The GMMG Registry Forum

GM Bulletin #03-08-98-001A



1999-2002 Camaro & Trans Am



This is a common issues with 4th Gen's. I'm sure JD will have information to add.



From: "Jim Smith"

To: "G Scott Settlemire"

Date: 05/15/2012 03:01 PM





Hi Scott:



I’m wondering if you can be of any help?



I have the paint / bubble problem on 3 of my 7 GMMG 4th Gen Camaro’s & TA’s



GM Bulletin # 03-08-98-001A



I’ve been asking every dealer in the area if they can help me out & I am not having any luck.



Is there any chance you could assist or point me in the right direction?



Reply from Scott – May 15, 2012… Hi Jim!



You're not going to like my answer......



We stopped covering the issue about 2 years ago -



I'm attaching a copy of the note I just rec'd from our Quality Manager -



I know that it's near impossible to find the Non-T-top roof panel - the 'basket handle" --



I believe, may still be available via some dealerships.......



I feel your pain - as our Historic Fleet is suffering the same fate.........



Scott's reply:



No is the only answer available.



Sanding and repainting will not prevent it from reoccurring.



It is the migration of the urethane adhesive used to attach the roof and deck lid.



The only corrected identified in the bulletin was to replace the panel.



Unfortunately there are not any panels left.



There may be some roof bow at a few dealerships but the deck lids have been gone for some time unless someone has come up with one from the aftermarket.



I checked into this in 2009 & at the time this company has a fix. Jim Smith



Sail Panel bubbles - Fiberglass panel - link -http://6litereaterdesigns.com/store/pro ... cts_id=241

Below is the actual General Motors T.S.B. (Technical Service Bulletin).



http://ls1tech.com/forums/attachments/p ... 6-roof.pdf



And below is the fiberglass sail panel aftermarket replacement part since you can no longer get these from General Motors/Chevrolet.



http://6litereaterdesigns.com/store/pro ... cts_id=241



And below is the fiberglass roof panel aftermarket replacement part that you would need to combine with the sail panel above since you can no longer get these from General Motors/Chevrolet.



http://6litereaterdesigns.com/store/pro ... cts_id=226

I had my hoop replaced by my favorite body shop . .



Still have two pieces of it for prosperity sake.

I have owned many T/A's over the past 10 years. I have had to replace 4 of them so far. Not a cheap process. I was very lucky in 09 to find a GM replacement sail panel from a dealership for my Blackbird. I purchased one of the sail panels from 6Litereaters designs a 1 1/2 ago when they did their trial run because I still owned 4 T/A's at the time. I'm down to 2 now but last summer at the car shows I noticed my Mecham T/A "sweating" a little bit in spots. Here we go again. At least I have one in the garage ready to go. In my opinion GM should NOT have stopped making the roofs, sail panels AND door panels because they KNEW there were issues with them. Now I have to pray my door panels dont crack.

I have been thinking about ordering a sail panel from 6Litereaters designs for the Dale Earnhardt Intimidator SS I just acquired this past October. Do you think that the quality of the 6Litereaters designs sail panel is as good as the GM OEM part?



I too had to replace the ENTIRE roof on my 2002 ZL-1 Supercar a few years back. One of the local Chevrolet dealerships that I have purchased other cars at did this for me as a "favor". They didn't charge me for the part OR the labor to paint it or to cut out the old roof and install the new one however, they said they would never do another one. When I acquired the Dale Earnhardt car, I asked the body shop manager if he would do this one for me and that I would acquire the part since they were no longer available from General Motors and I would just need them to paint it, cut the old sail panel out and install the new one and his reply was.......................if it was anyone else......................NO.............but for you.....................yeah.................we'd do it for YOU.



Here are some pictures of when they did my ZL-1 Supercar a few years back.



































And just like Andy, I saved the two pieces where they cut out where the T-Tops would be "if" it was a T-Top car instead of a hardtop.

I agree Blackbird #13. GM should have these parts available to Pontiac and Chevy owners. I never knew about these issues when I bought my cars! It does scare me because both repairs look costly! J.D. how great is it that you know people that will fix this for you. It sounds like most people don't want to fix this sail panel problem anymore.

I have the same problem on 3 of my GMMG's. GM should step up & help us out. Maybe Scott Settlemire would have an idea? Jim

Jim....................I seriously doubt that GM is going to be of any help to us. We're talking about cars that ARE AT LEAST 11 model years old now. Chevrolet/G.M.'s focus now is on the new Camaro.

Good information here. Thanks for posting the pictures as well.



A few questions... So does the culprit appear to be sunlight (heat) or is it just age? Has anyone tried the aftermarket panels?

Thanks for posting the pictures J.D. My Blackbird is just starting to show signs of this on the sail panel.





I really wonder after 11 years if the glue they used to attach these would finally be done with its chemical process now and a guy could just sand and re-clear the factory panel? Especially on a white car that the sun would not bake as much? Or does the glue reactivate its self when heated up and start to mess with the clear coat again? Before I have my sail panel replaced I am going to have my favorite body/paint guy try this.



Jeff G. what are your thoughts on this topic?