[lt4camaro]

Originally Posted by Lerch98

Replace the roof skin...I agree, the car will NEVER be the same. This is ####ing crazy.
The car will need to be stripped down, fixtured and cut apart.I would be cheaper, ethical, and way better for GM to give you another car.
I agree with shaboom, as all the metal in this car is structural to some point. The roof skin doesn't hold the car up, but keeps the sail panels and pillars in place as well as the inner panel. The outer and inner panels make up a structural part of your car. This is put together in the factory in a jig and welded (and glued) by robots.
This is something that a restoration body shop or major collision shop should do. The dealers body shop WILL #### it up. This is high skill level: 10.
You have multiple choices.
1) live with it (a defective car)
2) maybe try to inject adhesive between the panels. (doubt if possible)
3) get rid of that car.
4) get GM to give you another car. I would Lemon law and state you sold me a defective car with a structural flaw compromising safety.

If this was an insurance claim (like from a roll over) the insurance company would total the car.

A roof skin is just that a roof skin. The entire structural integrity is not affected. A poorly adhesively stuck roof skin can easily be cut off and replaced. The car will not have to go on a jig as the inner structure holds everything in perfect alignment. The only reason a insurance co. totals a roll over is because the car suffers inner structure damage/bends/movement/ all over . A roof skin, like a door skin can be replaced as long as there is no structure damage.

[ShaBoom]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wyndham

The roof is buckling due to expansion and contraction of the actual structural components that the roof is bonded to, as well as improper bonding in the first place. It is not a structural panel worth noting, like the front fenders - it's aesthetic...there are cross-braces under there that do to work.

Front fenders are merely a facade, not a load bearing structure.

Unibody:
Integral frame and body construction requires more than simply welding an unstressed body to a conventional frame. In a fully integrated body structure, the entire car is a load-carrying unit that handles all the loads experienced by the vehicle—forces from driving as well as cargo loads. Integral-type bodies for wheeled vehicles are typically manufactured by welding preformed metal panels and other components together, by forming or casting whole sections as one piece, or by a combination of these techniques. Although this is sometimes also referred to as a monocoque structure, because the car's outer skin and panels are made load-bearing, there are still ribs, bulkheads and box sections to reinforce the body, making the description semi-monocoque more appropriate.

The roof buckling is due to the torsional twisting of the chassis imparting loads to the now unstressed skin.

[DangerZL1]

Removing the roof would require removing the front and rear glass. I can't imagine the replacement would turn out well. I'd push for replacement through GM/dealer as hard as you can. I doubt you'd get a Lemon law on it, since it is inexcusable but repairable.

[lt4camaro]

Need to have faith in the autobody repair profession. Back glass and windshields are done everyday all day.

I would look into the possibility of the dealer body shop to remove the headliner in the car. This should expose the inner structure and the inside of the roof skin. Shouldn't be to hard to pump a structural adhesive between the skin and the supports to secure the skin. The skin should be well secured all around the perimeter. The unsecured area's should be in the middle. No glass removal necessary, no cutting or welding etc
Seats maybe removed also, but that is a piece of cake.

[IrocTodd]

I was told the same thing that Mr. Wyndham is saying by multiple body shops that the skin is like the fenders all the structural stuff is under all the aesthetic stuff. They are willing to fix and do something for me. I'm i mad about this whole roof thing hell ya!!! I'm i gonna get some $ for this huge inconvenience hell ya!!If they F*** this car up then i will pursue to get a new car for sure no doubt. I will see if i can post some pics for you guys.Car is stored for winter under my lift and i have a huge pile of snow in front of the garage so i cant pull out.

[IrocTodd]

I also have the fogging of the front windshield a little bit on humid days with the cold air cranking out. only problem with that is they didn't come up with a good fix yet from what I'm hearing

[Lerch98]

Would anybody here buy this car as a used car knowing that the roof panel has been cut out and replaced?

[IrocTodd]

yes lt4camaro i agree as long as the body shop does a awesome job i should be in good shape. I live close to the body shop that is in Terryville ct so i will be checking in every day to see progress on car

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by ShaBoom

Front fenders are merely a facade, not a load bearing structure.

Unibody:
Integral frame and body construction requires more than simply welding an unstressed body to a conventional frame. In a fully integrated body structure, the entire car is a load-carrying unit that handles all the loads experienced by the vehicle—forces from driving as well as cargo loads. Integral-type bodies for wheeled vehicles are typically manufactured by welding preformed metal panels and other components together, by forming or casting whole sections as one piece, or by a combination of these techniques. Although this is sometimes also referred to as a monocoque structure, because the car's outer skin and panels are made load-bearing, there are still ribs, bulkheads and box sections to reinforce the body, making the description semi-monocoque more appropriate.

The roof buckling is due to the torsional twisting of the chassis imparting loads to the now unstressed skin.

I'm well aware of what a unibody is.

However, there are many panels that are simply aesthetic and sheathing, even on a unibody. If you look at a "skeleton" picture of the Alpha Camaro unibody...you'll see the roof panel is little more than skin. It is bonded to the upper rails, so I'm sure there is a torsional load at some point...but it is not designed to do anything with this load...it's a thin sheet of steel!! These ripples in question being caused by expansion and contraction of the material with temperature change...and since it's bonded wrong, it's allowed to move. The structure of the vehicle will be completely unaffected by removing/replacing it.

That all said - this is a really sucky situation, and please don't mistake my comments to mean that I think it's okay the car was put out of the factory this way.

IrocTodd, good luck. Keep us updated!

[IrocTodd]

update on waves in the roof. the good news is that the dent doctor worked for now. way better than cutting car apart like they originally wanted to do. only time will tell if the waves will return once it starts getting hot out and with cool evenings hopefully that's all it needed. will update if they come back.

[Wolvie70]

I thought the roof panel was laser welded or something like that. Something a body shop can do?

[IrocTodd]

I guess they are glued and caulked from what i was told just a skin like a door skin. also a huge job to do. so we ended up trying the dent doctor first before cutting up a new car only time will tell if the waves come back. the body shop seems to think they wont come back we will see what happens this summer.

[SmAC]

What did the dent Dr do to fix it ?

[torqueaddict]

Originally Posted by Lerch98

Would anybody here buy this car as a used car knowing that the roof panel has been cut out and replaced?

If I got a decent discount, I would in a heartbeat. Like mentioned above, the roof panel isn't a major support. And if it's bonded correctly, there should be no issues.