Hot Garages and fibreglass bodies

[PeterF]

Hi everyone,
I'm a new CAC member so apologies if this matter has been covered before. I am from QLD, Australia and in summer it gets very hot and humid. Commonly days close to the 100F mark. My garage gets stinking hot during the summer months. I can leave the door open when I'm home, but of course it must be closed when I'm not. I have heard that vette bodies can distort or warp in the heat. The story I've heard is doors unable to open or close properly for cars stored in hot garages.

I'll be on the hunt for my dream car soon, but maybe i should plan on better ventilation and maybe cooling for my vehicle's home. Is what I have heard a myth or something I should be concerned about? thanks very much Peter :confused

 

[Yoda]

Peter and Welcome to the community

I moved this down to the General Corvette Lounge, it should get more "eyes" on here and more response's

As for the smell, what comes to mind is several things... first if you have your breaker/fuse panel in the garage check them, each one. I have encountered where a Breaker is in the process of failing and the smell is like between something dead and something real sour.. If you store chemical in the garage, eg. cleaners, paints etc that could be a source, or something stored in the attic of the garage... many other things could cause a "smell" just need start a precess of elimination by removing items and see if the smell leaves or stays

As for the Corvette swelling up or shrinking down due to extreme heat or extreme cold... I don't think you have anything to worry about I lived in Scottsdale, AZ for a while and though it was not extreme humidity it has EXTREME Heat.. and I've lived in EXTREME Cold places and never had any issues with the Corvette Doors, Cracking or splitting... actually the fiber glass is pretty resilient, but as anything I suppose it ages but I have never heard of issue with any generation having any serious issues..

Others have more experience in the restoration and repair than I do and if I am way off base I expect to be corrected

Enjoy your search for your

Bud

 

[XLR8]

Hey Peter! How's the hunt for a Vette going? I can't speak for garage kept because I don't have one, a garage that is. But we certainly do have heat and humidity here on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi! My C5 is my daily driver so half the year it sits in a paved parking lot under direct sunlight 12 hours a day within 300 yards of the Gulf of Mexico. During summer, our temps easily rise above the 100+ mark and the humidity commonly stays in the 90+ range.

I haven't had any warping or distortion issues with mine. In point of fact, we have harbors full of fiberglass boats that seem to weather the, well, weather okay too.

And something else that comes to mind... my Corvette sat out in my front yard through the meteorological direct assault known as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with no noticeable problems. Of course, don't think I didn't sweat blood worrying until it was over. :L

Jane Ann

 

[6880 Mike]

...I have heard that vette bodies can distort or warp in the heat...

Not true.

...The story I've heard is doors unable to open or close properly for cars stored in hot garages...

Another Corvette Myth.

The orignal paint and primer coats on C3s were baked in ovens in the paint shop. These temperatures were higher than anything you will experience in your gargage.

 

[PeterF]

Had a feeling it was a myth

:coolThanks for the responses. It makes sense that the body has reasonable integrity otherwise no one would have bought them and GM would not have persisted.

Off to a car show tomorrow , been looking forward to it as local vette clubs should be there. Hope all is well out there, Peter

By the way "stinking hot" is an expression here that means VERY hot, I'll need to be a bit careful using Aussie lingo!

 

[XLR8]

........... I'll need to be a bit careful using Aussie lingo!

It's okay... we all speak Corvette.

 

[PeterF]

Still vette hunting

Hi everyone, just an update on my australian search for a vette. I have ceased looking for a 70 to 72 as they are getting beyond my budget for anything I'd like to own. So I have shifted to 80 to 82 C3s. Looked at one today (an 80), took for a test drive, it was OK to drive but had some issues to think over. I like the model though so will consider it and I don't need to rush, its a buyer's market. A question= the front bumper and rear spoiler were both quite warped. the owner said this is common as they are plastic and you can buy fibreglass replacements which keep their shape. sounds right? Hope all of you are well, Peter