it finally happened to me
04-22-2012, 06:46 PM
#2
Melting Slicks
Did you get it back? What's the damage look like?
Damn, Chevy should have put an interlock warning on these tops, hopefully it can be repaired.
Damn, Chevy should have put an interlock warning on these tops, hopefully it can be repaired.
04-22-2012, 06:49 PM
#3
Instructor
Thread Starter
until I get a replacement. Know where i can get a carbon fiber replacement?
04-22-2012, 07:18 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
04-22-2012, 07:35 PM
#8
Team Owner
Chevy put three latches on it. If they had a warning and it failed, everyone would be wanted their tops replaced for free. I guess they figured the warning in the manual was enough.
04-22-2012, 07:35 PM
#9
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jun 2010
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Im going to try and make one this summer for mine since the same thing happened to me...
04-22-2012, 07:54 PM
#11
Melting Slicks
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Im guessing material cost is going to be 400+ but Im hoping for it to be about half the weight as the lexan roof.
04-22-2012, 08:09 PM
#12
Melting Slicks
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St. Jude Donor '13
What I hate about these threads is it usually happens to me afterwards. At the last airshow I did pick up a pair of "remove before flight" keychain ribbons.
If it's just scratched up consider having it wrapped in black. Shouldn't cost much and would look good.
If it's just scratched up consider having it wrapped in black. Shouldn't cost much and would look good.
04-22-2012, 09:11 PM
#15
04-22-2012, 09:21 PM
#16
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Here's the content of a post made by forum member sneakelman back on 4/20/09. Maybe it will give you some ideas.
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Since I posted up my finished Carbon Fibre(CF) covered targa top, I've been hit with bunches of questions. I promised several members I would do a write up on how I did it, so here it is. Anywhere you see ALL CAPS, or bold letters, pay close attention there.
Sorry folks, I didn't get pictures as I went along, shoot me later.
This was the first piece of ANYTHING that I had done carbon fiber on. I watched many how-to videos on YouTube, to get a sense of what I was going to be doing. I learned a lot, and hopefully I can save the next person a lot of time and headaches. It took me two months, no telling how many hours, and plenty of cussing to get it finished. It would have been shorter, but since it was cold out, I let the resin dry extra time to make sure it was set up right.
If you've never done any body work, I would suggest you practice BLOCKSANDING. If you don't know what blocksanding is, better watch some how-to videos on you tube of that as well. Or get some other sucker to do the sanding for you.
OK, let's go.
You need a targa top, carbon fiber fabric, resin, LOTS of sandpaper, sanding block, mixing cups(DO NOT USE PLASTIC CUPS FOR MIXING, resin melts the plastic, those waxed Dixie cups are great for mixing resin) and plenty of paintbrushes. Just get those 99 cent 2 1/4 inch cheapo brushes with the wood handle from Lowes. No sense wasting lots of money on brushes, you can't re-use them. I got a damaged top from a FRC member. Sure wasn't going to use my everyday top. I got the carbon fiber and resin from the auction site. I can't mention the seller because they aren't a vendor here. If anyone wants that information, PM me.
I used 2X2 3K twill weave carbon fiber, and 100% water clear resin for carbon fiber, kevlar, and fiberglass. The resin was designed for marine applications. It has UV inhibitors, so it won't turn yellow, and is for outdoor use. Once dry, it is as clear as water. Hence the name.
First off, sand the clear coat from the top. I used 150 grit to remove the factory clear. Don't worry about how rough it is - it's going to be covered in carbon fiber anyway. Just be sure you don't gouge the lexan, and sand out any gouges that may be there if you got a damaged top to start with.
Brush on a layer of resin all over the top, on the edges, and underneath all the way to the frame, let it dry to "tack".(this means if you touch it, it will leave a fingerprint in the resin, but not come off on your finger). Lay your carbon fiber over the top. I used a small wallpaper seam roller to smooth the carbon fiber and make sure there were no air bubbles. Leave about three inches draped over the sides, and about four inches draped over the front and back. Using a putty knife, push the carbon fiber into the gap along the top and the weather channels.
