C8 Corvette HTC Clear Engine Bay Cover - American Hydrocarbon

The long-awaited clear polycarbonate covers are finished and ready to ship. These are in stock.The OEM C8 Corvette engine cover hides that beautiful 6.2L LT2.

This Cover is designed to show it off with style. Manufactured in America, from an impact resistant clear thermoplastic, and formed specific to the Convertible this cover is the perfect addition to your corvette.

Add one of our custom painted engine covers to complete the look!

• Made From Impact Resistant Thermoplastic
• Installs easily utilizing OEM hardware
• Manufactured in America
• Fully transparent and optically
  clear
• Showcases entire Engine Bay with
  OEM precision

Manufactured and warrantied by Rapid Rev.

 

Its a very nice product.

 

I really like the look of it but am concerned about 2 things - will there be more engine heat emitted than the factory cover and, if so, how will this impact the paint on the stored convertible top above it. I also wonder if, as it is exposed to the engine heat, will it turn cloudy over time?
I suppose only time will tell regarding both issues. It sure would be nice to be able to view the engine.

 

These covers have been tested on the highway and in standing traffic. There is no discoloration over time and no additional heat issues.

 

Thanks so much for the additional information.

 

For how long is "over time"?
Thank you

 

I would definitely consider this clear cover, but heat transfer would also be my biggest concern. Still waiting for an allocation; perhaps by the time I actually have a car there will be more data from those who installed it.
Has anyone installed a thermocouple on top of the OEM cover and on top of this clear cover and compared surface temperatures?
Does the OEM cover have any heat shielding on the underside?

 

Yes, there is foam insulation and silver reflective material on the underside of the OEM cover. Some dispute that it is for insulation against heat, but it has to have more insulating quality than the polycarbonate. They claim its primary purpose is sound insulation. I tend to doubt that's the only reason it is there, but there is no clear answer.

I guess there is no "Ask Tadge" (or somebody) feature on this forum anymore.

 

 

I like being able to see the engine but this picture has me real concerned...That insulation is there for a reason...I am not trying to be negative and I am not an engineer...just trying to get info....
1. what does gm say???
2. does it void any parts of the warranty??
Thanks for the info..

 

I guess I'm on the fence about it. Its kinda cool, not sure if its worth $600 to me though. It would be neat to see the engine, but on the other hand I don't put my car in shows and I'm afraid I would just see more I'd wanna clean.

 

I have a meeting with the manufacturer tomorrow. All these questions will be addressed. The GM engineers at the Bash liked it and even one commented that they should have thought of it.

 

Is there a coating that can be applied to either sides of the polycarbonate cover that could reflect heat as with Low-E window glass?

 

Its there for sound only because the HTC is not equipped with the sound insulating topper hat. Heat is not an issue at all. I have done my own tests. I do suggest adding a perimeter seal using common foam weather strip tape like below.

 

There will be a seal on the retail covers.

 

IF there is damage to the headliner or other roof components and the dealer knows you have the aftermarket cover, you can rest assured they won't warranty those components. Other than that I can't see any warranty issues.
The manufacturer said they tested it for "thousands of miles" and there was no damage to the roof or headliner. That doesn't really say anything about what happens over several years.

I'd hope to see a lot more detail on actual temperatures under there with the OEM panel & the clear one, in the same driving conditions (e.g., stop and go traffic, high speeds, how much the radiator and engine bay fans ran, etc., and with information on what the ambient temperature was during the tests. Just before the engine compartment fans come on is probably peak temperature under there, so having OEM vs clear cover temp readings at the point would be very informative.

 

That insulation does more than just deaden sound. I'm willing to bet money that if you did controlled temperature measurements of the headliner and other components with the OEM panel in place and the clear panel in place that the clear panel measurements will be higher.

The question is how much higher is too much.

Were any temperature measurements taken on a hot day during a track event? Or how about a hard canyon carving session in southern California on a hot day?

If the clear cover manufacturer has any use restrictions they should be stated. And it would be helpful to see actual before and after data along with the driving conditions and ambient temperatures.

Assuming the temperatures were higher with the clear cover, were those temperatures compared with the headliner and other material (adhesives, lubricants, softgoods, etc) capabilities? Many times it isn't just peak temperature that is the limiting factor but the duration of the temperature.

If you had a problem with the headliner or top operation, would you be confident enough that those problems weren't caused by the clear cover that you would leave the clear cover in place when you brought it in for warranty work?

A reasonable approach to how much testing is necessary would be to leave a car parked in the hot sun for an extended period (top both up and down) while measuring the temperature of the components. Normally this is the limiting factor on headliner components. If those temperatures are the same or exceed the operational temperatures with the clear cover in place then that would provide confidence that there isn't a problem.

I'm not saying that the clear cover is necessarily going to cause problems but common sense is telling me that the top components will get hotter with the clear cover in place.

 

The silver reflective barrier has nothing to do with sound, and everything to do with heat. Unless you're one of the GM engineers who worked on this, don't make statements you have no facts to support.

 

Oh I agree it’s there so the cheap plastic cover it’s mounted to doesn’t melt from the engine heat.

 

There is other plastic in the engine compartment that doesn't need insulation to protect it. And even if that was the primary reason it still acts as a heat barrier to the top side of the engine cover.

An easy test. Place a heat source on the engine side of both covers and measure the temperature on the other side of the covers. My bet is the clear cover allows more heat to pass through.