[The Alien]

hi folks!

I just completed a new trunk divider. With that I can use more trunk and keep safe the top when folded.




As many of us, I really didn't like the original panel; it doesn't allow to use the extra space underneath the folded top and it covers the trunk light.

With this new one, I can use half of the whole trunk, with that cut in the middle I can use the trunk light (I've also added a LED strip for a better illumination anyways)

Spoiler alert: I forgot to get the dimensions of the panel and the stick but I will do it as soon I have time.

Here's what I've done:
Stick from Home Depot. Actually at the end I used a bigger diameter, the one in the picture was bending too much.


it should be the 1/2" one :
https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-x...1248/203360192

cut 5" of a 1" PVC


and get a spring (I love Home Depot )
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt...6087/202045468



Rubber cap


I couldn't find a washer that fit the inside of the cap and since I don't trash a thing, some old Boomers tokens came handy


thermal glue for the spring


and superglue for the PVC



I also glued a small velcro square on top of the cap so it will not slip over the trunk liner.


I taped the stick but it can be painted for a better result.
and by the way that spot is perfect to lock the stick. perfect height


small box for the panel, I used two layers of it



then open the top cover. you will see a place where you can hook the net, on both sides (see blue circle)


I had these hooks with a cargo net but they can be bought also on ebay:



Please note that at the end I removed the plastic hooks from the net, they were not needed.


Unfortunately the black trunk liner I bought was very poor quality, it can be done better:





for measurement, cut holes for the two clips on the top


Instead of cutting / damage the original trunk divider, I bought new retainers. they are exactly the same used for the floor mat on Ford and Chevrolet cars:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-M...72.m2749.l2649



Use the rear clip and push it on the panel in order to see a circle we will use as reference for the right cut:



and then press the two parts together (left side in the picture)


for the right side, we need to add a small magnet in order to make the sensor work:



as you can see, the magnet should be positioned at 1.30 o'clock and possibly use a washer-like magnet (toroidal). a plain magnet may work only in one side.

cut a small hole in the panel at 1.30 (outer side) or 10.30 inner side as in the picture



then apply the retainer as done already for the left side (you can cover the magnet with a small section of trunk liner.



going back to the stick and net, tape the extremity of the net on the stick and roll it.


the amount of rolled net depends on the net size you are going to buy.

mine is this one and I've rolled it for one full turn.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cargo-Net-f...72.m2749.l2649

some zip ties to keep it in place


then puncture the panel for more zip ties.
Please note in this picture, you may make these holes a little more internally. I later figured out it was hitting the PVC/ spring assembly and it was not working as I wanted:









Install the new assembly in the trunk and connect the panel to the clips on the top:




then partially activate the top movement, opening the top cover and access to the trunk bay.
apply the other side of the net using the hooks previously installed





and here is the final result, the folded top stays safe, away from objects and the net is half inch below it, with no interference:





just to recap, the magnet for the sensor is there


here is the new space I can safely use now


the net helps me to see thru




and if I need to use the whole trunk, the stick, panel and net can be easily folded and put all the way back in the trunk without losing space.
a rigid panel may be used instead of the net but it was too complicated to do it and the net helps to see what is actually below it.

I hope all this would be helpful to someone and please let me know if you have any question.

[Marco Falcone]

Wow! That’s a lot of work, but looks like it turned out pretty good! Seriously, great job.

There is a good bit more room under the stowed top than I would’ve thought. We were able to put one of those zip-up plastic suit bags with a couple of sport coats, a shirt and a dress underneath, as wells as some other items without issue.

I’m going to have spend some real time reviewing and thinking on what you did here, and see how much of it I can re-create. I might go with something harder/more rigid than a net under the top, as I’m a little paranoid about damaging it. We used to have an SLK320 with the retractable hardtop, and we punched a hole in the headliner from having something sticking in up. (Was small and the repair turned out fine, but I’d rather not repeat it.)

I’m thinking a one piece “hard” but jointed divider that attaches at the correct height behind the rear seats/back of the trunk. It goes under the top, then around a bar like you created at the front edge of the stowed top, then up from there to connect to the factory upper points. (Where the sensor and such is.)

I’m thinking of getting high-temp stable plastic sheet, about 1/8” thick, cutting to proper width and then into 4, maybe 5 segments for the flexibility. Then gluing them down into an a sandwich between 2 pieces of automotive-grade fabric. Then have the fabric stitched
around the edges and in between the segments. Could re-use use the original top grommets of the OEM divider. Probably use a hook set up like you did for the rear...