On the underside of the top, between the lexan and the frame, there is a small gap along the front and back. DO NOT TURN THE TARGA UPSIDE DOWN! You don't want to risk the fabric sliding and having to re-do it. Kneel down to see where you will be working next. GENTLY fold, don't pull, the carbon fiber over the edges. Using your putty knife, push the carbon fiber into this gap. Be careful you don’t pull the carbon fiber as you fold it over the edges. It will separate the fiber weave.
Leave it to dry for 24 hours. At this point you should have a top that looks like it has wings along the side edges. Using a single edge razor blade (or exacto knife), trim those wings off. Run the razor along the side edges, getting the blade down into the crevice as far as it will go. USE PLENTY OF FORCE WHILE CUTTING! You want to make certain that you cut through the carbon fiber and the resin will make it very hard to do. Pull off the excess carbon fiber you just trimmed.
Now, start brushing on your topcoats of resin. USE THIN COATS OF RESIN! As I learned the hard way, if you lay the resin too thick, it doesn't dry correctly and your carbon fiber will bubble. Then you get to rip it off and start again. Ask me how I know!
After you have put enough coats of resin on to completely cover the carbon fiber, between 3-5 coats, you will need to blocksand each successive coat after that. I have nine coats of resin, so you know how much sanding I did! I used 600 grit, so it took me much longer to "blockout" each layer. The higher number grit, the more work, but it gives you a smoother finish. You could use 320 grit and get a good result as well I'm sure.
NOTE: Brush two layers of resin on the underneath part of the top that is covered in carbon fiber. This is enough to make the fabric nice and hard, but not enough to make the top so thick it won't fit back on the car correctly.
As you sand each layer, make certain that you knock down the high spots and there are no low spots. It must be perfectly smooth.
Once you've brushed on, and blocked out, your last layer of resin, you want to start wetsanding. I used 1000 grit. This will give you a nice smooth scratch-free surface.
Now, you're ready to clear coat it. If you take it to someone else (body/paint shop) MAKE CERTAIN THEY DON'T SCUFF THE TOP BEFORE THEY SHOOT IT! You do not want have to block and wet sand the damn top again - like I have to do to mine.
A few things to keep in mind:
1. Let each coat of resin dry fully for 24 hours.
2. As you start to sand the resin, use light pressure. Resin doesn't sand like paint. It gums up the paper FAST, and you must get a fresh sheet of paper once the one you're using gets gummed up.
3. Once you've got the "gummy" part off, you can sand the resin as you would paint.
4. When mixing the resin, make sure you follow the directions exactly. Also, use plenty of ventilation.
5. When brushing on the resin, work quickly. The targa is a large area to cover. The resin I used started to gel up after about 5-7 minutes and became un-brushable.
If you choose not to clear coat the top, you can wetsand it down using 2-3K grit paper and polish it out just like you would regular paint. It will leave you with the same finish as clear coat, BUT it will scratch more easily.
Doing a carbon fiber overlay of the targa is a VERY labor intensive project. You're arms are going to be sore, you fingers will ache, and you won't have any fingerprints left. All the sanding, except the initial clear coat removal of the targa, has to be done by hand.
Again, sorry I don't have any pictures, but I really wasn't thinking about doing a write up while I was doing this project.
Submitted by sneakelman (Hagerstown, MD) on CorvetteForum.com. (4/24/09)
If you saw my last post about the targa top I covered in carbon fiber, then you know how upset I was at the shop that sprayed the top. Well, I took it down to show the MESV boys at the Annapolis show Sunday. Of course, they all said it looked great, wasn't that bad, only an enthusiast would notice the screw ups, yada yada. But I knew it looked bad and they were just trying to make me feel better.
Started block sanding it down Tuesday, and Wednesday. Got it all down smooth AGAIN.
Wasn't going to let another shop touch it this time. I figured I was going to have to wet sand it again anyway, if I had somebody else do it. So, last night, I cleared it myself.
