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Glad to help, but again hate to be the bearer of bad news. I think the 6LE panels are usually about $500-650 (for a t-top panel) depending on whether there is a sale/GP or not, and then shipping was something like $100-150 I think. Install costs will obviously range depending on the shop but, yeah, if you want a top notch shop that works on competition level show vehicles (I don't blame you, I'd want that too for a really nice garage queen) then it's not going to be cheap. I think $200-300 is about as cheap as I've seen for labor (R&R plus paint, again for a t-top car), but I doubt those were top tier specialty shops.
If you want to do a new repro panel, you'll have to either plan for removing and saving (or buying new) the plastic corner pieces that cover the triangle indent at the forward lower portion of the panel on each side. I haven't checked in a while, but not too long ago you could still get these new from GM, they are held in place with adhesive so some people just reuse the originals. Here are the original part numbers for these if you want to check availability:
10240164 - Right
10240165 - Left
I think you're dead on with the estimates, I've been thinking and have accepted that this is one of those things where there's no cheap way out if it's going to be done at an exceptional level. Appreciate the part numbers, I looked on GMpartsdirect and a few other sites that came up and they are discontinued. Hopefully my current pieces can be salvaged because they aren't faded or scratched at all.
That red one looks like the one you sold to me. No issues and don't expect any. The old panel started having bubbling issues after about 12 years so was replaced. My car is driven frequently but I'm the original owner and it has about 30,000 miles so hasn't seen a lot of "super" sun in Iowa.
It's good to hear that your happy with it. Can you post any pictures of it installed on your car?
Last edited by JOHNNY59; Aug 31, 2017 at 04:58 PM.
My 1999 had been a garage queen when I bought it in 2012. The first car show I took it to in late May 2012 I noticed 2 parallel, one inch wavy lines running along the sail panel top by around 1 pm....after 3 hrs in the show field sun. That was scary. I had no clue that this was an issue. But I covered up the sail panel with a dash pad cover crimped by the windows (it's almost a perfect fit). That was the first, and last time I ever left my car out in the sun for more than say 15-30 minutes. And in most every case these days I find shade to keep the car cool. A simple solution is to cover the sail panel and/or the dash any time you're out in the sun for an extended period of time. My sail panel has not showed any issues since, not a hint of a wave or single bubble....and I don't think it will. If it should, the "garage queen" will start getting a lot more miles piled on.
So I finally got around to taking mine to the shop to be painted after sitting in my garage for a year. However they ended up telling me the panel was very wavy and would require a lot of bondo to fix.
The pics they sent me don't make it look too bad, and I've handled it multiple times and didn't notice any waves, but I'm not the expert here. Am I sol with this one?
I wouldn't be surprised if there are some waves (it is fiberglass after all) and require some filler to smooth it out. I'd hope they'd use something better than your run-of-the-mill bondo from wally world though.
Weren't the dealers supposed replace this in 2003? I thought mine "was replaced" then. But now as the crappy paint job shows, They didn't they sanded the bubbles and repainted it. the Paint faded so bad that the primer peeled off. leaving a small area where the factory paint is showing... Really sucks that everywhere the cars been painted after I got the car is fading no matter how good it's waxed.
Weren't the dealers supposed replace this in 2003? I thought mine "was replaced" then.
No, the dealers weren't "supposed" to do anything as there was never a recall, just a TSB. Only certain dealers were willing to fight to get this covered under the 6 year/100k mile corrosion/rust-through warranty (or as part of their "Goodwill" program) for their customers. Not all dealers/customers were able to make this happen, many had to pay out of pocket (partial or full cost). So, if someone wasn't willing to pay for the work required in the TSB, they may have simply repainted it (which, as we all know, is only a temporary fix).
I'll have to look for my paperwork, I'm pretty sure they wrote it up as replacing the sail panel. only had about 5000 miles on it at the time and less than 2 yrs old.
I'll have to look for my paperwork, I'm pretty sure they wrote it up as replacing the sail panel. only had about 5000 miles on it at the time and less than 2 yrs old.
that's different..
covered under the bumper to bumper warranty
I just missed getting my 02 done under the goodwill program by a few months when I found out they were doing that.
It had been done unsuccessfully(sand and repaint)
so I ripped it off and did it myself.
I am now joining this club..... It wasn't a matter of "If", only "when"....
My car is a Garage Kept Beauty. I wouldn't say a Garage Queen because I do drive it and enjoy it. It now has 35,000 miles on it, and I now have several spots coming through. Was at a show yesterday after work, and you could actually see the two lines of clue.... Very frustrating and aggravating!
Here's a picture of "Davin". Does ANYONE have a Sail Panel for Sale?!
I’m sure it’s been covered: but has anybody tried a vinyl wrap over the bubbling panel?
I’m curious if I could get away with sanding the bubbles down and putting a vinyl wrap on it for now.
Im sure the bubbles will still come through, but I’m curious if they would look as bad in vinyl? (Half the problem I have is they appear as white/clear on black and stand out like a sore thumb)
You could vinyl wrap it, but in the long run you’ll see the raised bumps underneath the vinyl.
i just have no idea how long it will take for it to start looking bad.
good luck!
i just had mine removed and replaced, the new sail panel was shot with epoxy primer on the actual metal and underneath the sail panel and once dry, it was glued back on.
You could vinyl wrap it, but in the long run you’ll see the raised bumps underneath the vinyl.
i just have no idea how long it will take for it to start looking bad.
good luck!
i just had mine removed and replaced, the new sail panel was shot with epoxy primer on the actual metal and underneath the sail panel and once dry, it was glued back on.
Can I ask how much the job cost? I’m guessing the price is out of my range: which is why I’m considering vinyl...
For me total cost was $1200 including the $600 carbon fiber sail panel that I replaced it with.
i do know that you miiiiight remove the one you have with believe or not, PIANO WIRE!
i heard that could work, but you have to be very patient whilst removing it.
also you’ll have to sand down your bubbles, sand down underneath the existing sail panel AND sand down the actual metal that you’re gonna have to glue it back on, AND, epoxy primer the metal AND epoxy primer underneath the underneath of the sail panel as well.
AND, don’t know if anyone actually re-used the sail panel that was removed with all of the zits on there.
everyone I know who’s done it got a new sail panel OR, found a doner 93-97 car, removed the sail panel, prepped it, THEN ripped out the fucked up one and resanded the metal, epoxy primer, prepped the new sail panel including epoxy primer.
its a lot of work dude especially if you’ve never done it b4
There is no need to use any special primer on the metal that the panel is glued to. What matters is using this primer on the underside of the new/replacement panel before gluing it in place.
There is no need to use any special primer on the metal that the panel is glued to. What matters is using this primer on the underside of the new/replacement panel before gluing it in place.
well true, however you HAVE to use the epoxy primer on the underside of the sail panel AND you would HAVE to thoroughly sand down the metal panel of all the glue leaving it bare so why not shoot it with the epoxy primer since you already have to buy it for the sail panel???
leaving the metal bare that the sail panel is to be glued on to is not something I would leave bare.
also when I say sand off the old glue you need to remove that stuff completely.
your call.
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May 10, 2016, 02:15 PM
