The console lid/door on my 2002 Z06 only opens about 45 degrees. is that factory?

 

I put a small amount of oil on my hinges works much better, could hardly open it before.

 

When the cover gets to the 45 degree position where it doesn't seem to want to open any more, pull it towards you while lifting it up. That seems to get it past the sticking point for me.

 

Works like it's suppose to after it's lubed.

 

It was designed in 1996 in an effort to be pro active to a list of DOT side impact compliance certs to go into effect in 2000. design to open but still contain console contents that could become projectiles, during a side impact. You wont find that in any book.
Bill aka ET

 

Works like a charm.

 

it would. The way it articulates allows it to clear the passenger seat, no stress, no fuss. Just oil it and pull it slightly to you as you lift it. If you examine the hinge closely, you can see how it is cleverly designed to work.
Dave

 

Amazing that high tech engineering is required for a simple set of hinges.

 

So many people slam this car for its shortcomings. 6000 parts,designed and built in 2 years from a clean sheet of paper. This hinge killed two birds with one stone. A simple single stage eliptical pivot could overcome the passenger side clearance issue but Dave wanted to be pro active with 2000 DOT compliance down the road. . That hinge took 4 hours to design.

 

The trade-offs between styling, accounting and engineering factors will always be with us in the design of products. How scalable a vehicle will be has a huge effect also. Look back at the 50s. The same ashtrays, roof stampings, door handles, etc were used across the entire GM line effecting huge cost savings. The end users often do not see this.
The Corvette is still a limited production car compared to Honda Civics.

I think that hinge was a rather elegant solution and works very well as designed. Some folks don't read their manual or employ common sense. Others stop, look and think.
Just musing.
Dave

 

One of the rivets on the double hinge fell out. It still works, you just have to be careful. I'll figure out a fix eventually.

 

Compared to second or third generation f-bodys, the c-5 holds up pretty damned well, those parts on a firebird trans am usually fell apart year eight!

 

I am somewhat proud of myself in that when I got my Z, I thought the console only opened 45 degrees and then when observing how much room was in there I had to chuckle. I thought what the hell is the point?? At the end of the day, though, it does hold a few things and one day I opened it and started examining the hinge and thought, hey, this thing can open further without breaking it. It actually works pretty damn good.

 

Its a shame that some people look at a C5 for all that it isn't, instead at looking at it for all the things that it is......

6000 parts, designed in 2 years, manufactured by a few dozen second and their tier suppliers, all over the world, all with GM engineering oversight. all coming together in BG with a few flaws...delivering a world class American Icon, and all for under 50K.

 

Lots of people cast their dispersions on things they know nothing about. Its a very large undertaking and coordination effort to build a car from scratch, with a time restraint, a tight budget and certain Key elements that make it even tougher. Making it light weight, using materials with a low specific gravity are not always a consideration in design but in this case it weighed heavily on the design.. This car had to beat the gas guzzler tax. People slam the very things that made this car affordable..
Those who slam this car do it because they just don't know any better.
Its easy to point out the shortcomings, its hard to understand that not everything is perfect.
AS I said in some other threads.. why do people today seem to focus on all that wrong with the world, their job, their financial situation, their marriage, their car, etc, instead of focusing on that right with those things.. In the case of the C5, there is much more right with it then there is wrong.
Bill aka ET

 

Thanks so much for this information. I thought my cover was being held shut by the emergency brake handle and didn't want to force it. I keep finding out so many interesting things about my "new" C5.

 

Yes thanks as well. Mine barely opened before I lubed it

 

a very wise decision on your part. The first rule; don't ever force anything unless you have a specific instruction to do so or you are dealing with press or force fit components with known force values.

The more you discover about your C5, the more you will appreciate the genius of it even despite the many compromises which had to be to made it a viable, marketable and profitable automobile. I've driven all the others and frankly a nice used C5 is a super machine. What it may not have is easily added, as it is a very well sorted out platform right off the assembly line. I paid 21,500 for a 18k mile ragtop beauty. My neighbor paid 76K for a C7, coupe, not a roadster, which he has no idea of how to drive and no roads around here where he can use the power. As it sat, mine when I bought it loaded, was putting out 392 BHP which is more than I can use. He paid 50K for ego and is a menace on the streets in a car way beyond his capability. Most people who praise mine have no idea of its age for which someone else paid the depreciation. I think I won!! LOL PS: Yep, I could have easily laid out 76 K for a C7, but for why? Oh yeah, for 4x the annual taxes and 3x the insurance and ego. Momma didn't raise no fools!
Dave