Location: Yuba City, California .... The BIG Cowpie!
So, did anybody at Mecca (The Sequel) happen to ask if GM is going to offer a tinted plexiglass targa top for the coupe as an aftermarket accessory?
Thinking about the terrible sight-seeing visibility of this car, a tinted, transparent top would completely solve my visibility issues. The top may not stow in the car, but I could run with the transparent top on trips. So while I may not have the top off while cruising Yosemite Valley, I would be able to see the mountain tops and the waterfalls anyway -- rain or shine.
The engineering is already done on this. All they have to do is replace the Aluminimum with plexiglass.
Any rumors on this or to early to tell? They used to do this for Mustangs and Camaros. No clue if the current Corvette has an available transparent top...
__________________ Solstice GXP Coupe You still don't need a trunk to haul ass...
even at Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas!
Location: Yuba City, California .... The BIG Cowpie!
I would be happy to keep the one GM has already engineered. Just clear. Put it on before a road trip and I get great forward visibility rain or shine.
I'm not saying a two piece would be bad. That would be great, but would cost more and would give you one more plane for leaks. I'm thinking it really increases complexity over the one-piece top.
I've seen T-tops which are two seperate single top units. I've never seen a singe top that breaks down into two pieces. What past cars have had such a top? Has any manufacturer ever successfully engineered such a piece with minimal leaks, both water and wind? I am not aware of one.
__________________ Solstice GXP Coupe You still don't need a trunk to haul ass...
even at Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas!
The engineering is already done on this. All they have to do is replace the Aluminimum with plexiglass.
I don't think it's that simple. The Corvette clear top has a substantial frame, the clear plastic doesn't have to support much force. For the Solstice coupe, the whole top is probably integral to its structure, you can't just cut a hole in it, without beefing up the frame - do it with lightweight strong materials, it's too expensive per car.
I'm somewhat shocked that a clear top isn't immediately available with the Solstice coupe. GM targas, like Corvette, Camaro and Firebird, have had clear tops for decades. To omit the option in a halo like Solstice is a pretty bad oversight, and to not be able to carry the hard top with you is really dumb. Forgiveable, sure, but dumb.
Like the idea, but did not come up in any discussions I was part of. I asked about a trapeze for your garage to remove and store the top and was told at least one aftermarket vendor was working on one. Maybe its just me, but this appears to be a bigger top than the one on the vettes -- was told it weights 31 pounds.
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Mysterious GXP
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I don't have a garage for my Sol, but I drive top-down even for the 10-mile ride to work and back home every day. I don't have any issues with the rag top, it only takes me seconds to operate, either way, down or up. But the coupe....a thirty-pound piece of sheet metal that I would have to take off, carry inside, then have to buy an extra cloth top to use for rain or parking.....that takes me right out of the market for the coupe. Either make it stowable in the car or just give me a moon-roof!!!
I'm thinking GM already has an arrangement with an aftermarket supplier. As far as offering it in the first year, hey they have to have some reason to make you want to order a new 2010, 11, 12.
Now since they are also offering a canvas folding top (as a dealer ordered option?), I would think an enterprising supplier would figure out a way to insert a tinted plastic panel. Jeep Wranglers have had plastic side windows for decades, so a foldable see-through tinted top should be doable. It probably will come down to someone being able to make a good business case to develope it. I think a company called Bestop is the supplier for Jeep. Shoot them a letter suggesting they develop one.
I don't think it's that simple. The Corvette clear top has a substantial frame, the clear plastic doesn't have to support much force. For the Solstice coupe, the whole top is probably integral to its structure, you can't just cut a hole in it, without beefing up the frame - do it with lightweight strong materials, it's too expensive per car.
I'm somewhat shocked that a clear top isn't immediately available with the Solstice coupe. GM targas, like Corvette, Camaro and Firebird, have had clear tops for decades. To omit the option in a halo like Solstice is a pretty bad oversight, and to not be able to carry the hard top with you is really dumb. Forgiveable, sure, but dumb.
Considering you can driver without the targa at all, I really don't think it would be necessary to have any structure to it. All it would have to do is latch in correctly.
On the canvas top they showed... it will need work. Granted, it was an early prototype and far from production. However, what I saw at Wilmington, it would flap and create a ton of noise as is. They have development work to do on it! Hopefully, they do it!
Considering you can driver without the targa at all, I really don't think it would be necessary to have any structure to it. All it would have to do is latch in correctly.
The top itself is subject to stress and strain that, in the worse cases, may cause it to crack. I was looking over at CorvetteForum for clear top issues, and, came upon this thread, which includes a couple of anecdotes about clear tops cracking. These are on the newest generation Corvette, which also had the problem with the colored roof panels that weren't glued on well, and would fly off.
I know driving around in my 1994 Camaro equipped with T-tops, t
