this might be a stupid question, but since i have no owners manual i am curious.
since the center section of the convertible top is removable,
is it ok to take it out and drive around with the back up? (even at highway speeds)

sorry, i tried to search but didnt find anything. just questions about replacing seals. hahaha

 

Yes.

You will find that it is more noisy with the center missing and the back up - than with the top all the way down.

The only real advantage (to me) is that you can drive around in the winter at 25 degrees or so and be a little warmer than with the roof all the way down.

 

yeah, its not something i see myself doing frequently, but it would be good to know that before i try it out and all of a sudden WHOOP!! there goes the top down the road. hehehe

 

It is designed to work as a targa or full convertible.

 

and it looks kinda neat like that !

 

Pretty cool function. BUT the motors have to be functional or it will slam down... Don't ask...

 

its actually designed to work like that

 

I used it like that 1 time in 3 years of owning my old vert. I liked it, the only problem was it was just not convienent.

 

thanks guys!

ok, so i took the panel out for the drive home from work today and found out that:
yup, it sure is noisy!
it was kinda nice though, to have all that airflow and still a little bit of shade.
since i drive away from the sun it worked out that way, anyway.

 

The targa mode is a nice feature. Its like a big sunroof that is not as convenient. I do it sometimes. The trunk is big enough to store the targa section easily too.

 

It would look kinda funny for people who have never seen the top up close in person or didn't know it was designed like that, like a broken halfway down top, still looks kinda bizzare to me having owned a mustang convertible (well my mom owns it but I know how her more conventional top works)

 

When I lived in the northeast I drove in that configuration a lot of the time during winter.

For cold weather operation it was a great option because it made the cabin warmer; I always kept the windows and windblocker up and the heat blasting.

Around town at sub-highway speed the wind noise is not unpleasent, so I drove with the top rear up and the targa in it's baggie in the trunk. When I slipped onto the highway I'd pull the parking brake lever up a notch (just enough to disengage the lockout) and roll the top down to abate the noise.

Even though the manual says not to operate the top at a temperature under 30(?) degrees, in 18 years of owhership I never experienced a problem.

One caution though. If you decide to drive with the top down at low temperatures be sure to wear a heavy scarf or you will wake up with a sore neck.

 

is it really better to drive with the targa when its winter? i mean its pretty warm with it on. maybe im just really confused. anyway driving wit the targa off is fun. I get alot of looks driving around my neighborhood. i guess it's either because people have never seen it like that or people are just looking at the rx7 because its a freakin rx7. Convertables are awesome

 

the targa top is great and people do break there necks looking at it because not many cars do that ....i think it looks cooler with the targa instead of the whole way down