slamminc6

Does anyone know if there was a recall for transparent targa top crazing?
Thanks

WAwatchnut

No recall. As a general rule, items which do not pose a safety issue will not be issued recalls. Depending on the dealer, it may or may not be covered under Warranty. Generally the answer is "it's not covered", but sometimes the dealers can help get a claim accepted.

rcallen484

And don't forget the dynamics of the situation---- Dealer makes money on Warranty work, Warranty work costs manufacturer money.

mrgillies

Crazing of the transparent top is caused by people waxing/polishing of the top. Ask me how I know. Proper fprcedure is in the owners handbook, Its up to the dealers discression to replace, my vehicle is out of warranty so I've just sanded it myself back to somewhat normality

kp

The one that came with my '07 (dual tops) sat in a bag in my garage for nearly three years unused and crazed pretty bad. Dealer replaced it with about a month left on my 3/36, along with the driver's seat cover for the bolster wear.

Really depends on the dealer, there was no recall but there was a TSB for the roof I printed and brought to the dealer with me, they looked at the TSB and the roof and ordered me a new one.

AORoads

key concern may be what kp wrote above: w/in 3/36. outside of that time/mileage and it's a real courtesy gesture on part of dealer.

PaulB

And remember that the top is covered as Glass Breakage under the Comp Portion of your Auto Policy. So, if the top is damaged all it costs you to replace is your Comp Deductible...

Pinky...

Care to extrapolate on that? I have the clear top as well and I tend to hit mine with Rejex, although I have had no issues yet. Mind you, I've only done the car twice.

mrgillies

My Top wqsnt even 2rs old, purchased from a forum vendor, so no warranty, polished the top numerous times, 2 summers in AZ heat the glazing in the top surface had thousands of hairline cracks. After reading the op manual it does mention to not wax the roof.

slamminc6

True, will have to check my deductible on this

Gearhead Jim

Our 2009 Manual doesn't seem to say that. It warns against normal glass cleaners and some other chemicals, but doesn't mention waxes.

I'm not sure if our manuals are different, or we are interperting the words differently.

We never use anything except the GM Glass Cleaner, but many folks report using Rejex without problems.

Gman in NC

I've treated my transparent top like 'paint'. Wash and wax with the rest of the car. No problem and it's 7 1/2 years old.

turbod

TSB-08-08-67-001B covers cracks, crazing in the transparent top that is still covered by a warranty.

Dif

The clear Targa tops are Acrylic ( Plexiglas ) with a clear coating.
Like any other plastic, it can/will out gas, get dry and brittle.
Crazing/spiderweb cracking will occur when the Acrylic dries out, either from natural causes, age, Sun heat etc. ...
Or, certain chemicals ( glass cleaners with alcohol or solvents etc ) used to clean it which either evaporate quickly and dry out, attack the plastic and speed up the drying out of the Acrylic.

In my experience the best products to use are those specifically made for Plastic/Plexiglas/Acrylic etc.
Plexus, Plex-All and Novus are well known plastic cleaning, conditioning and polish products which help prevent Acrylic from drying out prematurely.
Plexus is a plastic cleaning product.
Plex-All is a plastic cleaning and polish product.

Novus has 3 different purpose use products for plastic.
Novus 1 for cleaning and polishing
Novus 2 for fine scratch remover
Novus 3 for heavy scratch remover

I use the Novus 1 for my top and headligh and it also helps the surface repel dust,dirt and resist finger prints etc.

Just some info for what it's worth

Also, Here's a fairly recent thread which has some good info where someone removed the clear coating and polished the raw Acrylic with great results.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...targa-top.html

Gearhead Jim

In theory; once the outer layer has been removed, the polycarbonate will scratch more easily and be subject to UV deterioration. So a protective clearcoat could be useful.

But if the top looks like junk already, getting another year or two or five is still a good deal.

odessade

I can't find this TSB #08-08-67-001B number anywhere on the net, would like to print it out

Formula52

JoesC5

The clear Targa tops are made of polycarbonate, not acrylic.


