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Anyone have any updates on the upcoming clear engine compartment cover? I know one of the major aftermarket vendors has been working on one. As an interesting side point, Rick Conte, on a video he posted today, alludes to an upcoming clear engine compartment cover, maybe from the factory?
I understand it's for a HTC I still don't see what purpose it serves. Does it replace the factory deck ? If not you still have to open the deck to see the engine. Why would you need the clear cover?
Yes, it replaces the factory deck so when the tonneau cover is open and the convertible top is up you can see the engine through the clear plastic.
An aside - did anyone here see the Youtube video of the guy who was painting the factory cover the same as the body color and installing a clear rectangular window the size of the intake cover so you van see the dressed up part of the engine (assuming you bought an intake cover). He said he was selling them and gave a phone number but it seemed like he was just getting started. Anyway, I think I like that idea even better - hide the ungainly parts of the engine but still show it off (and prove there really is an engine under there). I hope some company will buy that idea and market it, or the original creator of the video starts selling them and getting some reviews.
Originally Posted by randy ransome;[url=tel:1605247913
1605247913[/url]]I understand it's for a HTC I still don't see what purpose it serves. Does it replace the factory deck ? If not you still have to open the deck to see the engine. Why would you need the clear cover?
I'm so confused. LOL
It’s for display at car shows so people can ooh and ahh over your engine. If that’s your thing nothing wrong with that.
I understand it's for a HTC I still don't see what purpose it serves. Does it replace the factory deck ? If not you still have to open the deck to see the engine. Why would you need the clear cover?
I'm so confused. LOL
When you open the top to the service position the engine is covered by an insulated heat shield panel. If you remove 14 screws and take that panel off you can see the engine.
The transparent panel replaces that standard very much opaque engine cover panel..
I think people will replace the panel for shows but not as a permanent thing. Definitely would not want the plastic panel on the car for long drives. The factory panel is there to protect the HTC top. We don’t know yet how the heat will affect the HTC top. So I think the transparent panel is just for car shows.
I contacted the company and asked about temperature testing, panel discoloration, etc. This was their response:"We have done several thousand miles of real world driving with our cover on (both idling where air is not moving over the engine bay through the vents) and with the roof in the down position. We are happy to report that Both results were positive and showed no heat damage or transfer. The material that we use has a Maximum Continuous Service Temperature of 195 degrees Fahrenheit, which means this piece can withstand 195 Degrees for 100,000 hours with no mechanical degradation. You could run the car 24/7/365 for 11 years and not see any degradation. As far as coloring, UV Light and exposure is what causes discoloration of clear plastics. This particular product is not sensitive to UV Light. It is the same material that is used in offshore boat windshields."
My remaining question would be: A service temp of 195 degrees does not seem to me to be as high as the compartment might get. I know that internal engine temps can get to 220 degrees easily and higher than that at the exhaust manifold. Any experts out there that can comment on actual C8 HTC engine compartment temperatures?
You're talking about coolant temp inside the engine. That should be considerably higher than the ambient air temp inside the engine compartment.
I'm more concerned about the effect of additional heat on the folded convertible top over time. The opaque OEM cover is heavily insulated. The clear plastic cover cannot possibly provide the same insulating qualities.
You're talking about coolant temp inside the engine. That should be considerably higher than the ambient air temp inside the engine compartment.
I'm more concerned about the effect of additional heat on the folded convertible top over time. The opaque OEM cover is heavily insulated. The clear plastic cover cannot possibly provide the same insulating qualities.
Good point. The only things mitigating my concerns for the prospect of excessive heat in the engine compartment above the cover is the vender's claim of thousands of hours of real world testing with the top stowed and the fact that the inside of your passenger can hit 160 degrees + on a bright, sunny day, windows rolled up tight, with ambient temps over 90 degrees. If the headliner material can handle that heat, then perhaps there is less of a danger the temperature emanating from the clear cover would cause damage.
If I were into the car show thing, which I am not, I'd only use the clear cover for those occasions. I wouldn't even consider using it as the permanent replacement for the insulated factory cover.
You're right that vehicles parked in the sun can reach incredibly high temps, but those exposed to such conditions every day do suffer accelerated headliner, dash and other interior damage. Daily driving with the top stowed would roughly simulate that increased exposure to heat.
I suppose if you rarely drive with the top down, it becomes less of an issue. We have ours down at every reasonable opportunity, even when cool.
I posted this reply on another forum and since the subject came up again here, I thought it prudent to share again!
"As a retired tooling & plastics engineer, I would want to see some very thorough test results, especially in some of the hotter climates.
Polycarbonate has a tg (glass transition temperature) of 147c or 297f where it starts to soften gradually above it's tg and starts to flow at about 155c or 311f
I saw on another forum where they were claiming the manufacture of these said clear PC covers were rated to 500f. I would like to understand how they are rating a PC to 500f when that is significantly above the glass transition temperature of this polymer. FYI, the working temperature of PC is from -40f to 266f so no problems on the lower end but the upper end spec?, I bet those Cats and Pipes are generating some extreme temps, hence why the GM engineers designed in the heat shielding.
I think that rather than getting a clear cover, I would be inclined to mount the factory black cover with magnets and remove it for a show. I saw in another post that Meyerweb also put some velcro on the top of the cover and on the piece above it so he could store it there while open. Good idea --Bob
I won't get it for the heat concerns already mentioned plus leaving my HTC the way it is won't tempt me to start buying engine compartment dress up pieces. I can leave my lid down at car shows.
06-08-2022, 09:20 PM
HTC Clear Engine Cover
