Design Element or Patch?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,617
Likes: 166
Tech Contributor
Cruise-In 11 Veteran
NCM Ambassador
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'10
Quite honestly, I attended several presentations by one of the "insiders" on the C7 and one highlighted feature was how a much stiffer frame and new composite materials used in the body panels allowed for much closer inter-panel spacing and tighter tolerances (as I remember, the figure was 3 mm as opposed to the previous 7 or 8).
I'm not ragging about this but I would expect superior fitment than that pic shows, based solely on GM provided information.
Just sayin'......
I'm not ragging about this but I would expect superior fitment than that pic shows, based solely on GM provided information.
Just sayin'......
Just sayin'.........
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
You may not see a reason for them, but others do. I mean, other car manufacturers since it goes back at least ten+ years of being on different cars. I saw them on a 2003 Infiniti. I'd bet others had them, from the factory, on older cars.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 136,140
Likes: 2,432
From: I live my life by 2 rules. 1) Never share everything you know. 2)
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
The gap width itself isn't the issue that I see. The offset of the upper panel to the lower one is the issue I'm referring to
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,617
Likes: 166
Tech Contributor
Cruise-In 11 Veteran
NCM Ambassador
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'10
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 7,810
Likes: 414
From: FL
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,875
Likes: 1,174
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 136,140
Likes: 2,432
From: I live my life by 2 rules. 1) Never share everything you know. 2)
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
I agree... no blinders here. I have seen some panel gaps in C7s posted here but in the picture above, that variance is so small that it isn't a fitment issue IMO. I would bet you could find such a small tolerance difference on most any car somewhere if you looked hard enough for it. But, hey, it's much more interesting to find a problem than to not two
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
10 Things C8 Corvette Owners Hate (But Won't Tell You)
Joe Kucinski
10 Best Corvettes Coming to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2026!
Brett Foote
Every Corvette Grand Sport Explained! (C2, C4, C6, C7, & C8)
Joe Kucinski
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 817
Likes: 34
The C7 will never do right by some people and it never will. That's just the way it goes. Back when I lived in Virginia I became good friends with a guy who owned a body shop which catered to high end cars. I would take my GTO there because I knew how much care they put into their work. Anyway, he told me how frustrating it can be to work on handmade cars like Ferrari because it was next to impossible to get the panels to line up correctly and how the panel gap was completely inconsistent from one car to the next. I would rather deal with the C7's issues than what I described above on the exotic cars. Somehow, it's acceptable on them since they are hand crafted and no human is perfect.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,875
Likes: 1,174
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 136,140
Likes: 2,432
From: I live my life by 2 rules. 1) Never share everything you know. 2)
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
That wasn't my point. I was suggesting the issue is so nominal on this particular car that unless you were TRYING to find something wrong when standing next to the car you wouldn't notice it. I would also bet you could find such nominal variances on most any car if you looked hard enough. I'm not suggesting that some cars didn't have a couple of panel fitment issues... they did... I'm suggesting some people are now trying to find problems so they can say they found a problem.
(I'm really not this **** but some things are too obvious to me as to be ignored)
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,875
Likes: 1,174
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
Is this on all C7's and if so, what is it and why? I just noticed these "patches" (don't know what else to call them) on both sides of my car. They are behind each door and go down to the rocker panels and then forward about half the door length and are "glued" to the car. I do not see a reason for them and it seems that it is asking for future problems to expose seams of any sort to the road and weather elements that they will face over time.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,184
Likes: 3
From: KADS- If it has wings or an engine, I can break it. Dallas TX
Hate to say it, but Im gonna. Go look at a $30,000 Honda. or better yet a lexus. That's how you do panel gaps. They all should be even. And yes the Honda has better paint work.
GM, Come' on Man...................
GM, Come' on Man...................
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,776
Likes: 10
Interior gaps...
Orange peel...
Runs along the bottom...
http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/sh....php?p=1051791
Last edited by BlueOx; Nov 5, 2013 at 06:36 PM.
The Consigliere
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 22,989
Likes: 6,032
From: 2023 Z06 & 2010 ZR1