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The General should be ashamed!

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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 08:32 PM
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Default The General should be ashamed!

Has anyone else noticed the poor paint quality, primarily on the doors, of the C7? I currently own a '11 GS and was looking at a $105k 2016 Z06 today. If you look down the side of car, the door paint is nothing but ripples. I don't get how GM can find this acceptable. The cheapest cars out there have a better finish. Disgraceful.
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 08:40 PM
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Oh no you dynit!!
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 08:48 PM
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This is not news... Neither is the fact that GM is in the process of building a new $450 million paint facility in Bowling Green....
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 08:53 PM
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But if you look down the door of your 2011, you'll notice that it's a 2011...


Sounds to me like you're looking for an excuse to not buy one.
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 09:16 PM
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Mine has orange peel too. This past weekend, I got to see a TON of VERY high end cars, some of them had orange peel, I was shocked!!
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 09:21 PM
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buy a 911
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 09:24 PM
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It's not orange peel. The door material itself appears to be 'wavy'. My '11 is much better but not great. Shame on me for expecting high quality on a car costing only $105k.
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 09:31 PM
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Originally Posted by jost6453
It's not orange peel. The door material itself appears to be 'wavy'. My '11 is much better but not great. Shame on me for expecting high quality on a car costing only $105k.
I agree its the door panels etc. paint doesn't help . Bought my GS anyway.Just did a paint correction , polish ,and paint seal. Came out great what a difference.


Last edited by oldC5; Sep 27, 2016 at 09:35 PM.
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 09:42 PM
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That's part of the aerodynamics GM applied to the Z06. LOL
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 09:55 PM
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Originally Posted by oldC5
I agree its the door panels etc. paint doesn't help . Bought my GS anyway.Just did a paint correction , polish ,and paint seal. Came out great what a difference.


What is paint 'correction'?
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 10:15 PM
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Sent u a PM.

This pic shows paint correction.

Last edited by oldC5; Sep 27, 2016 at 10:25 PM.
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 10:21 PM
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:beatdeadh orse:


GM is spending hundreds of millions to fix this issue and it has been discussed repeatedly over the last 3 years.

You can always wet sand the clear coat but I don't recommend it.
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Old Sep 27, 2016 | 11:41 PM
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It's the same reason that golf ***** have dimples. It makes them go faster and further!

Last edited by DennisAZ; Sep 27, 2016 at 11:45 PM.
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Old Sep 28, 2016 | 05:23 AM
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Originally Posted by nytrorcr
That's part of the aerodynamics GM applied to the Z06. LOL
It's a GM secret just like Shark skin! Every watch an ultra slowmo shot as a Double A Fuel Dragster at speed! Those panels are ripping several inches! Another 2 to 3 MPH!

As I recall the Navy was trying to get that surface for a sub! Maybe they can show them how at Bowling Green!
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Old Sep 28, 2016 | 05:27 AM
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But why do older C6s not have this problem?

I'm not knocking the C7s and would LOVE to have a new GS, but the paint depth, smoothness and reflection on my old '08 is much better than the new Vettes. Why?
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Old Sep 28, 2016 | 07:28 AM
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Hoping the paint issues are resolved by MY2018. I am sure GM is aware of the body panel issues as well.
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Old Sep 28, 2016 | 07:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Suns_PSD
But why do older C6s not have this problem?

I'm not knocking the C7s and would LOVE to have a new GS, but the paint depth, smoothness and reflection on my old '08 is much better than the new Vettes. Why?
There have been changes in the body material to reduce weight. The SMC panels on a C6 in 2013 had a specific gravity of 1.9, the 2014 1.6 and in 2016 it reduced to 1.2 with the addition of hollow micro glass beads. Note, water has a specific gravity of 1 so the 2016 Vette panels can almost float!

However the info about the new 2016 SMC material said it provided a "better' surface finish! My 2014 looks the same as my C6 and is fine. Perhaps it is dependent on the specific car and how the SMC was processed. Was at the dealer yesterday to get my software update and looked at three 2016's including a Z06 that they are discounting heavily. Panels looked fine to me.

There is a fellow in town who paints custom cars. He can make the car look like glass. However be prepared to pay ~$15,000!!

Last edited by JerryU; Sep 28, 2016 at 07:50 AM.
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To The General should be ashamed!

Old Sep 28, 2016 | 07:54 AM
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Agreed that the new paint shop won't resolve that issue, because it's the body panels. They are not the same material as on older Corvettes. It's a lighter material, but at certain angles and lighting conditions, you can see waviness.

Last edited by Foosh; Sep 28, 2016 at 07:57 AM.
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Old Sep 28, 2016 | 08:00 AM
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"There is a fellow in town who paints custom cars. He can make the car look like glass. However be prepared to pay ~$15,000!!" JerryU

I would've expected it to be more since some custom paint shops used to charge in the $10K range many years ago. Then again, tech has gotten better. But painting is still about ability and "art."
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Old Sep 28, 2016 | 08:08 AM
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Originally Posted by jost6453
Has anyone else noticed the poor paint quality, primarily on the doors, of the C7? I currently own a '11 GS and was looking at a $105k 2016 Z06 today. If you look down the side of car, the door paint is nothing but ripples. I don't get how GM can find this acceptable. The cheapest cars out there have a better finish. Disgraceful.
The paint on my 2017 GS is great !! The paint on the Z06 you spoke of is most likely very good also. You are not seeing a bad paint job.
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