C7 Boby Panel Fit Issues and the Rear Black facia

[Greg C]

C7 Body Panel Fit Issues and the Rear Black facia

First I want to say that I am a C5 owner and that GM has hit a Grand Slam Home Run with the C7. I just love the car.
Body Panel fit issues: The C7's are starting to show up at the local cruise nights and shows now that more of them are being sold. A couple days ago I had my first chance to really closely look a C7 Roaster over (it was Yellow). And as I looked it over the one thing I noticed a lot of with the misalignment of some of the body panels. Corners that were not even, one panel lower or higher then the one it butted up against. The bottom of both doors were not flush with the rocker panel on both sides.....that seemed a bit strange but maybe that's the was it is designed? Seams not even (one end wider then the other...etc...). Anyway thought that a bit strange and said to myself maybe it is some thing that the new owner is going to have fixed....did not mention anything to him and just let it go to maybe it is a one time problem.
So today I was at a another show and parked across from me was a C7 Black "T-top" Coupe. So I looked that one over and that one had more problems with the panel fit then the yellow one had. Is it just me or are there "growing" pains going on at the Vette Plant when it comes to body panel fit quality.

And again I think it is a great car.....wish I had the money right now to trade my C5 in.

And as for the rear black facia...that is the only thing on the C7 that I do not like but today I saw a red one with the rear facia paint to match and it looked great.

Any thought I would add my "2 cents" here.....hope I did not offend anyone and I hope that down the road the body panel fit issue will be corrected.

A future C7 owner (hopefully)

 

[catbert]

The C7 generally has assembly quality issues I haven't seen in quite a few years. I don't know whether it's the assembly guys or if the C7 was under-engineered or tolerances are killing the finished product, but some cars I've seen look like they were put together in shop class. In most respects, I think your observations are spot-on...except for the t-top. They haven't has t-tops in many years. It's simply a removable top. Assembly engineering and BG needs to get their heads together and tighten up before critics and reviewers get over the love affair and see the warts.

 

[67vet]

I'll have to agree with Catbert.
The warts are there but I still love my C7 - so far.

Roger

 

[oldtee]

Not sure why. I watched how they go thru the factory and they panel fit gets close attention at many places on the line. Maybe the rear bumper soft undersides is the problem. Maybe if the car gets a little bump in the rear the absorption stuff they use caused some problems. I doubt they leave the factory with misaligned panels.

 

[catbert]

Not sure why. I watched how they go thru the factory and they panel fit gets close attention at many places on the line. Maybe the rear bumper soft undersides is the problem. Maybe if the car gets a little bump in the rear the absorption stuff they use caused some problems. I doubt they leave the factory with misaligned panels.

That doesn't explain hood and door gaps. I think BG is in the "get the sh*t out the door" mode, and that would be a management call. They are putting a lot of cars on the street with essentially one shift. Panel gaps are fixable, but it takes time.