What if there never is a top fix?

[95birdible]

I just got thinking with all the problems and now bow #5 seems to be the flavor of the month, what happens if GM cannot solve the problems? What if they discontinue the convertible for 2013 because of this? Where does this leave us?
Just a thought!!

[CooG]

TOPLESS!

[Nutbutt]

There is always a fix, it's just what's it going to take to do it. And I'm not talking money but extent of modification. With the number of these cars out there they won't do anything drastic.

[95birdible]

Let's hope not. But a business is out to make money. Take my car or yours Nutt, they didn't make a dime and have actually put out more fixing them. If it continues a business would have no choice to either get a complete fix to stop the bleeding or cut their losses and quit making them.

[Drago77]

I would imagine a class action law suit and some mass buy-back/lemon law... I also think that would all but kill the Chevy name. Perhaps I'm just being (surprisingly ) optimistic, but I believe, after 2 model years now- they're too far in to scrap it. Even if they discontinued it now due to cost factors of a "correct" fix... they'd have to properly repair the damaged vehicles ... not sure of the sales numbers but its gotta be too big a chunk of change to just say"screw it"...

Hopefully...

[Drago77]

On a side note - I've been lucky enough not to experience the #5 bow issue... what exactly is happening? I've read the signs of it going bad, but what's the cause/problem? ( I.e.- bow snapping? Bending? Bracket breaking?)

Just curious if its another mystery issue like our rub marks

[95birdible]

Production on the MY 11 was around 7,500 I heard. For 2012 it should be about 10% of production or around 9,000 cars. If they don't get this problem fixed soon we have more than enough for a class action on the Facebook site. I even had an attorney contact me about it. Said not interested at this time.

[pincoin]

I can almost guarantee there will be no conv in the next gen. The production is so low to justify it. I didnt even get mine yet, I know of the potential problems but will live with them. Hopefully GM will make them right and I believe they will.
Potentially someone will have a fix.

[SnowVert]

Have faith....

[IROCanSS]

Originally Posted by 95birdible

I just got thinking with all the problems and now bow #5 seems to be the flavor of the month, what happens if GM cannot solve the problems? What if they discontinue the convertible for 2013 because of this? Where does this leave us?
Just a thought!!

It leaves you with a POS top they couldnt figure out how to fix. BUT... they will fix it. Convertibles have been around for what... 100 years? They will figure it out.

[Wantconvertible]

Originally Posted by CooG

TOPLESS!

Now that's funny

[Nutbutt]

cam62, thanks for your post. It saved me from calling someone an idiot during the holidays.
As for convertible model in the next gen. If you look at the other convertible sales you will find that camaro convertible sales are slightly better than other comparable cars from the data that has been estimated. Chevy will continue to produce the camaro convertible.
And contrary to belief the top issues are not isolated to just a few here. There are tops out there with no problems. But if you read the thread there are really four issues out there to do with the top. Each issue seems to lead to another when the fix is implemented by people not familiar with the camaro top.

[SSAINT]

Originally Posted by Drago77

On a side note - I've been lucky enough not to experience the #5 bow issue... what exactly is happening? I've read the signs of it going bad, but what's the cause/problem? ( I.e.- bow snapping? Bending? Bracket breaking?)

Just curious if its another mystery issue like our rub marks

It took about 6000 miles for it to happen to me...no warning just a mild pop when putting the top down. Didnt really think anything about it at the time. Closed the roof and parked it. Next day i saw the gap. I forgot to ask what actually happens to the bow, when I saw my car with the rear interior totally stripped.

[woodj]

Remember the ill fated Nissan Van? After many years of recalls Nissan threw in the towel and attempted to buy back all of the vans left on the road. This was around 1992 or so. The vans were beset with many problems with among other things: radiators, alternators, emissions, seat belts, engine wiring and other nasty things. Anyway Nissan offered to give me $2300 for my van which was wholesale value. Big deal, and besides by then they had replaced all of the bad stuff and the van was doing pretty well. They wanted to crush all of the vans. Do you really want GM to buy back your Camaro Convertible and crush it? Would you want to sit there and watch them do it? It's a cruel world sometimes but cruelty to Camaro Convertibles can be prevented.

[Shardik2SS]

Originally Posted by woodj

Do you really want GM to buy back your Camaro Convertible and crush it? Would you want to sit there and watch them do it? It's a cruel world sometimes but cruelty to Camaro Convertibles can be prevented.

Sure why not? After all they are just care and not living, breathing organisms. I wouldn't just watch, I'd ask if I could take part. If my car is going to be crushed I'd like to be the one "putting it down."

