1967 Porsche 911S Soft Window Targa (SOLD)

1967 911S Soft Window Targa (SOLD)

The 1967 911S Soft Window Targa was produced only 1 year (483 produced) here in North America.

These cars are extremely rare, being the closest Porsche ever got to a true 911 convertible until 1983. The value of these cars has escalated over the last 10 years – and because of that, you will see trashed, rusty, junk yard finds that have been patched together and sold. These cars begin cut and welded and are put back together without the use of proper jigs so they will never drive as well as a proper “S’ should. The patch job on them shows up fairly quickly with doors shifting (making them difficult to open) and gaps being misaligned, difficult to align and generally “squirrely” handling.

However, as is customary at Road Scholars, we are offering a rare instance when you can purchase a solid, square, sorted, stunning soft window that was done by a fanatical, fussy early “S” registry and R Gruppe member. In 2003 the finishing touch was a Frank Beck motor custom built for R Gruppe events and rallies. The aluminum case was used as a starting point to build a 240hp 2.7 liter “RS” spec motor cleverly disguised as stock. The wheels are 5 ½, done by Harvey Weidman and finished exactly like originals with Pirelli CN36 tires mounted on them. The chassis is solid, square and true, and this car handles exactly like a Soft window “S” should, albeit better with subtle mods and sorting. The paint has to be 20+ years old; it’s hard as a rock and straight as an arrow with great gaps. The interior is excellent and finished, and the houndstooth inserts still look great.

Duane Hyatt passed away last week and I never got the opportunity to tell him I bought his 67 S back that we had sold 5 years ago. I met Duane at the Porsche Parade in San Diego.  Duane was a “Car Guy” and more specifically a Porsche guy! He owned some of the coolest Porsches anywhere, a 1968 police car, a Kremmer 73 RS, plus this 67 S. He had a passion to make them perfect! Perfect to look at, whether it was the paint, the stance, the engine or interior, he could just plain nail it. His cars are incredibly well sorted and he used them as they were meant to be. He and his wife Charlie were a fixture on the R Gruppe and Early S registry scene, and will be sorely missed by a lot of us Porsche car guys.

I thank Duane for showing me car shows could be fun. I first met him at the San Diego Porsche Parade while we were working our asses off to prep cars.  Duane was sitting back next to his Kremmer RS laughing at us. I pulled up a chair next to him, and within 2 minutes I was laughing at us too. He sat back and explained it was a political shit show and 99% (he was giving the benefit of the doubt) of the judges had no idea what they were looking at! He was very opinionated and could back up those opinions.

We lost the preservation class with a flawlessly preserved 924 with 210 miles on it, and as my memory recalls, Duane didn’t win either. After all the hubbub, he was right: the so-called experts didn’t know the cars. Point taken. We have moved on to bigger and better things and so has Duane. The treffen in the sky will be a lot more fun from here on out, and ours here on earth has lost a bit of its’ fun. Drive fast and don’t look back, my friend!

https://www.early911sregistry.org/forums/showthread.php?95444-The-passing-of-a-friend