Cracked c5 FRC hardtop
03-29-2018, 12:07 AM
#1
Heel & Toe
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Cracked c5 FRC hardtop
Hey folks, I tried a search but didnt come up with much regarding this area...ill try to explain. I always towel dry my FRC and I found about an inch crack at the base of the top on the passenger side. There is a small pad behind the each door between the fender and where the top comes down. Its the small flat surface...somewhat of an "ear" behind the aft doorjam and where the top/rear quarter/and strip behind the door jam come together. From the fender seam it is sunken about an 1/8 inch and not quite level and anyways...theres a crack. Small still....but no doubt about it a fr@$%kin crack. My guess is the body sealer or gasket or whatever has broken down and it appears as if it sits a tad lower than it should be. I just bought the car a few months ago and im almost possitive its new...
Sound familiar?..make any sense?...Any ideas?...Thanks. Its a 2000 FRC pretty much stock with 40k miles and about 5 rock chips on the whole car, meaning it has been very well cared for and pretty cherry. The only things i have done are about 4 tanks worth of hard miles and a few respectable burn-outs. I also adjusted the rear park brake and finally got it to hold....please tell me it cant be from jacking the car up...Ive read through many posts and I did use the pucks and jacking points foward of the rear tires...Thanks
03-29-2018, 07:18 PM
#3
Race Director
I am going to be brutally honest.
YES...this crack can be due to the 'hard miles' it had put on it and also improper jacking procedures. I feel it is the 'hard miles' that did it or caused it to start.
The frame on this car is really stout...but it can fatigue due to being metal.
It is possible that the crack can lengthen in this area. But freaking out about it right now does not do you any good due to the damage has occurred. AND if the crack grows another inch...it still would take about the same amount of area to repair it as how it is damaged now. SO I know you are not going to do it but I would put a dot with a Sharpie marker and forget about it for a while and put some miles on it and ACTUALLY see if it is growing in length.
And I know you did not ask and may have already figured this out...but where this crack is located it is going to be REALLY HARD to get the paint to match and ONLY stay on the roof panel so that when it is painted...the quarter panel does not look different than the area of the roof you had painted. This is in a bad spot and the color will more than likely need to be tinted and tested...and it might still need to have the quarter and door painted along with it so the pant can be blended so you can NEVER tell it had a crack or was painted there.
And if you feel that having a photo taken from a paint supplier that has the specific camera that can find a color in their database to provide the best 'blendable match'. Go for it... but do not be surprised if the color is still off a mile and will need to be tinted by someone who has an awesome eye for color.
The other option if no one there can tint paint its to send a part off your car to a color lab and they will get you a color that is....a 'blendable match'.
DUB
YES...this crack can be due to the 'hard miles' it had put on it and also improper jacking procedures. I feel it is the 'hard miles' that did it or caused it to start.
The frame on this car is really stout...but it can fatigue due to being metal.
It is possible that the crack can lengthen in this area. But freaking out about it right now does not do you any good due to the damage has occurred. AND if the crack grows another inch...it still would take about the same amount of area to repair it as how it is damaged now. SO I know you are not going to do it but I would put a dot with a Sharpie marker and forget about it for a while and put some miles on it and ACTUALLY see if it is growing in length.
And I know you did not ask and may have already figured this out...but where this crack is located it is going to be REALLY HARD to get the paint to match and ONLY stay on the roof panel so that when it is painted...the quarter panel does not look different than the area of the roof you had painted. This is in a bad spot and the color will more than likely need to be tinted and tested...and it might still need to have the quarter and door painted along with it so the pant can be blended so you can NEVER tell it had a crack or was painted there.
And if you feel that having a photo taken from a paint supplier that has the specific camera that can find a color in their database to provide the best 'blendable match'. Go for it... but do not be surprised if the color is still off a mile and will need to be tinted by someone who has an awesome eye for color.
The other option if no one there can tint paint its to send a part off your car to a color lab and they will get you a color that is....a 'blendable match'.
DUB
03-29-2018, 07:54 PM
#4
Heel & Toe
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Thanks for the reply Dub...i really appreciate it....but it does make it worse knowing that I caused It! Well I bought the car to drive but certainly not to tear up! I ran a few quarter mile passes and many miles of back roads. I just can't imagine enough flex to close that gap and make contact...but it is on the passenger side and that's the way she torques over. At any rate...the damage is done and looks isolated to just the one spot. I wonder if I could take some of my kids play-do or some kind of clay to take an "impression" under load? I always read these where the stiffest chasis...is there any body mounts or hardware I should be checking? Thanks again and Happy Easter!
03-30-2018, 03:18 AM
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I just keep thinking something else must be wrong here...but this is my first corvette and have no idea, but this is just a stock ls1. Guys are regularly building firebreathing monsters 550hp+ and punishing them for years...with slicks and track tires...if it was hp or aggressive driving related I could only guess it would be well documented...thats what these cars are all about right? When I said hard miles I'm not like jumping railroad tracks or completely thrashing this car, not at all...i just meant somewhat aggressive with some wot and having fun. I think I'll take my floor jack tomorrow and lift at each 4 points and I'll check the gap every pump of the jack and see if closes up or indicates any flex at all. It's certainly not the end of the world and I'll still drive the car as intended but it's disheartening to think the car is 18 yrs old without a single scratch or door ding but I managed to crack the fiberglass roof right off the bat. I looked at quite a few and probly top doller for the nicest one I could find around here...
I drove another 40 miles today and its starting to show 2 or 3 more hairline fractures.
I drove another 40 miles today and its starting to show 2 or 3 more hairline fractures.
03-30-2018, 06:22 PM
#6
Race Director
I honestly do not know if how you drove it or whoever drove it before you bought it...assuming you bought it used....could have caused this problem to start.
I know you already know this BUT...a convertible would not have this issue due to not having fixed roof...and the coupe with a removable roof panel is made differently.
So...it could be possible that it is a design flaw. Maybe get a hold of some of the guys on the Forum who autocross there cars and see if any of them have a fixed roof and see if they have a problem.
As for checking the frame and how the body is attached and where to check. I have not ever had to do this on C5 fixed roof so all I know I would have to see if there is any information in a facotry service manual.
I did watch a TV show on how the C5 Corvettes were built. And they did comment on the way the body is attached to the frame...but they did not make a big deal out of it and point out all of there locations. I honesty can not remember how many points the body is attached to the frame. I do believe it is more than the 8 points that the earlier Corvettes had.
DUB
I know you already know this BUT...a convertible would not have this issue due to not having fixed roof...and the coupe with a removable roof panel is made differently.
So...it could be possible that it is a design flaw. Maybe get a hold of some of the guys on the Forum who autocross there cars and see if any of them have a fixed roof and see if they have a problem.
As for checking the frame and how the body is attached and where to check. I have not ever had to do this on C5 fixed roof so all I know I would have to see if there is any information in a facotry service manual.
I did watch a TV show on how the C5 Corvettes were built. And they did comment on the way the body is attached to the frame...but they did not make a big deal out of it and point out all of there locations. I honesty can not remember how many points the body is attached to the frame. I do believe it is more than the 8 points that the earlier Corvettes had.
DUB