for the picture. I've never seen how they did that part of the roof. I'll have to re read the Rotary Rocket magazines I have, but that sounds like the method Petty used to make their tops. I've heard that they made some cars to be sold by dealerships.

Nice car. Oh yeah, I said that already.

 

Very nice! I love the Porsche turbo emblems on the ban. You must get asked if thats a porsche all the time by those unfamiliar.

 

Yea it's actually kind of funny when people come up...they look for a while then say what is it a Porsche? or a small Corvette? I guess it doesn't help that there is no Mazda emblem anywhere on it. The only marking on it is the RX7 on the rear glass.
I will help the unknowing next year when the paint is done by replacing all the emblems. (haha) I will be putting it away as soon as the weather gets too cold as it has not seen a winter in its life. Thanks for the compliments.

 

Weird... I currently know the location of a dark green 79 SA with a targa roof as well. It has a roll bar installed, and also is running a cartech, ray-jay, or other manufactured draw through setup. The car has been sitting for years, and continues to sit in a garage. I will have to investigate if it still is there.

Is there any information as far as the history of these cars, or their rarity?

Chris-