I have owned two C8 HTC's. Many times I have opened/closed the top while in my garage.

Yesterday I did something I had never done. I came down the driveway (it's kinda long) with the top down and waited to pull the switch to put the top back up as I pulled into the garage.

Just as the rear hatch reached its upright position I pulled into the garage and the top 1" of the hatch hit the bottom lip of the garage entry. I had never noticed it was so much lower than the interior of the garage. "CRUNCH".

So I end up with a damaged hatch that cannot completely go up, so no way to put the top up, and the hatch and trunk top edges are grinding together.

Obviously I bent the mounts for the hatch. What a moron!

Anyway, I got the hatch "almost" completely closed and slowly drove with the top down to a local Chevy dealer (we're talking REALLY small town America dealer) that said they would get right on it.

When I arrived and they saw it, and how it would not open, they were very skeptical about ever fixing it. They brought out their Corvette specialist (Donnie), who is VERY experienced, and he thought maybe he could get the top put back up temporarily. They were very honest and said they would try, but no promises. They were very genuinely doing their best to help with a situation they had never seen before.

The plan is hopefully Donnie can get the top back up and then I will take it where I bought it, Mike Furman's Criswell Chevrolet, which is about 100 miles away in Washington DC traffic, who can most likely actually fix it.

Just a heads up so one else does this stupid trick and pays the stupid tax for it like me.

PS: photos would not show anything except the slight misalignment of the top hatch and trunk.

 

DamX it.

 

1 i did worse on my new 06 z with my garage door opener while on a lift
2 left a yellow crayon in the rear and it melted in the trunk
3 drilled into my left gas tank on my c5
4 c5 got shot in a bar fight

 

Sorry to hear this, there was a member who posted a video of him pulling into the garage while closing his roof and he hit it. I will never forgot the horrible noise it made when he hit, I tried to find the video but can’t.

 

Sorry to hear of your misfortune.Interesting username.

 

LOL, I certainly was as I screwed this up.

 

I remember that one. It was painful to watch.

 

I hate to hear stories like this because I know how much these cars are a part of us. The best of luck getting it repaired so that you can enjoy driving it again.

 

Very sorry to hear of your dilemma. I have a pristine 1988 FIERO and was looking at changing out a bad alternator. The trunk is not to long but does sticks up rather high, you guessed correctly. The trunk was open and I pushed the button to close my garage door. In a few seconds the door angle bar took a chuck out of the rear wing.

 

That sucks! Came close once, now its always on my mind when in the garage (I have ceiling racks that hang pretty low). Sorry!

 

Stuff happens, I won't go into some of my boat calamity stories!

 

My wife backed her SUV out of the garage with the lift gate open...Made the mistake of asking how she overlooked the 5 warning indicators.
And my illustrious nephew whipped his little Honda CRV into the garage to a resounding crunching noise and the collapse of his roof, forgot that his $$$$$ bike was on top. Bike was some sort of carbon fiber/titanium frame that was stronger than the roof/roof pillars. Scratched the bike a little, darn near totaled the car.

 

OP: If I understood your post you said bottom of garage DOOR is slightly lower than the non moving header that’s part of the door frame. You should be able to adjust the travel of the door so it raises up flush with the door frame & doesn’t have any of door lower. I’ve readjusted mine a few times over 32 yrs being here.😎

 

You will, unfortunately, hear that crunch a long, long time.

 

We all do things that would classify as less than bright. I once tried to back out of my garage (in my Jeep Wagoneer) without opening the garage door. Unsuccessfully.

 

Patton I want to hear more about your C5 getting shot in a bar fight

 

4 do not like getting slapped and pepper sprayed so they retrieved a revolver out of their truck and i was between the shooter and my car he missed me with all 5 but one through my quarter panel in to my tire . The family paid [ i made a profit] and he got 4 years . trenton new joisey 2 month old 01 coupe .

 

Stupid is stupid does...

 

Good luck with getting her fixed...and we've all won the stupid prize once at least so you're not alone by any means...

 

Well, an update with some good news so far.

The Chevy dealer in my town said they couldn't look at it (with a top stuck down) for two weeks. But the Chevy dealer in Seaford, DE (Burton Chevrolet), which is about 40 miles away said, "Bring it over and we'll look at it right away."

I dropped it off with them yesterday. It was the most pleasant dealership service experience in my life. Their Corvette tech (Donny) looked it over and was totally honest with me. He said he had never worked on a HTC mechanism before, but he would try to get it back up so I could drive to the big Corvette dealership (Mike Furman's Criswell Chevy) for complete repairs.

This morning they called with good news. Donny had gotten the top secured up and the car was OK to drive. I know he worked on it all morning and the bill was only $400. I tipped Donny a US Grant.

So, it's off to Criswell on July 1st...the soonest I could get it there...for total repairs, which most likely will be VERY expensive I'm sure.

After I get it back I'll post the results. Thanks for all the positive comments. That crunch sound about made me sick and I felt like an idiot...thanks again.