GM Roof Panel
SABIC Innovative Plastics' continued work with GM brings sizzle and safety into the new 2008 Corvette targa top design


GM uses hard-coated Lexan* resin vs. glass for a lightweight, transparent, removable roof panel, considered the world’s first polycarbonate roof module on a production vehicle
For auto customers who want the best of both worlds – the protection of a hard top and the open-air freedom of a convertible – General Motors (GM) offers the Corvette coupe with an optional targa top. This rigid, see-through roof panel, considered the first polycarbonate (PC) roof module on a production vehicle, can be removed and stored in the car’s trunk when good weather calls for an open-air driving experience. To create this roof system initially, GM faced a number of challenges. It was apparent early on that using glass was not a viable option: among other drawbacks, its weight would make the roof unwieldy for consumers to handle and would potentially have a negative impact on performance. GM needed a material that could provide lightweight, more durable and higher performance qualities combined with the continued freedom to modify the design from year to year. To fulfill its extensive list of requirements, the automaker turned to one of its longstanding suppliers, SABIC Innovative Plastics.

Combining durability, style and safety in a removable roof panel
As GM’s iconic sports car, the Corvette symbolizes power and speed – with a bit of attitude thrown in. To reinforce that image, GM wanted to design a targa top that would add glamour and style to the Corvette coupe, while retaining excellent durability. At the same time, this component had to be eminently practical – weatherable, impact-resistant and easy for the driver to handle and stow. Due to the large size of the part, glass presented major drawbacks in terms of weight. Not only would a glass roof panel be massive to lift and awkward to maneuver, but a heavy roof component could affect vehicle stability. Finally, for occupant safety, the company sought a material with better impact resistance than glass. Acrylic materials did not meet the criteria.

GM turned to SABIC Innovative Plastics at the onset of the development for a materials solution to these complex challenges. The company combined tinted Lexan 143 PC resin with a silicone hard-coat system.

“As a longstanding strategic supplier of GM’s, we are most uniquely positioned to demonstrate our ability to customize properties and colors,” said Jeff Wittbrodt, automotive platform leader, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “For over ten years this material has been selected to meet GM’s criteria for durability, differentiated styling and lighter weight, and the result is even better than the sum of the two – a great combination of style and performance.”

Solution
SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Lexan polycarbonate glazing
To create the Corvette targa top, Lexamar, a tier one supplier to GM, injection-molds SABIC Innovative Plastics’ custom-tinted Lexan PC resin and then coats the part with a silicone hardcoat, specifically designed for this type of application.

Lexan PC resin offers industry-leading impact resistance, water-clear transparency and excellent UV stability. For the Corvette roof panel, the resin is custom-tinted bluish-black to reduce light transmission into the vehicle’s interior.

The silicone grade is a thermally cured, abrasion-resistant, weatherable silicone hardcoat designed to protect dark-colored polycarbonate substrates against the effects of harsh environments such as temperature extremes, flying road debris, rain and snow, and chemicals.

Benefits
An unparalleled open-air driving experience
SABIC Innovative Plastics’ complete material solution for the targa top enabled GM to maximize style while addressing safety concerns. The tremendous design flexibility and almost unlimited color options offered by SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Lexan PC resin continues to allow the automaker to offer new aesthetics year after year to keep customers coming back. Not only does the roof module deliver weatherability, UV protection and scratch resistance, it also provides a beautiful high-gloss appearance that keeps its attractiveness throughout the life of the vehicle.

From a safety perspective, using virtually unbreakable Lexan PC resin instead of glass could also add occupant protection. Further, compared to glass, Lexan PC resin significantly reduces part weight up to 50 percent to help improve performance and allow consumers to easily remove, stow and reinstall the targa top.

Lighter-weight components like the targa top also help GM address consumer demand for improved fuel efficiency.

Thomasmoto

We just had ours replaced last week under the 36/36 bumper to bumper, no questions asked. It had a relatively small crack on the pass side.

Biggie G

aw dam another new issue I gotta worry about.