Dan12

Maybe it's just me but I just came back from my local dealer, they had 8 cars 4 2014's and 4 2015's. As i looked down the sides of each car there was a significant mount of body ripple in each door? Not paint but body panel ripples or wavy if you will. Not one but all eight.

i dont recall this in late year C6s? does this improve over time (later years)? Can anyone comment on the C6 run and say when the doors lost the ripples?

C5 forum mentions it in early years also.

Am I seeing things? Is this a characteristic of the new body material, I dont see it in any aluminum door cars I've been cross shopping.

runutzzzzz

It's in the molding, Its on different body panels as well. Just don't look for them and you won't notice them.

You don't see it in aluminum because they stamp that.

KenHorse

I didn't find any ripple in my door but I did find a bottle of Thunderbird

mksz51

It's a plastic car. Goes with the territory. Maintain a perpendicular view of the car at all times and life is good.

sam90lx

So why doesn't my GS have ripples in the door?

ck9887

I actually noticed this on a Stingray I was driving next to a few days ago.

Dan12

Thats my question. If later years of the C6 dont have ripples I assume GM gets better at making these plastic panels. C5 went through the same thing. Does this get corrected in year three?

i'm not sure putting on rippled glasses is the answer here. So as of today all C7s have this feature?

Is looking the other way really what people do?

i've slowly been learning how to block sand and took on some painting projects. Only my own cars. i prep them prime and bring them to a friend with a professional spray booth.

I'm a beginner but I hate when i can see tiny ripples in my final product. then i saw it on the C7 and it makes my amateur work look great. Maybe I'm being too picky but the stamped aluminum panels are look razer straight to me.

jagamajajaran

The C7 composite is a new material, so paint simply lays differently on it compared to the C6 composite material.

Dan12

This has nothing to do with paint. Its the surface that is uneven.

If you were to block sand that door prime and more block sand until perfect followed by a coat of sealer then the paint would be straight as an arrow. I'm not saying this is what GM should do. Its what you do when you have wavy panels. if that door was straight with the same material, the final paint would be perfect. Any real auto-body guys out there, I just know enough to see something is a little off.

I dont want to turn this into a paint issue, its not.

Zymurgy

Guess I better take mine back to GM and DEMAND ripples in my doors:





Seriously, I have not seen ripples in any panels on my C7. I do have some orange peel, but no more than virtually any car on the road.

wayles

Looking down the sides of mine, all looks straight. In fact, I don't see very much orange peel either. Beautiful finish.

runutzzzzz

You got them, you're just not looking for them so you can't see them

If you look at the PERFECT angle, you can see them on the doors and fenders. Some are sooooo tiny but they are there.

Drive to me and I'll point them out to you.

Larry/car

I have noticed some light ripples, nothing objectionable, on various panels. I attributed it to composite makeup.

jagamajajaran

I understand what you are saying and I wasn't trying to turn this into a paint issue. The bottom line is the material, in my opinion. And, for the record, my statement is accurate. The C7 composite material is different than the C6 material and paint does lay differently on it.

RedC7AZ

No, my C7 doesn't have ripples down the side. Not all C7s have ripples.

Are you in the market for a C7?

If so, the suggestion would be to find one without ripples.

Dan12

I am and really like the car but it the little things that get me.

Good to know that this isn't on all C7's. I'm within reasonable driving range of some major forum deals, might have to take the ride and look at more samples.

Are you saying this varies from car to car?

Dan12

I understand. I just didnt want the same response as the OP threads and go down that path.

Hopefully some painters comment and give their take.

Zymurgy

So, I just went out and took a close look. Started beside the car and slowly walked all the way around, looking for any ripples in the doors or fenders. No matter what angle, sunlit side or shade side, there are no ripples to be seen. I even looked at the reflected parking lot stripes. They run perfectly straight. Ripples would cause the stripe reflections to appear wavy. If they are sooooo tiny that this effort does not make them show up then I'm completely satisfied. Its a daily driver, not a show car.


You can come here to see one with no ripples, but I'm not driving to Virginia.

ck9887

Guess you are lucky then... It sucks that C7 buyers have to be cautious and selective when buying their new car.

RedC7AZ

I can only speak for my car since I've washed it a dozen times and look at it every day in every possible lighting condition.

It has been uncovered that some C7 paint looks better than others.

No one should settle for ripples on the doors.