[woodj]

Originally Posted by Shardik2SS

Sure why not? After all they are just care and not living, breathing organisms. I wouldn't just watch, I'd ask if I could take part. If my car is going to be crushed I'd like to be the one "putting it down."

You should be ashamed of yourself. You even have an RJT.

[Baba]

Here's a question I don't think anyone has thought of investigating:

What about the company called NCE that converted an Inferno Orange Camaro Coupe into a "prototype: Convertible a couple of years ago? I wonder if they'd be a good source to approach about a good top maker. Worth a shot, anyway.

[babaron]

If we think back to 2009 when the 5th gen came out, we were told that the vert was close behind and then it kept being put off and put off till spring of 2011.

It was because the top maker that GM had planned to make the tops went under and they had to find an alternate. I'm wondering if they went with a lesser company in order to give us what we waited so long for instead of saying we are going to wait till we have a maker that's good enough for us.

I'll bet they are regretting the decision to go with the current company and I hope they have found another for 2013.

[HDRDTD]

On the other hand, my Vert DID end up with the rub marks, but my dealer did an outstanding job of reolacing my top.
No rub marks since then and no other problems either.
No wind noise issues, no rib #5 issues, etc, etc

The car now has around 12k miles on it and I love it.

Even if they decide to discontinue the Vert and not make it anymore in 13, it'd just mean that the Verts we have will be a bit rarer.

[1COR.1:18]

Originally Posted by HDRDTD

On the other hand, my Vert DID end up with the rub marks, but my dealer did an outstanding job of reolacing my top.
No rub marks since then and no other problems either.
No wind noise issues, no rib #5 issues, etc, etc

Then you should let us know what dealer did such great work.

['11 cyber grey vert]

Originally Posted by HDRDTD

On the other hand, my Vert DID end up with the rub marks, but my dealer did an outstanding job of reolacing my top.
No rub marks since then and no other problems either.
No wind noise issues, no rib #5 issues, etc, etc

The car now has around 12k miles on it and I love it.

Even if they decide to discontinue the Vert and not make it anymore in 13, it'd just mean that the Verts we have will be a bit rarer.

and that dealer should hire themselves out to other dealers to teach them how to replace tops.LOL

I think GM should be holding training sessions for certain dealers approved for top replacements and make sure it is done right.

[mouse]

One Question!, since when is $43k considered a cheap car? I have the dreaded rub marks too, and have them documented, but I am not worrying about it until 3-yrs or 36k miles. whichever comes first, then I will get a new top, hopefully by then "Generous Motors" will have fix'd the problems.

[Nutbutt]

I realize there is a lot of bitching going on here but If you we're to read the entire posting as most people. You would learn a lot about the camaro convertible and what to look for if you would ever chose to go with a convertible. I for one have gathered much from this thread that I have shared with both the trim shop and dealership preventing them from implementing outdated TSBs that were out there. This info wasn't available when I had my top replaced if it were things would have been different. I hope my trials and tribulations help other vert owners make good decisions in their repair.
And if I were you and had, let's say a gas problem, I would educate myself to get it fixed correctly and not necessarily rely on the guy fixing it.

[95birdible]

Since I started this post I better comment again. That guy is a tool. First year problems I expect. Not on the 2nd year. My 2012 needed a new top after 6 weeks. Field rep was just at the dealer dropping the tops on the new 2012's and said they are worse than mine was with no miles on them.
2 tops in 3 months of ownership is just plain wrong on a 40k car. This top should last at least 10 years.
Do your damn research on the Lemon Law also. In Minnesota you just have to have your car in the shop out of service for 30 days in 2 years. I'm at 23 in 3 months. Boy that's acceptable isn't it. When it comes out of storage it's back in for a new top, water leaks, window regulator, window trim, and wind noise, All on a car that was driven for 2 months and 2000 miles. Yep, car is great. Who are we kidding. It's quality is a piece of SHIT!!! Love the car, hate the problems.

[95birdible]

Bab you just said what I have been saying all along. The original maker went out of business while GM was going thru their problems. Then they had to rush and find a new maker of the tops and mechanisms. In order to meet deadlines it was rushed out January of this year. If they would of waited and did more testing and not in the winter I don't think these problems would have occurred.
That is why the car was delayed. Remember this car was engineered from the beginning as a convertible also. So what happened? A rush to market with a poor design that wasn't tested enough in real world settings with a company that was thrown in for top production after the original went out of business.
Just my opinion but I believe is very plausible.