To buy or not to buy ....
02-14-2011, 09:37 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
To buy or not to buy ....
Can buy a glass top for my 2004 Vette but is it worth it ? It's parked in a garage every day and I am going on two long road trips this summer and want to know if the view is worth it. My interior is black and can the air conditioning keep up. Any other things I should know.
02-14-2011, 09:57 AM
#3
Team Owner
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Location: Oklahoma City OK
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It gets too hot around here to really use a glass top around here so I don't have one anymore. I use the solid top year around.
02-14-2011, 10:13 AM
#4
Tech Contributor
Can buy a glass top for my 2004 Vette but is it worth it ? It's parked in a garage every day and I am going on two long road trips this summer and want to know if the view is worth it. My interior is black and can the air conditioning keep up. Any other things I should know.
02-14-2011, 12:06 PM
#7
I bought one of the GM Lexan tops for my black '03 and I like it quite a bit. Solid top has not been back on the car since the initial swap. View out of the car is more "spacious" than a sunroof; almost like the car is open. I am in South Carolina--with direct mid-day sun it will get your head a bit warm but if you find that objectionable people here on the Forum have had good results with taking one of the cheap aluminized or whatever windshield sunshades and cutting it to fit the inside of the transparent top. Can secure with Velcro 'dots' or some other method. Other times of the day or in cloudy weather it is nice to look out and up.
Word of caution if you are considering buying used long distance without having an opportunity to examine the top. They are prone to maladies, some right from the factory, some happening with use/age. Frames can warp or even separate, Lexan can crack, chip, flake or have a weird "ice-crystal" appearance when looking through it, weatherstrips can be missing or damaged (very prone to damage at rear corners where the weatherstrips protrude). Shipping to you is another issue--the two I got came to me all right but just from luck, not through any efforts the seller made(even after they promised careful packaging and I paid for same). Would behoove you to find one within driving distance so you could examine it before purchase. If not, insist the seller package correctly. Double-boxing in two different-sized bicycle boxes works well IF the top is properly wrapped/cushioned before placement in the first box.
I bought a never-used top for a spare after getting and installing my first Lexan top. I might sell it, but would want a grand plus packing/shipping. You won't have to pay that much if you are patient and careful. Good luck, Ralph Boineau in central South Carolina.
Word of caution if you are considering buying used long distance without having an opportunity to examine the top. They are prone to maladies, some right from the factory, some happening with use/age. Frames can warp or even separate, Lexan can crack, chip, flake or have a weird "ice-crystal" appearance when looking through it, weatherstrips can be missing or damaged (very prone to damage at rear corners where the weatherstrips protrude). Shipping to you is another issue--the two I got came to me all right but just from luck, not through any efforts the seller made(even after they promised careful packaging and I paid for same). Would behoove you to find one within driving distance so you could examine it before purchase. If not, insist the seller package correctly. Double-boxing in two different-sized bicycle boxes works well IF the top is properly wrapped/cushioned before placement in the first box.
I bought a never-used top for a spare after getting and installing my first Lexan top. I might sell it, but would want a grand plus packing/shipping. You won't have to pay that much if you are patient and careful. Good luck, Ralph Boineau in central South Carolina.
02-16-2011, 01:53 PM
#15
Burning Brakes
I went with a glass top when my red one took a little flight trip -oops.
I really like the glass.
1. Looks great on the red car.
2. More roomy inside.
3. Can see through to check when the red light is going to change, and get the tranny in gear.
4. MUCH lighter, so much easier to lift off; I'm getting older I guess.
5. I use the little static-cling shade from Mid America in the summer here in Dallas - no heat issues at all, and you still get that airy feel and can still see thru it a bit. It just peels on and off, and looks kinda factory, with the little black dots, like the top of the windshield.
A friend with a Lambo rode with me, looked up, and thought the roof pattern was carbon fiber!
DG
I really like the glass.
1. Looks great on the red car.
2. More roomy inside.
3. Can see through to check when the red light is going to change, and get the tranny in gear.
4. MUCH lighter, so much easier to lift off; I'm getting older I guess.
5. I use the little static-cling shade from Mid America in the summer here in Dallas - no heat issues at all, and you still get that airy feel and can still see thru it a bit. It just peels on and off, and looks kinda factory, with the little black dots, like the top of the windshield.
A friend with a Lambo rode with me, looked up, and thought the roof pattern was carbon fiber!
DG
02-16-2011, 02:06 PM
#16
Instructor
I have only had the solid top on a couple times since I bought the car... it has a fairly dark tint to it and I don't see that it makes the interior much if any hotter. It definately makes the interior feel more "roomy" and I've never had any leaks or excessive noise relative to the solid one.
02-16-2011, 03:11 PM
#17
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02-16-2011, 03:58 PM
#18
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I run the solid top April-November, glass top the rest. No water leak issues with either.
Felt like a bug under a magnifying glass when I tried the glass top once in August.
Felt like a bug under a magnifying glass when I tried the glass top once in August.
02-16-2011, 04:05 PM
#19
Melting Slicks
I went with a glass top when my red one took a little flight trip -oops.
I really like the glass.
1. Looks great on the red car.
2. More roomy inside.
3. Can see through to check when the red light is going to change, and get the tranny in gear.
4. MUCH lighter, so much easier to lift off; I'm getting older I guess.
5. I use the little static-cling shade from Mid America in the summer here in Dallas - no heat issues at all, and you still get that airy feel and can still see thru it a bit. It just peels on and off, and looks kinda factory, with the little black dots, like the top of the windshield.
A friend with a Lambo rode with me, looked up, and thought the roof pattern was carbon fiber!
DG
I really like the glass.
1. Looks great on the red car.
2. More roomy inside.
3. Can see through to check when the red light is going to change, and get the tranny in gear.
4. MUCH lighter, so much easier to lift off; I'm getting older I guess.
5. I use the little static-cling shade from Mid America in the summer here in Dallas - no heat issues at all, and you still get that airy feel and can still see thru it a bit. It just peels on and off, and looks kinda factory, with the little black dots, like the top of the windshield.
A friend with a Lambo rode with me, looked up, and thought the roof pattern was carbon fiber!
DG
exact same report here - including the Mid-Am shade. With it on even the Houston summer is no problem.
