You can give them a call and see if it's still in stock, but my guess is they won't have any. Seems like several places still list the item, but nobody actually has any left.

I personally have not called Classic Industries though.

 

Classic Industries and GM Parts Direct discontinued. I called both

 

This is what makes me MAD about GM they go all out on the engines then cut corners on the rest of the cars parts. I could list 20 things wrong with a fbody and even if you baby it parts still fail.

 

Every car company does this, some are just more heard of than others.

 

Yeah because companies like Ford and Toyota that don't go "all out on the engines" are problem free.

 

i once read that if you sand it all down to the bare metal and let it bake in the HOT sun for sometime (few days) that all the impurity's will be gone and then you can repaint it, but this is just what i read a while ago on here i think.

 

LOL. Yeah, if you sand it down to bare metal then you'll definitely have no problems with bubbles in the future, because you will have sanded all the way through the composite panel and down to the metal frame underneath. No panel = no bubbles.

 

Sorry I dont want to read 76 pages. But is there a replacement panel still available from anyone?

 

No, no one makes one.

 

I too dont want to read all the threads. would like to know what people have done to fix this with no support ? any pics of before and after your fix. Thanks

 

LOL, all you had to do was read this page. Not available anymore. I wonder why this thread is so big.

No one has successfully repaired this. No matter the sealant, no matter the paint, people that have tried to repair the panel on their car have failed every time. If you read the thread, you'd see that some people have tried multiple times to sand and paint with no luck.

 

That blows that the panel is no longer available...guess people will be searching junk yards from now on unless someone makes a mold and starts producing them again. Glad I got mine done when I did.

 

Hopefully 6LE can get a hold of one in good condition and make a mold. Otherwise everyone is outta luck.

 

so if im just now hearing if this in 2011 will they still fix my panel for me?

 

Unless you know a dealer or buy a lot of cars from the same dealership you are screwed, and even then it's pretty unlikely.

 

Short answer: no.

Some people were able to get their car covered under the 6 year, 100,000 mile corrosion protection warranty, and that passed a long time ago at this point since the last of these were made in 2002. GM no longer carries the panel, which is the only way to properly fix the problem. So your option is to go to the junkyard and find an older F-body (like 93-97) with the correct panel (t-top or hardtop), cut it off, and glue it on your car (after you remove the bubbled panel, of course). And that's coming out of your pocket.

 

I swear, we need to just make this thread a sticky inside a sticky. The main sticky should be entitled, "98-02 Bubbling Sail Panel Issue for Dummies"

- 98's are hit or miss on the bubbling sail panel, some speculate the glue that causes the bubbles was introduced around May in the build cycle while others say different. The concrete way to tell is if you have bubbles in your sail panel (duh). If you have a 98 with no bubbles, don't worry about it. If you do, replace it.

- There is NO way to sand and repaint your current panel to fix this issue. NOTHING WILL FIX IT BUT REMOVING THE OLD PANEL / GLUE AND INSTALLING A NEW OR USED ONE FROM A 93-97 F-BODY. NOTHING. Don't post up "Well what if..." The answer is no. Always no. You can't seal up the panel and repaint, it has to be replaced. End of story.

- Nobody currently makes a replacement panel. Yea, GMPD shows it in stock. It isn't. Don't believe me? Order it and find out the hard way just like everyone else. 6LE is willing to help and start getting the process going on making a replacement, but he is not Santa Claus. He does not work for free. If you want a panel from him, people are going to have to step up and place an order BEFORE he can start producing them. It's just how this business works, it wouldn't be economically feasible to just have him shell out the cash himself (like he has on many other of his products that everyone wanted and then never ordered) only to have everyone stand around and say "Man I wish I could afford to buy one, but I just can't right now....." If you want a replacement panel, 6LE is the most promising candidate to make one. Speak with him and help him get the ball rolling.

- THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE SAIL PANEL. NONE. It was a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) and if the warranty is expired then GM WILL NOT fix this. A TSB states:
If you don't know what that quote means, it means basically this: from GM. They'll nod and give you a sympathetic frown while listening to you complain about the issue, but they won't fix it for you. It is stated quite clearly that "If the vehicle is out of warranty, the customer is responsible for the repairs." That means you're stuck footing the bill.

 

This is what I did, both said they didn't have them and Classic stated (in our phone conversation) that they didn't have the part since 2004.

So, I e-mailed them and here's their response:
So...anyone who still wants to slap down 1k plus for Classic Industries' panel instead of probably paying less to 6LE, be my guest.

Though, if an option doesn't come around, junkyard hunting will be my summer project, the adhesive will be softer to cut through in the warmer months.

 

Woah, $1,000+ for a panel? Was that for the t-top or hardtop?

 

No, I think you misunderstood. When the item was still being made by GM, it was an order-by-demand part from Classic Industries. I'm sure GM was their supplier since nobody else made them, but now that GM has dis'coed the part you won't be able to get it from anyone (unless some parts house has one on the shelf from a long time ago).