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Roof bubbling.

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Old 08-04-2013, 09:53 AM
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Default Roof bubbling.

The 2001 camaro I just purchased is a hard top (no t-tops). The original owner had taken it thru a car wash, and the paint got nice and scuffed.

I was about to take a buffer to it to see if I couldn't buff and polish them out, but I noticed there were small bubbles popping through the paint.

They're relatively small, but look almost like air pockets under a vinyl sheet (like putting a screen protector on a cell phone... Sorry it's the only analogy I can think of).

I didn't feel like popping them (which I figured buffing compound would do) so I nixed the idea.

Are these bubbles common? Any ideas of how to get them out? Or would a full re-spray be needed (and if so, any ideas of what the cost would be??? Seems easy enough given only the top is black... So no need for color matching).
Old 08-04-2013, 10:02 AM
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Originally Posted by wayland1985
The 2001 camaro I just purchased is a hard top (no t-tops). The original owner had taken it thru a car wash, and the paint got nice and scuffed.

I was about to take a buffer to it to see if I couldn't buff and polish them out, but I noticed there were small bubbles popping through the paint.

They're relatively small, but look almost like air pockets under a vinyl sheet (like putting a screen protector on a cell phone... Sorry it's the only analogy I can think of).

I didn't feel like popping them (which I figured buffing compound would do) so I nixed the idea.

Are these bubbles common? Any ideas of how to get them out? Or would a full re-spray be needed (and if so, any ideas of what the cost would be??? Seems easy enough given only the top is black... So no need for color matching).
I have the same issue with the 2001 Camaro I bought a year ago. The seller gave me an aftermarket replacement roof panel but I've never got around to having it installed. There should be a TSB on this from GM. The adhesive they used absorbs up through the panel and causes the paint to bubble. If you noticed the bubbles are only around the edges were the panel is glued to the body.
Old 08-04-2013, 11:16 AM
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Very common:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/paint-bod...e-dummies.html
Old 08-04-2013, 10:23 PM
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Quite common and fairly expensive to fix.
Old 08-05-2013, 03:13 AM
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Yup. My dad's 02 hardtop is doing the same thing.
Old 08-05-2013, 07:50 AM
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Guess I should have searched first! I didn't realize it was common.

Seems like I'll have to deal with it, seeing as they don't make the panel anymore.
Old 08-05-2013, 08:20 AM
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Very common in the 99+ cars. Call come junkyards and see if they have any 93-98 cars. I got mine for $25, had it painted and installed it myself. Lemme tell you though, ripping the old one off isn't fun.
Old 08-05-2013, 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by wayland1985
Guess I should have searched first! I didn't realize it was common.

Seems like I'll have to deal with it, seeing as they don't make the panel anymore.
You have the option of buying a 6LE sail panel, a 6LE targa panel, and fiberglassing them together, but that is really expensive. Sail panel alone is 500 bucks or so. I just ordered the sail panel for my car as it has a billion little bubbles starting.
Old 08-16-2013, 07:18 AM
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The original GM part was porous, and the adhesive emits a gas which travels through the porous panel and shows up as bubbles under the paint. Repainting will not fix it.

The fix is to get a non-porous panel replacement and a repaint. There is a panel they make for this repair. I had mine done at a GM dealer for a cost of $900.00. This was for the removal, the new panel and adhesive, and the paint matching. The panel alone was half the cost.

The repair was done 8 years ago and never showed up again.



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