Max recommended speed without targas?

tourist · Feb 27, 2004

Hi people, i'm a newbie but have been reading these forums for a few weeks, it's a useful resource considering my mechanical ignorance and the scarcity of these great cars.

Anyway i'm planning on taking my 1992 nx on her first country trip and due to hot weather would like the targas off... I was wondering if this is recommended? I'm concerned the hatch would act like a giant sail and give me crap mileage, or worst case would be rear glass blowing out. Is there a combination I can use to maxamise highway aerodynamicy (eg targas down/windows up, vice versa, or both down?)... Sorry if this is answered in the service manual but I didn't receive one with my car.

txnx · Feb 27, 2004

odd enough, yet good question, I myself have not noticed a big difference in mileage. I can say that air does get trapped in the car, I know this from hitting rain without the t's and seeing the drops on the back window. I have done 135(stupidly) with the tops off and windows up with no problems. Its your call on what you want to do, but I don't see the back glass blowing out.

The NX · Feb 27, 2004

Nissan wouldn't make a T-tops on a car if the back hatch would blow out. They make the car with certain degrees of freedom so something like that wouldnt happen. The only way i can see something like this happening is if you're driving 180 mph into a 200 mph headwind. The "sail" doesnt pick up that much air to force it out.

JDMtyteYO · Feb 27, 2004

Yeah Ive done 120 no problem, it seems a lot less stable, but thats about it....

Windows down, tops off...

-Josh

Bjorn · Feb 27, 2004

100 mph - no problems

w/ the tops off, the only thing I can think of is to keep the rear shelf attached to reduce buffeting

jrbump · Feb 27, 2004

when that rear hatch blows out it will be like a 50 shot of naws!

nx-r_waz · Feb 27, 2004

Don't think you'll have any problem about damage to the car, but at highway cruising speed the wind noise is pretty damn loud with the t-tops off, if you're going on a road trip the noise might start to bug you.

Welcome to the boards tourist - which state in Aus. are you from?

AG>SR · Feb 28, 2004

..........don't do it on a windy day.........thats all

insane imports · Feb 28, 2004

I do it all the time and travel at a high rate of speed(100-155or so) and have never had any problems. it does affect gas mileage a bit but come on its a sports car and its fun to have the tops off. I have mine off all the time, unless its raining outside.

Later,Jon

Subculture · Feb 28, 2004

tourist said:
...Anyway i'm planning on taking my 1992 nx on her first country trip and due to hot weather would like the targas off

Just for the record. Our cars have T-Tops, not Targas.

nx-r_waz · Feb 28, 2004

Isn't a T-top short for Targa Top?? What's the difference? According to the Nissan NX brochure I have a scan of, we have a "removable glass targa roof".

Subculture · Feb 28, 2004

Targa tops are one piece, usually metal or FG, removable top.

First used on Porsche 911's after the Porsche racing victory in Targa , Italy.

nx-r_waz · Feb 28, 2004

Like an aero top on a Supra? Could be defined differently between makes of course.

98_1LE · Feb 28, 2004

The won't be any damage to the car; I have been well over 100 with the T's out in both NX I have owned, and went 155 (indicated) in a '97 Z28 with the tops out. I have been over 130 in the T/A with them out.

Gas mileage will suffer slightly with the tops out. I have been checking mileage on road trips for years, and generally speaking both NX and V8 F-bodies get about 3 mpg worse on the highway at slightly over the posted limit with the tops out, and about 2 mpg worse with the ac on. On a long trip that only ends up being a couple/few dollars, which is well worth it to me to enjoy a nice day with the tops out.

It is not a coincidence that both my cars have T-tops. The ironic thing is that my 380rwhp Trans Am got 28.2 mpg on one leg (no air and tops in), and my basically stock NX only gets 30-31 on the same stretch of road. When the T/A has less mods (before the cam basically), it pulled 29.9 mpg once

Anyway, run without them if the weather is nice!

Pretty White · Feb 29, 2004

Yeah, but your hair will be a mess. Ask me how I know.

NX0000 · Feb 29, 2004

I have the freeway near my house, and i hit 160km/h constantly with no problems.

I can't remember if i had the Targa's off when i did 190, but there would be some kind of drag going at that speed, but as one of the guys said above, put the windows up if you really want to

But i don't see a problem.

as for the T-Top and Targa Top argument, T is short for Targa! just like the mr2's and 300zx have T-tops (or targa if you may).

Subculture · Mar 1, 2004

NX0000 said:
...as for the T-Top and Targa Top argument, T is short for Targa! just like the mr2's and 300zx have T-tops (or targa if you may).

No. Targa Tops are one piece. With no center bar in the middle. Just an open section.

T-Tops have a center support bar. Hence "T" Tops.

AG>SR · Mar 1, 2004

targas are like a longer removable sun/moon-roof, while the doors retain the frame on the top of the door ................ right??

JDMtyteYO · Mar 1, 2004

Thats the way I understand it....

NX0000 · Mar 1, 2004

Who cares... i bought the NX purely for the T-Top (Targa Top... or whatever)

and loving it, it's kinda got a back seat, thank god i don't know any big girls!!!
every other car i know don't have a back seat with T-tops, and if they do, they're just as small even smaller than the NX back seat!

Max recommended speed without targas?

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