Question on hail

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Apr 1, 2017 | 12:18 AM

tome

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Melting Slicks

Joined: Nov 1999

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From: Mayer, AZ

Question on hail

Just curious if anyone ever got caught in large hail in their Corvette. While I know the windshield would probably break, but what about the body? Holes ? Crack the body? Paint?

Apr 1, 2017 | 12:27 AM

Foosh

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It all depends upon the size of the hail, but it's generally less vulnerable than sheet metal. The panels are also much easier to replace.

Last edited by Foosh; Apr 1, 2017 at 12:28 AM.

Apr 1, 2017 | 01:19 AM

Gerald S

Cruising

Joined: May 2015

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My 2014 got caught out in a hailstorm while at work about a week after I got it. Luckily the hail was pretty small. No damage whatsoever.

Apr 1, 2017 | 01:25 AM

WMark

Melting Slicks

Joined: May 1999

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From: Scottsdale AZ

St. Jude Donor '11

Haven't been through a hail storm in my C7, but went through a nasty one in my '10 C6. Colorado. Half the size of a golf ball, but that's still large. My wife and I swore the windshield would shatter at any moment. Scary.

Hail ended, windshield intact, and not a scratch on the Corvette. Those smarter than I may correct me, but I'm guessing the body absorbs the impact so much better than metal, it allows the paint to also flex, thus no marks. Just a guess.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it. Handles as well as, if not better than metal.

Apr 1, 2017 | 07:35 AM

mksz51

Safety Car

Joined: Dec 2007

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From: Coralville Iowa

Comments above sum it up. I've seen two hailstorms in my life that had tennis to baseball sized hail. Hail doesn't chip paint - it dents metal and breaks glass / plastic if large enough. I imagine baseball sized would potentially punch a hole in a body panel but maybe not. I'll say this - if you've never seen hail of that magnitude it is amazingly destructive. Houses take a huge hit - pun intended.......

Apr 1, 2017 | 09:04 AM

GS1

6th Gear

Joined: Mar 2017

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I have seen photos of C6s with holes in fenders from large hail. See holes in fenders and broken head lamp glass and paint chips everywhere.

Attached Images

Last edited by GS1; Apr 1, 2017 at 09:15 AM.

Apr 1, 2017 | 10:41 AM

6spdC6

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From: Northern NYs Adirondack Mountains,http://www.visitsacandaga.com.

Have not been in a hall storm in my 15!

Was in a very bad one a few years ago in my 07 Z06. No place to go to get out of the storm (back road) and it got so bad we could not see, I pulled over as far off the road as I safely could. Sitting there and hearing the noises and wondering in the glass was going to break was very unnerving.

After the storm subsided got out and looked around to assess the damage. There was NONE!