DAMN!!! My wife is going to lose to me even more “Camaro time!”

[The Alien]

Originally Posted by Marco Falcone

I might go with something harder/more rigid than a net under the top, as I’m a little paranoid about damaging it.

I agree, a rigid panel is way better.

I just started with the net because I wanted try a fully reversible panel.

This one can be taken out with no trace. With all the issues I had this first month of life with Chevy, I want to avoid they will use it as excuse for not honoring the warranty even for non-roof related issues

The horizontal panel should work great, I was thinking to attach at the end of the trunk (back seats) two small wooden bars to use as 'rail' or slot in order to keep the board at the right height.
the rail idea should be good also for the side.
I this way, there is no need for the stick I used, just slide the panel in the rails when needed.

And since the panel should have the same size of the trunk itself, when we need the whole trunk we can just lay it down to the trunk floor with no space sacrifices.

I just was not ready to punch holes in the liner for now

[WCoolBreeze]

I have a suggestion for you. You might want to confer with Ofer at Gen5DIY and see if what you have created could be made into a kit for other convertible owners. Ofer does DIY kits for both Gen5 and Gen6 Camaros, and he also does kits for other GM cars and trucks

Walt B.

[The Alien]

Originally Posted by WCoolBreeze

I have a suggestion for you. You might want to confer with Ofer at Gen5DIY and see if what you have created could be made into a kit for other convertible owners. Ofer does DIY kits for both Gen5 and Gen6 Camaros, and he also does kits for other GM cars and trucks

Walt B.

Thanks, I will take a look to him.

I want to wait to complete another version with the rigid panel replacing the net.
I'm almost done, I just received the trunk mat 5 minutes ago and I will post the pictures when completed.

[The Alien]

I've just done it. That was hard

I've made a new version of this Trunk Divider. This time with rigid boards and I've removed the net.

Here's the result:
Now the top is separated from objects in the trunk in a better way



Now, inside the trunk, I can use all the space under the top without issues.
In case I need to carry long stuff (but not too tall :P ), Configuration #1




However, if I have small objects, in this way they will roll over all around the trunk and it will be annoying.
Here comes the Configuration #2



The movable panel and the upper one use magnets to keep the movable one in position (as you can see on the previous picture, it's 'stored' attached to the upper panel.

In case you need the whole trunk space, you can either keep everything at home :P or put the panels at the back of the trunk (Configuration #3? :P )




Here are the parts:



and since they use magnets, they are easy to stow:





I'm going to add a new post with all the details during the preparation.
It will be long, in case you don't have patience, stop here

actually I didn't take picture of all the steps this time. This one was my 4th attempt.
I've tried with an accordion panel, panel with rods, hooks and other insane ideas but none of them worked.
When I started this 'magnetic' project I wasn't sure it was working anymore and I stopped taking pictures at every step.

however I will share everything I have and I hope it will be useful. Stay tuned

[VJChevelle67]

Originally Posted by The Alien

hi folks!

I just completed a new trunk divider. With that I can use more trunk and keep safe the top when folded.




As many of us, I really didn't like the original panel; it doesn't allow to use the extra space underneath the folded top and it covers the trunk light.

With this new one, I can use half of the whole trunk, with that cut in the middle I can use the trunk light (I've also added a LED strip for a better illumination anyways)

Spoiler alert: I forgot to get the dimensions of the panel and the stick but I will do it as soon I have time.

Here's what I've done:
Stick from Home Depot. Actually at the end I used a bigger diameter, the one in the picture was bending too much.


it should be the 1/2" one :
https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-x...1248/203360192

cut 5" of a 1" PVC


and get a spring (I love Home Depot )
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt...6087/202045468



Rubber cap


I couldn't find a washer that fit the inside of the cap and since I don't trash a thing, some old Boomers tokens came handy


thermal glue for the spring


and superglue for the PVC



I also glued a small velcro square on top of the cap so it will not slip over the trunk liner.


I taped the stick but it can be painted for a better result.
and by the way that spot is perfect to lock the stick. perfect height


small box for the panel, I used two layers of it



then open the top cover. you will see a place where you can hook the net, on both sides (see blue circle)


I had these hooks with a cargo net but they can be bought also on ebay:



Please note that at the end I removed the plastic hooks from the net, they were not needed.