Today I wet sanded and polished it out. Mind you I do this all by hand, no machine. Pictures do not do it justice. I don't want to toot my own horn, but, it looks awesome! This is how it should have been when I got it done the first time!
The post also contained pics of the finished product but when I saved the post to a Word file, I can't get the pics to copy so I can load them in tinypic.com to post here. If anyone is interested in the file and pics, just PM me your e-mail address and I'll forward it to you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since I posted up my finished Carbon Fibre(CF) covered targa top, I've been hit with bunches of questions. I promised several members I would do a write up on how I did it, so here it is. Anywhere you see ALL CAPS, or bold letters, pay close attention there.
Sorry folks, I didn't get pictures as I went along, shoot me later.
This was the first piece of ANYTHING that I had done carbon fiber on. I watched many how-to videos on YouTube, to get a sense of what I was going to be doing. I learned a lot, and hopefully I can save the next person a lot of time and headaches. It took me two months, no telling how many hours, and plenty of cussing to get it finished. It would have been shorter, but since it was cold out, I let the resin dry extra time to make sure it was set up right.
If you've never done any body work, I would suggest you practice BLOCKSANDING. If you don't know what blocksanding is, better watch some how-to videos on you tube of that as well. Or get some other sucker to do the sanding for you.
OK, let's go.
You need a targa top, carbon fiber fabric, resin, LOTS of sandpaper, sanding block, mixing cups(DO NOT USE PLASTIC CUPS FOR MIXING, resin melts the plastic, those waxed Dixie cups are great for mixing resin) and plenty of paintbrushes. Just get those 99 cent 2 1/4 inch cheapo brushes with the wood handle from Lowes. No sense wasting lots of money on brushes, you can't re-use them. I got a damaged top from a FRC member. Sure wasn't going to use my everyday top. I got the carbon fiber and resin from the auction site. I can't mention the seller because they aren't a vendor here. If anyone wants that information, PM me.
I used 2X2 3K twill weave carbon fiber, and 100% water clear resin for carbon fiber, kevlar, and fiberglass. The resin was designed for marine applications. It has UV inhibitors, so it won't turn yellow, and is for outdoor use. Once dry, it is as clear as water. Hence the name.
First off, sand the clear coat from the top. I used 150 grit to remove the factory clear. Don't worry about how rough it is - it's going to be covered in carbon fiber anyway. Just be sure you don't gouge the lexan, and sand out any gouges that may be there if you got a damaged top to start with.
Brush on a layer of resin all over the top, on the edges, and underneath all the way to the frame, let it dry to "tack".(this means if you touch it, it will leave a fingerprint in the resin, but not come off on your finger). Lay your carbon fiber over the top. I used a small wallpaper seam roller to smooth the carbon fiber and make sure there were no air bubbles. Leave about three inches draped over the sides, and about four inches draped over the front and back. Using a putty knife, push the carbon fiber into the gap along the top and the weather channels.
On the underside of the top, between the lexan and the frame, there is a small gap along the front and back. DO NOT TURN THE TARGA UPSIDE DOWN! You don't want to risk the fabric sliding and having to re-do it. Kneel down to see where you will be working next. GENTLY fold, don't pull, the carbon fiber over the edges. Using your putty knife, push the carbon fiber into this gap. Be careful you don’t pull the carbon fiber as you fold it over the edges. It will separate the fiber weave.
Leave it to dry for 24 hours. At this point you should have a top that looks like it has wings along the side edges. Using a single edge razor blade (or exacto knife), trim those wings off. Run the razor along the side edges, getting the blade down into the crevice as far as it will go. USE PLENTY OF FORCE WHILE CUTTING! You want to make certain that you cut through the carbon fiber and the resin will make it very hard to do. Pull off the excess carbon fiber you just trimmed.
Now, start brushing on your topcoats of resin. USE THIN COATS OF RESIN! As I learned the hard way, if you lay the resin too thick, it doesn't dry correctly and your carbon fiber will bubble. Then you get to rip it off and start again. Ask me how I know!
