Project car tragedy

"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario) 07/21/2020 at 09:27 • Filed to: project car tragedy

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My bird IS the word ’s post just reminded me about this. I was driving home from work last week and while waitin g at a stop light a truck trailering a late 70s project Trans Am (similar to the one below but more rust and less doors) turns left to the direction I am headed and the rear window comes flying off the car as he turns and shatters everywhere.

I actually waited with my flashers and had to move over a lane to not run over all the glass as it shattered in the lane I was waiting in. Had it not been pouring I would have stopped with my car blocking the lane to try and clean some of it off the road. I wanted to at leas t let him know since he was probably oblivious, but got caught at the next light and lost where we went to. So dude who bought or was moving a project car and got home to find a missing rear window, I hope you didn’t need that. Or worse, I hope you didn’t buy the car specifically for the window. I assume those curved glass windows are n ot cheap.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 07/21/2020 at 09:47

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Ouch. And now the rain gets inside. And someone probably gets a flat.

Bandit > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 07/21/2020 at 09:57

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These cars are awfully designed in terms of airflow with windows down. If you have the windows down the massive rear windshield acts like a fantastic parachute, you can feel it push against the forward motion of the car (though maybe that’s because they only have sub-200hp). It’s only worse with T-tops off. I’m needing a new rear window because most of the adhesive holding mine in is 40 years old and not doing a great job.

My bird IS the word > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 07/21/2020 at 09:58

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Luckily the glass is common with the camaro so they are widely available. Rear glass tends to hold together well.

Honestly though if that happened to me at this point I wouldn't be suprised. These cars are built like shit.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > My bird IS the word 07/21/2020 at 10:12

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Glad to hear that it’s not too hard to get a re placement

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Bandit 07/21/2020 at 10:13

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Yea, this car was sans-doors, so the wind probably weakened any adhesive holding the glass in place and a bump in the road going through that turn was probably just the last straw.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/21/2020 at 10:14

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Rain was getting inside anyways, the car was missing both doors to begin with. But yea, I felt bad for the guy that plowed through the glass after I waited to go around it.

camaroboy68ss > My bird IS the word 07/21/2020 at 10:52

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yeah the build quality by the late 70s was horrid on GM cars and trucks. I am still a little dumb founded with the values these cars have been gaining at auctions. I still dont see how any of those late 70's F bodies are worth $65-75k. While the Bandit and Rockford fame helps, I think those buyers wanting that movie/tv looking car have never really been around these cars to know how poorly built and performing the original cars are. I would still love to own a 78-81 Z28 I just never going to spend first gen Camaro money on one. 

shop-teacher > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 07/21/2020 at 11:09

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Bummer!

My bird IS the word > camaroboy68ss 07/21/2020 at 12:06

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They sure are pretty though. Engine pulls pretty nice now that I built it to pre-smog standards.

camaroboy68ss > My bird IS the word 07/21/2020 at 13:48

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oh they are good looking cars, no doubt about it and with a proper motor they haul. But stock and unrestored they are a poorly built car. I have a buddy with a 77 camaro and we went cruising in it. As he was driving, hit a small bump, then his whole instrument cluster is in his lap. We then could see it had been repaired multiple times before. Apparently its a common issues in the 75-77 cars as the molds were just plain worn out as the dash is the same from 70-77 then they revamped in 78.