Targa top squeeks going down the road, Is this just normal flex of the body? Options

[davesclassicvws]

Ok, Here's what I want to know. I recently rebuilt a Targa top for 914 which included new seals all the way around. I noticed this squeek before the rebuild but thought the new seals would eliminate this .

As I have thought about this and read more on this forum, here's what I've come up with, the back half of the 914 is essentially held on by the floor, so the stress points are just behind the doors.

As the car is going down the road and travels over bumps the body is flexing and this is reverbiated through the targa top, thus the seals are squeeking from the flexing.

My question is this: How common is this? Is this an indication of compromised longs? or is this normal with all 914's? Does adding a engman kit eleviate this problem in any way?

As far as I can tell the Targa top does not have any capacity to tighten onto the car body. The new seals should be providing as tight a seal as possible.

I'm curious if the engman kit will reduse this flex and if its really worth it on a car that's not going to go on the track. I just enoy driving the car around town on the weekends.

[Sleepin]

Might try slipping a piece of rubber tubing over the hooks on the rear latches on the targa bar. This sometimes adds just the little extra bit to cut out some squeeks. Not guaranteeing that it will work, but the price is right to try! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[davesclassicvws]

Might try slipping a piece of rubber tubing over the hooks on the rear latches on the targa bar. This sometimes adds just the little extra bit to cut out some squeeks. Not guaranteeing that it will work, but the price is right to try! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I could just leave the top off like in your pictures but it's not very practicle in SW Washington.