Unfortunately the black trunk liner I bought was very poor quality, it can be done better:





for measurement, cut holes for the two clips on the top


Instead of cutting / damage the original trunk divider, I bought new retainers. they are exactly the same used for the floor mat on Ford and Chevrolet cars:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-M...72.m2749.l2649



Use the rear clip and push it on the panel in order to see a circle we will use as reference for the right cut:



and then press the two parts together (left side in the picture)


for the right side, we need to add a small magnet in order to make the sensor work:



as you can see, the magnet should be positioned at 1.30 o'clock and possibly use a washer-like magnet (toroidal). a plain magnet may work only in one side.

cut a small hole in the panel at 1.30 (outer side) or 10.30 inner side as in the picture



then apply the retainer as done already for the left side (you can cover the magnet with a small section of trunk liner.



going back to the stick and net, tape the extremity of the net on the stick and roll it.


the amount of rolled net depends on the net size you are going to buy.

mine is this one and I've rolled it for one full turn.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cargo-Net-f...72.m2749.l2649

some zip ties to keep it in place


then puncture the panel for more zip ties.
Please note in this picture, you may make these holes a little more internally. I later figured out it was hitting the PVC/ spring assembly and it was not working as I wanted:









Install the new assembly in the trunk and connect the panel to the clips on the top:




then partially activate the top movement, opening the top cover and access to the trunk bay.
apply the other side of the net using the hooks previously installed





and here is the final result, the folded top stays safe, away from objects and the net is half inch below it, with no interference:





just to recap, the magnet for the sensor is there


here is the new space I can safely use now


the net helps me to see thru




and if I need to use the whole trunk, the stick, panel and net can be easily folded and put all the way back in the trunk without losing space.
a rigid panel may be used instead of the net but it was too complicated to do it and the net helps to see what is actually below it.

I hope all this would be helpful to someone and please let me know if you have any question.

nice job looks good

[Marco Falcone]

That looks awesome!

I really like the extra piece to keep small objects from sliding under the top. And with magnets. Perfect. Almost exactly what I had envisioned, but the extra piece... Brilliant.

Can you post what magnets you used and where you got them?

Something I will be working on in the next few weeks.

Thank you for all the work you put into this.

[The Alien]

Originally Posted by Marco Falcone

That looks awesome!

I really like the extra piece to keep small objects from sliding under the top. And with magnets. Perfect. Almost exactly what I had envisioned, but the extra piece... Brilliant.

Can you post what magnets you used and where you got them?

Something I will be working on in the next few weeks.

Thank you for all the work you put into this.

Thank you Marco.

the magnets are the 0.7in Disc Magnets.
I bought them to Home Depot ( I was there for the boxes anyways )

https://www.homedepot.com/p/MASTER-M...47HD/202526369

I've seen cheaper bulks on ebay as well:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-25-50-10...item236e7def0e

About the magnets:

I would have used something bigger than those 0.7in for under-the-liner application.

They are strong but with two layers of liner(one on each panel) it starts to fade.
For the two small front panels it was ok because they were in vertical but it didn't work on the 3 pieces horizontal panel. for that I had to use over-the-liner applications.

maybe a 1" magnet would be better or, if you buy a bulk on ebay, use two of them in one of the two panels.

If I have time tonight I will post the details and I will show you what I'm talking about.

In addition, I didn't do a lot of material research for the 3 piece panels.
I'm sure, instead of my cardboard, using a light plastic material will have the same rigidity and, if black, doesn't even need the liner layer, just glue the magnets

[The Alien]

Originally Posted by VJChevelle67

nice job looks good

Thank you VJ, I'm happy to help and ask any question you want.

[The Alien]

I'm having some issues to upload the pictures, my album is full and the only way to put them as attachments at the end of the message.

I will try to put the details following the picture sequence:

Pic1) I used (again) a simple cardboard, two layers. it's rigid enough for the purpose.

