DrewK769

I had my Stingray out today in the bright sunlight for the first time in a while. Before Christmas, I had the Z51 spoiler professionally removed and replaced with the factory High Wing Spoiler.

I was standing outside and the light caught the drivers side rear quarter panel just right, and it almost looks like there is a small indentation or crease right at the rear most part at the top, where it connects to the rear bumper. The top of the fender has no ripples, or the crease - this is just below the body line that runs along the top of the fender.

I don't recall this crease being on the car before, and I'm usually the kind of person that would notice something like that. That said, I've had the high wing on the car for several weeks now and I have not noticed this before. (Now, unfortunately, I can't "not" see it...uurrgghh.). There is no paint damage or anything like that, and it is too high for a ding or anything like that.

The panels are made of composite plastic, though, right? I was under the impression that they can't actually dent. I mean they can crack and shatter, but not ding like metal panels. Is that correct?

With that said, I think right behind this area at the top of the fender is a reinforced mounting point for the bumper. Could that maybe have bent and causing a crease? Is the panel thin enough to crease? Or is this most likely something that is molded into the panel that I just never noticed?

Any opinions welcome. Wish I had left the spoiler alone - the high wing is not worth the hassle.

1__more

A picture of what your seeing would really help.

mjhoward

Pretty sure I know exactly what spot you're talking about and, if it is the same spot, it is basically a characteristic of the inner and outer panels being bonded together. If you stick your finger behind the wheel well liner and feel where that spot would be on the inside, there's probably a rough feeling patch where they were bonded. If you look close enough, you'll see dimples in other places as well... particularly in places on the front fascia.

Foosh

Unfortunately, this type of thing is not unusual on SMC panels. It's panel "waviness" that sometimes happens in the curing process. You usually have to be just in the right light and right angle to see them, so it's hard to catch all of these kind of flaws in QC. Metal stamped body panels are much more likely to be smoother and uniform.

I have one in the passenger side nacelle on our HTC, but you have to be under fluorescent lights, and just at the right angle to see it. The best thing to do is just accept it, try to unsee it as best as you can, and move on. A warranty claim and the resulting repair could be worse.

I've always viewed it as part of the price we pay to have the lightest possible Corvette, and it's been the case over many generations of Corvettes.

DrewK769

it does not photograph well, but here is what I have from this PM.

Thanks to you and the others that replied - much appreciated!

HRDTOPC54FUN

I also had a fairly large dimple, about the size of a quarter, in the driver's side of the rear facia just under the black portion of the taillight. There initially was a small indentation there but it got worse over time. Looking carefully there also is a very small dimple on the passenger's side (slightly different location but same general area) but that one is nearly invisible. Car is a 2020 Z51, 6500 miles.

Fortunately, I'm close to an excellent corvette garage (The Corvette Center, Newington CT) and they were able to access that are of the facia by removing the wheel well liner and corrected 99% of it by adjusting the fasteners for the facia and applying a small amount of heat to the area. Unless I pointed it out you wouldn't know it was there now. So at least in some cases the panels can be somewhat straightened/flattened.

It was irritating to me as well since it would draw my eyes to it every time I would walk up to the drivers side of the car.

DrewK769

Here is a much better picture. I think it has to be caused by the mounting bracket behind it for the bumper.

Foosh

The picture below shows the panel waviness on our HTC nacelle. The distortion in the center of the fluorescent light reflection is because of the dimple in the panel. If I move a foot or so to the left, right, up, or down, such that light doesn't reflect from the same angle,you can't see it. That's what makes these so tough to catch in QC.

NB42760th

My new C8 coupe has a small dent/crease in the back deck near the spoiler. I hadn’t even noticed it and it is only seen at certain light/angles but the guy who is doing my Xpel pointed it out and said he has seen it on many C8.

DrewK769

Out of curiosity, is it in the bumper panel, or on the rear deck lid?

NB42760th

It’s on the rear deck lid on the passenger side towards the bumper. Very hard to see and only certain lighting really. No big deal at all and very interesting that its a somewhat common phenomenon.

Foosh

I would say that it is more than just somewhat common, it's a large percentage, but most owners never see it since one has to be at just the right angle and lighting. We've had 5 Corvettes in our family starting with C6s, and my wife's C8 is the 5th. Every single one of them has had some waviness or a dimple in an SMC panel somewhere, usually multiple examples. I'm the only one who has found them since I am the semi-pro detailer in the family, and all were closely examined from all angles under bright garage lights.

If there is silver lining, it would be that the picture I posted above is the only one I've found on our C8, and I know the 2017 refurbished BGA plant changed the panel and paint curing process (less heat for longer periods) to lessen the problem. So, I think today's GM SMC panels are more uniform than they used to be, but it's still the nature of the material.

My wife will never see it, and I will never mention it to her. She views it as perfection, and I want things to stay that way. All the earlier Corvettes (2 C6 and 2 C7) had multiple examples.

Sportsman2003

Do any of your cars have this imperfection on the quarter panel near the rear bumper? My car is like this on both sides. It looks like it’s where the cut something away from the mold possibly?

Markc2008

Anyone ever come up with suggestions on this? I have either a dent or a crease from the factory but it’s very noticeable in any shaded area or garage lighting.

Phil1098

I think it's fairly common but subtle. My driver side rear quarter has a slight crease that can only be seen at the right angle and the right lighting. Nobody has ever noticed it but me. Sure as the world not worth it for me to have them sand it down, fill it, and paint the quarter. Again, it's all in degrees, perfect cars don't exist.

Foosh

Unfortunately, it's the nature of SMC material manufacture and the current state-of-the art. It happens sometime during the curing process, and small creases or waviness could randomly occur on any panel. Equipment variability, temperature, humidity are probably all factors.

The only way to eliminate it is to go over every bare panel with a skim coat and hand sanding prior to paint like you see in show car body prep before painting. Obviously, that is cost prohibitive in volume production.

You don't see this in metal stamped panels, and it's the price paid for having the lightest car GM can figure out how to make while balancing the demand for all the other creature comforts.

I do think it's gotten better in every gen since C6, and the C8 panels are much improved.

Markc2008

I asked my guy who does ppf and paint work on a lot of corvettes and he said he thinks a lot of the problem is the clear coat and there being highs and lows. I wander if you could make it less noticeable by a light wet sand with a very non aggressive grit then polishing out?

CP

I remember Willa saying his Vette was "dented".

Rapid Z

That's just normal IMO

22c8z51

pretty sure this is in the panel itself. every c8 i've seen has some oddity somewhere.