I have heard the name but have never met him or seen the car.
When Hall did his, he added an integral roll bar to the engine compartment attached to the roof at that point and added steel 2x3's inserting them inside of the hollow rocker panels.
At least I saw pictures of steel tubes with steel flanges bolted through into the front wheel tubes, but then again I saw aluminum I beams with lightening holes in them too. Maybe the steel was used for a pattern to then have a fabricator make them up in aluminum? Good question. I'd like to see the final components that he put in the car(s) but even so, it's academic?
I do believe that at one time he listed this as a kit in one of the catalogs? I have two of the full color catalogs but can't find them. Maybe my memory fails me on this and it was in one of those color mailing brochures he would always send out?
Hard to keep up with his activities.
The roll bar wasn't the normal round tubing, it was an aluminum I bar drilled with lightening holes.
The beams concealed in the rockers had lightening holes drilled in them like an airplane would. They may have even have been aluminum also, come to think of it, but don't remember for sure? This must have been around 1992 or so?
They had flanges where they bolted through to the front inner fender wells and the roll bar bolted through to them in the engine compartment.
In the front of the cabin under the dash, it had a "loop" tube that went from the left to the right of the car, with reinforcing tubes rising into the pillars of the windshield.
I just presumed that he was copying the "factory" solution to stiffening the car? I was only paying half-attention to this since I had my own interests.
Apparently he didn't and it was his own unique solution, and when I saw it, a work in progress, because it definitely wasn't finished yet.
For one thing they were struggling with the details of how to attach the roof panels AND Gary was toying with the idea of glass panels like the Corvettes had but he told me he was afraid of how expensive they would be to have made?
I was on the phone with him at the time two or three times a week for parts.
I know he built the one car and I want to say he told me he was building two. I just don't remember now for sure.
Personally I see no point in asking Bev the details. Gary was always the only one that would talk about those. There are those now that will tell you he would "fabricate" details (make up stories) but he always sent me 35mm pictures of the cars under construction because I was interested and seemed to understand what he was doing. Who knew to keep them filed?
I had the pictures of the car under construction but can't find them now...of course!
Gary's answer was always, "come on out and I'll show you what we are doing...you'll love it".
I see the "railroad iron" hanging down on the factory version. I think I'm mis-interpreting what I'm seeing in the pictures?
They couldn't possibly have added the beam under, like some of the drag racers did, there wouldn't be enough room for street clearance.
That must be an external addition to the stock rocker arms? Makes the Targa a unique configuration. Very interesting solution.
Gary also told me that even with all of the reinforcing the tops still rattled and moaned like crazy and he'd never do another one again.
Maybe the "factory" solution fixed that?
It can't possibly twist, buck and rattle like a factory Mustang convertible? Those are like driving a spring board.
Just driving a 69 GT500 down the street at 30 mph, the rear view mirror would bounce all over the place.
I had a customer with a '73 Mustang convertible. It had a problem where if you opened the doors the car would sag in the middle. Sent it to Eastern Mustang in Poughkeepsie to rebuild it. Was about $8000 to repair it in 1980.
I remember mentioning building the Targa to Mike Cook and he just moaned and said he didn't want to talk about it? LOL.
Last year I asked Bob at Precision Proformance if he would build the engine compartment roll bar for me and he said "no way, good luck pal!"
I get the impression those two hate the Hall car(s), do you think? LOL!
I don't know if someone bought them or they disappeared off of a cliff into a revine in Barstow maybe?
I haven't seen pictures of the Hall car in something like 20 years. I don't remember ever seeing it finished, just all in different patches of primer because of the big fenders being patched on, but the Pink Panther is still there I do believe? Let's face it, not many would want a pink car?
Whenever I mention my car to my brother in law he always says "you know if you paint your's pink, people will think your a little...funny...you know?" I always want to reply, "no s..t dips..t!" But after all, he is married...still, to my sister...now you're a little "funny too"?