Roof bubbling.
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Boston, MA
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).
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).
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 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).
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.
Trending Topics
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.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
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.
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.
