shippershack

Can't have anything nice! The Hawk is turning twelve soon, and she looks great except for the sail panel, and the SLP hood. Spider veins and sun spots I expect in an 80 year old. We'll as you all know the GM/SLP products have their flaws. To the plastic surgeon....autobody shop. 6LE supplied the artificial sail panel and It looks like a good fit. One flaw fixed for $1350 parts and labor. On to the hood. She has spider cracks and bubbles. Had it repainted last year. Cracks and bubbles returned in 6 months! So I complained to the last car surgeon....no luck' no malpractice, fired his ***, and went to get a second opinion with the guy who did my sail panel. So this new car surgeon knows his stuff. Turns out I have 18 layers of paint and primer and god knows what else! What the heck were they doing at SLP? Last body shop did some spot bondo and primer and paint, but 18 coats? Either the dealer tried to cover something up, as I got it dealer demo new with 500 miles on it or SLP did something wacko at the factory. Water spots in the hood causing a couple reoccurring large bubbles in the paint, and cracked paint due to too many layers of material and southern heat? We'll she needs stripping and coating and painting now....another $800 out the window. $2000 to make her look new. Thanks GM/SLP! Can't have nothing nice!

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

I know you're pain. Bought a "solid" 1987 Grand National a couple years ago, have driven it maybe a total of two months as always finding something wrong...

A/C went out, got fixed at Firestone and someone backed into it and took the front off. To the body shop. Found a bunch of boogered together stuff underneath, all fixed.

Rear main seal leaks, owner said "easy fix". Well it would be if the CAUSE wasn't the crank walking. $9k for 350-400hp V6 motor OR around the same for a 600hp + LS turbo swap, went LS.

Got a huge intake, won't clear the hood so we have a GN style hood but with a 60% larger bump. Go to weld it on yesterday and discover HALF AN INCH of bondo ON THE HOOD!!!

WTF do people do to cars?!?!

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

Oh, and the paint on the "fixed" front end is flaking of FML.

shippershack

The biggest insult of the year was that I rebuilt the top end of my engine, ported AI heads and custom cam and ported fast intake and TB and all the extras for the tune of $5000 only to have my ls1 block crack between cylinders 5 and 7 less than 100 miles after she was Dynoed, tuned and picked up from the speed shop. Could have been the head gasket install botched by the speed shop who just did the top end or just a bad tune or just GM's lack of oil and air to the back cylinders that made her blow...but to make the story short, $8000 more later I have a whole new 383 stroker with forged internals. So 15k later, I have a new engine, new sailpanel and hood! Essentially, a new car cheaper than a mid life crisis, a.k.a a new Vette. The things you do for car love!

shippershack

Here's the Final Product. Sail Panel removed, 6LE's replacement panel fit made at RK sport fit nicely with very little prep needed, painted on both sides and glued with the correct 3M glue. Advanced Auto body in Hilton Head, SC, did an awesome job for about $800 prep and paint for the Sailpanel. About a $1500 fix total for the bubbly roof.

Then the hood with 18 layers of old paint??? 10 hours of prep later, including, taking it down to the fiberglass, filled in two gaping holes in the glass, baked to get the water out, re-gel coated, primed and painted...it shines like glass.

Like driving a new car

01WS6/tamu

iTrader: (37)

Sure is a pretty car.

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

Nice!

zman1969

iTrader: (91)

Shippershack, although frustrating the end result is stunning! nothing nice is ever easy or cheap!

Sub-par

The joys of owning a black car... At least you got it sorted out though.