After you have put enough coats of resin on to completely cover the carbon fiber, between 3-5 coats, you will need to blocksand each successive coat after that. I have nine coats of resin, so you know how much sanding I did! I used 600 grit, so it took me much longer to "blockout" each layer. The higher number grit, the more work, but it gives you a smoother finish. You could use 320 grit and get a good result as well I'm sure.
NOTE: Brush two layers of resin on the underneath part of the top that is covered in carbon fiber. This is enough to make the fabric nice and hard, but not enough to make the top so thick it won't fit back on the car correctly.
As you sand each layer, make certain that you knock down the high spots and there are no low spots. It must be perfectly smooth.
Once you've brushed on, and blocked out, your last layer of resin, you want to start wetsanding. I used 1000 grit. This will give you a nice smooth scratch-free surface.
Now, you're ready to clear coat it. If you take it to someone else (body/paint shop) MAKE CERTAIN THEY DON'T SCUFF THE TOP BEFORE THEY SHOOT IT! You do not want have to block and wet sand the damn top again - like I have to do to mine.
A few things to keep in mind:
1. Let each coat of resin dry fully for 24 hours.
2. As you start to sand the resin, use light pressure. Resin doesn't sand like paint. It gums up the paper FAST, and you must get a fresh sheet of paper once the one you're using gets gummed up.
3. Once you've got the "gummy" part off, you can sand the resin as you would paint.
4. When mixing the resin, make sure you follow the directions exactly. Also, use plenty of ventilation.
5. When brushing on the resin, work quickly. The targa is a large area to cover. The resin I used started to gel up after about 5-7 minutes and became un-brushable.
If you choose not to clear coat the top, you can wetsand it down using 2-3K grit paper and polish it out just like you would regular paint. It will leave you with the same finish as clear coat, BUT it will scratch more easily.
Doing a carbon fiber overlay of the targa is a VERY labor intensive project. You're arms are going to be sore, you fingers will ache, and you won't have any fingerprints left. All the sanding, except the initial clear coat removal of the targa, has to be done by hand.
Again, sorry I don't have any pictures, but I really wasn't thinking about doing a write up while I was doing this project.
Submitted by sneakelman (Hagerstown, MD) on CorvetteForum.com. (4/24/09)
If you saw my last post about the targa top I covered in carbon fiber, then you know how upset I was at the shop that sprayed the top. Well, I took it down to show the MESV boys at the Annapolis show Sunday. Of course, they all said it looked great, wasn't that bad, only an enthusiast would notice the screw ups, yada yada. But I knew it looked bad and they were just trying to make me feel better.
Started block sanding it down Tuesday, and Wednesday. Got it all down smooth AGAIN.
Wasn't going to let another shop touch it this time. I figured I was going to have to wet sand it again anyway, if I had somebody else do it. So, last night, I cleared it myself.
Today I wet sanded and polished it out. Mind you I do this all by hand, no machine. Pictures do not do it justice. I don't want to toot my own horn, but, it looks awesome! This is how it should have been when I got it done the first time!
The post also contained pics of the finished product but when I saved the post to a Word file, I can't get the pics to copy so I can load them in tinypic.com to post here. If anyone is interested in the file and pics, just PM me your e-mail address and I'll forward it to you.
This happened to me back in 2005 with my first vette...scariest thing in the world to have the thing fly off like it does!
04-22-2012, 09:35 PM
#18
Pro
top
Sorry to hear that JT. It aint happened yet but it almost did last week I sat it in place in the garage and the phone rang, I talked about a minute and backed out of the garage. When i put it in drive I noticed the visor down and it dawned on me,lol. I would have cried !
04-22-2012, 09:47 PM
#19
Corvette Cowboy
I almost did it 2 weeks ago but got real lucky 1 light before I was going to get on the freeway a guy pulled up next to me and said it looked like your top is coming off. I had left the 2 windshield clamps undone I could not say thank you enough 
Pops
Pops
04-22-2012, 09:48 PM
#20
Race Director
Been there, done that. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...you-think.html
Comprehensive covered it with minimum deductible. I am SO attentive now
Comprehensive covered it with minimum deductible. I am SO attentive now