Pic2) I just taped the two layers together but if you want extra rigidity, you can glue them

Pic3 and 4)) I had to cut the bottom right corner to fit the 'bump' on the car's trunk floor

Pic 5) the panel should be tall enough to overlay the upper panel for about 1.5 inches

Pic6) mark the overlay and apply the magnets.
NOTE: I cut the cardboard and inserted the magnets under the fabric liner but they lose strength, it's a little borderline, it depends on how thick is the liner you are going to use. The magnets are 0.7in. I will suggest use at least 1" magnets or 2 0.7" piled up if you want to hide them under the liner.
Otherwise, a single 0.7 is enough if exposed, glued directly on the board and removed the liner over it

Pic 7) lay the two panels in position and just hover another magnet on the back of the other panel, it will 'attach itself' in the right position.
Again, I inserted the magnet cutting the board but the are weakening too much (still work though)

Pic 8) the blue circles point the location of the 4 magnets to apply on the upper panel.
The top ones are to keep the second panel in a 'stored' position; the bottom ones when you release it to close the bottom part of the trunk.

I'm going to make a different post for the 3piece panel, I don't want to confuse you with the pictures

[The Alien]

And here are some details for the 3 piece panel:

Pic1)
I used 3 pieces for the panel because more than 3 the panel was flexing too much and it couldn't stay in position. Less than 3, it was too big to store when not needed.

Pic2)
the two side panels will go below the center one and they will be attached with magnets, the same I used for the front panel (0.7" neodymium magnets)

Pic3 and 4)
I had to fight a little to find the right shape for the side panels but fortunately you don't need to be too much precise, the important is wide enough to hold on the supports you need to attach to the side trunk carpet

Pic 5)
I didn't use actual supports but simple hooks, the one from the cargo net, more precisely:

Pic 6 and 7) I put one of these hooks on the small removable panel, battery side, so you can also see how I did it, pretty straightforward though:


Pic 8 and 9) here is the position of the hooks, low enough to hold the panel without affecting the folded top. The rod you see on the back is just to give the panel more support on the back. The ideal is to add more hooks on the back carpet but I'm getting lazy and I was able to recycle the rod from my previous version of divider.

Pic 10)
I've put some 'reinforcements' on the central panel to hold better in place the side ones. It will dramatically stop the flexing

Pic 11)
I've added another magnet on the center. It will attach the 3 piece panel with the aforementioned front panel

Pic 12)
So, here I made mistake: I've originally inserted the magnets inside the panel but the 0.7 are not strong enough. you should get a bigger magnet if you want to hide them under the liner.

Pic 13) To solve my issue, I've added an additional magnet for each attachment. 2 magnets in the central panel (12 in total) and single magnet on the side panel.


at the end the panel will look like this



and it's easy to fold and store

[Marco Falcone]

This. Is. Brilliant!

Now that I see this, I might just use bare black Kydex for the panel that be will under the top.

I found another OEM trunk divider for cheap, so I bought it. (Now I have 2.)

I’m thinking about trying to mate the Kydex panel up to the top part of the OEM trunk divider. Then have it go around a tension-bar in the front so it stays rigid around that front/lower edge of the top. Then use a bottom piece of the OEM divider with magnets to make that drop-down piece. (LOVE that idea.)

I will use another tension bar for the rear of the trunk, but I will want to make it a more semi-permanent mount.

Alien: Thanks for the links to the magnets. Can you send me a link to those bolt-in net-clips you used on the sides?

Mille Grazie!

[The Alien]

Originally Posted by Marco Falcone

Now that I see this, I might just use bare black Kydex for the panel that be will under the top.

yeah, I think it will be way more rigid and lighter. I guess you will need just two magnets per side instead of 3.

I used the cardboard because I wan't sure it could work but a plastic material would be better.

I’m thinking about trying to mate the Kydex panel up to the top part of the OEM trunk divider. Then have it go around a tension-bar in the front so it stays rigid around that front/lower edge of the top.

Technically you don't need the tension bar for the front, you can mate the kydex panel and the oem trunk divider with magnets as well.

For mine, I've used a single magnet on the center panel:

(see the pictures below)

I will use another tension bar for the rear of the trunk, but I will want to make it a more semi-permanent mount.

yep, I was thinking a sort of 'rails' wood made but it was too complicated for my laziness .

in case you need it, I was thinking to make the rails with this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-4-in-x...304U/204354380

I recycled the hooks I've already had and they will be useful in the future if I want to use the whole trunk and use some side nets.

Here's the link for the hooks, there is plenty of them on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4x-Universa...argo+net+.TRS0

don't get scared about the screws, they are removable and you can use just the plastic piece.

please let me know if you need more details, I will be glad to help.