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Sunuvabitch!!! - This makes the HTC more appealing than the Coupe IMO
💯 it does...
I have a C7 GS Coupe and I've ONLY taken it off like 3 times and it was and is a pain; screw that. Just flip a switch and viola, it's down or up... HTC to "me" is the ONLY way to go...
Great job OP! It would be sorta cool when it’s parked and locked, but I always wonder about idiots with belt buckles and rivets on shorts or jeans leaning over to see better and scratching the paint. Not for me but looks good enough where it could be a GM option for sure.
Hmmmm... No response from Falcon on the $$$ or source questions.... It looks factory in every aspect, which is to say it's drool-worthy. Which also make me wonder if he hasn't awakened yet after getting the bill. Doesn't matter though, 'cause he's still got a piece of art to drive.
I join the others that think this looks great. That said, why, if an OEM option, would it be so expensive?
My guess is it wouldn't be that expensive for GM to make but what they'd charge for it as an option would be expensive. I'd say they would probably charge between $3500-$5000 extra if they did made it an option for the HTC. You'd get a colored engine cover (black or edge red) that would look like what's on the coupe as well as a transparent cover that would sit above that engine cover so you could see it. And finally the clear opening/cover for the tonneau area. So three additional pieces in total.
The advantage of this system is that you could actually see the engine cover through the clear tonneau opening if the HTC top was up. And you could see the engine through the transparent cover if the tonneau cover was raised in the service mode. However, you wouldn't be able to see the engine if the HTC top was down because the roof top would be covering the engine. So what you see through the clear tonneau opening would be the top of the HTC's roof. Hope that makes sense.
I think what Jeff has created is something that HTC owners have really wanted GM to offer. He's done an amazing job in engineering something that is thoroughly tested and looks very elegant in its design. I'm sure he's trying to figure out what a reasonable price would be for it as well as how to go to market with it so it could be installed by qualified shops across the country. It definitely fills a void that HTC owners have been looking for.
I think it would cost GM a LOT more to manufacture. Instead of a one piece sheet of molded plastic, you've got the tonneau itself, the frame for all the clear pieces, and then multiple clear pieces of plastic which all have to be assembled, which equals labor. Which is expensive.
The advantage of this system is that you could actually see the engine cover through the clear tonneau opening if the HTC top was up. And you could see the engine through the transparent cover if the tonneau cover was raised in the service mode. However, you wouldn't be able to see the engine if the HTC top was down because the roof top would be covering the engine. So what you see through the clear tonneau opening would be the top of the HTC's roof. Hope that makes sense.
My guess is it wouldn't be that expensive for GM to make but what they'd charge for it as an option would be expensive. I'd say they would probably charge between $3500-$5000 extra if they did made it an option for the HTC. You'd get a colored engine cover (black or edge red) that would look like what's on the coupe as well as a transparent cover that would sit above that engine cover so you could see it. And finally the clear opening/cover for the tonneau area. So three additional pieces in total.
The advantage of this system is that you could actually see the engine cover through the clear tonneau opening if the HTC top was up. And you could see the engine through the transparent cover if the tonneau cover was raised in the service mode. However, you wouldn't be able to see the engine if the HTC top was down because the roof top would be covering the engine. So what you see through the clear tonneau opening would be the top of the HTC's roof. Hope that makes sense.
I think what Jeff has created is something that HTC owners have really wanted GM to offer. He's done an amazing job in engineering something that is thoroughly tested and looks very elegant in its design. I'm sure he's trying to figure out what a reasonable price would be for it as well as how to go to market with it so it could be installed by qualified shops across the country. It definitely fills a void that HTC owners have been looking for.
Unless he has changed the design, FalconF7's version of the clear engine cover is complex and would add to the cost. He posted it in other threads - it was a dual-pane arrangement with cooling between the panes. He had some comparative temperature measurements between his version of a clear cover and the single clear cover that currently offered on the market.
Unless he has changed the design, FalconF7's version of the clear engine cover is complex and would add to the cost. He posted it in other threads - it was a dual-pane arrangement with cooling between the panes. He had some comparative temperature measurements between his version of a clear cover and the single clear cover that currently offered on the market.
I'd agree that his design is more complex then others offered on the market. That's because he's actually looked into the engineering aspects of it (i.e. heat dissipation and transfer, aesthetics, materials utilized, etc.). The testing he's done has been impressive. He wasn't after just a clear cover to show off the engine but rather a more thoroughly researched design that looked at what really needs to be done to make it work and look right. My first thought was the cost of this, if offered by GM, would be in the $3500-$5000 range just because I think GM would NOT want to price it at the same cost to go from coupe to HTC (i.e. about $7500). The only really issue for GM would be having to have two distinct tonneau covers ... one with the opening and one without. All the other parts would be easy to assemble on the C8. The real issue would be how watertight and weatherproof do you want to make the tonneau opening. Would it be like the coupe or more watertight then that. Will be interesting to see where this all leads and how successful Jeff's design will be. I personally think it has a lot going for it compared to the aftermarket products I've seen.
I can't link the website here, but anyone who wants to do a little digging can get many of these questions answered from the website. In the meantime, here are a few more pics. I'd like to get better ones soon. I really dig having this on the car.
I've decided to not go with the dual pane glass on the lower panel. The system I had going did run cooler, but not enough to justify the complexity and cost of what it took to do so. I do prefer the heat shielded composite frame around the replaceable Lexan, so I'm sticking with that design. Also, the 3M "snap lok" product works amazing and held up great through a very hot summer last year. This makes the removal and install of the lower panel (for checking oil, cleaning, etc) and quick snap-on, snap off.
The tooling for these will be RTM (resin transfer molds) for OEM type close mold quality parts.
I'm also wondering why my photos are loading in such a low resolution.
The first photo is awesome! You will sell plenty, trust me! Once GM takes a look at what I sent them, I'm almost sure they will be in contact with you...the more I look, the more I want!
I can't link the website here, but anyone who wants to do a little digging can get many of these questions answered from the website. In the meantime, here are a few more pics. I'd like to get better ones soon. I really dig having this on the car.
I've decided to not go with the dual pane glass on the lower panel. The system I had going did run cooler, but not enough to justify the complexity and cost of what it took to do so. I do prefer the heat shielded composite frame around the replaceable Lexan, so I'm sticking with that design. Also, the 3M "snap lok" product works amazing and held up great through a very hot summer last year. This makes the removal and install of the lower panel (for checking oil, cleaning, etc) and quick snap-on, snap off.
The tooling for these will be RTM (resin transfer molds) for OEM type close mold quality parts.
I'm also wondering why my photos are loading in such a low resolution.
It definitely looks much better than the hideous HTC 'camel hump' .
Can you share the total cost?
Last edited by Kevin A Jones; 04-07-2023 at 05:36 AM.
It definitely looks much better than the hideous HTC 'camel hump'
I never understood the 'camel hump' anyway. If I was GM I would run the middle section of the tonneau gradient along the sight line from the rear view mirror, so you don't see the car colored hump, but have the same field of view. That way water would not accumulate by the rear window and I think it would look better, too.
04-04-2023, 02:36 PM
