I have the dual roof package. I am very glad that I got it. The transparent top is great in the late fall and winter months. Gives the car a much more open, less claustrophobic feeling. But in the summer, the painted top keeps the car much cooler. The A/C has a hard time keeping up with the solar load in the summer with the transparent top. I live in southern Indiana FWIW. Hope this helps.

 

transparent top is the only way to go. my dad had it on his C4 and now on his C6. In my opinion it's never a problem for the A/C to keep up because of it. we have upper 90 degrees and humid every summer and the A/C works just fine. It gives you the feel of driving with the top down all the time. :thumbsup:

 

I love my transparent roof and I live in Dallas Texas!! Hot!!

I had the dual roof package on my 2000 coupe and I never used the solid top.

The transparent roof really opens the car up when you are inside and you pick up a couple of inches of headroom.:thumbsup:

 

I have the transparent top and like it for its contrast with the silver of my car. Also, you will appreciate the open feeling it gives the interior. It is also very light and can be easily handled when removing or replacing the top.The statement about the AC having difficulty cooling down the interior on a hot day IMO is bogus. I live in Florida where 90+ degree days are the norm and have never had a problem cooling down the interior. If it concerns you Mid-Americal has a sunshade that is static cling to the roof panel that will reduce the sun's effect.

 

I love the glass t-tops on my C3. star filled nights are awesome. The sun can get to be a nusance though. I also like that I can see the light if I pull up to far.

 

Thanks, jdavis, for your open minded response. I am glad that you recognize the value of input from all forum members:

"The statement about the AC having difficulty cooling down the interior on a hot day IMO is bogus."

 

I had the transparent top on my '93 Anniversary edition, and I loved it! :thumbsup:

 

In my opinion the glass roof ruins the continuity of the car unless the car is painted black. :cheers:

 

Too hot for me....

 

In my opinion the glass roof ruins the continuity of the car unless the car is painted black. :cheers:

The color of the car has to be right.

Sometimes. at a glance, it looks like a jalopy with a different color fender, from the junkyard.

As mentioned above, silver is one of the colors it goes well with.

 

My 2001 pewter colored coupe had both tops and I used both at various times. My advice (if you can afford it) is to buy both and you'll enjoy each of them at certain times. I've got a Z06 on order, but if I were to buy another coupe, it would definitely be with both tops again. With an investment this big, a few hundred dollars shouldn't make that big a difference. I recommend going for both! (( ;

EFE

 

Thanks, jdavis, for your open minded response. I am glad that you recognize the value of input from all forum members:

"The statement about the AC having difficulty cooling down the interior on a hot day IMO is bogus."

My apology Cam30era, it was not my intention to offend.

 

I only have the transparent top and down here in TX it's hot as hell. It takes a while for the AC to catch up if the car has been sitting in the sun for a while. I wish I had a painted top for June through September here.

I will buy anyone's painted top and if it's another color than VR, I will paint it. So who's selling??

 

I've got both tops on my 2005. Drove it home from museum with transparent top in 95 degree heat. Air conditioner kept up, but spent a lot of time running in recirculate mode. Changed to painted top the next day, still 95 drgrees, but A/C spent a lot less time in recirculate mode. You could get the transparent top and get a set of thin shades that cling to the inside of the top to block out the sun when it's real hot, and just fold them up and store them when it's cooler.

 

I had both roofs for my 98 coupe.. never used the tranparent top because it always seemed to get the car too hot down here in the Houston area.

 

One important consideration: if you can only buy one top, and you think you might eventually want both, buy the body color top first, simply because you will pay heck trying to get a body color top to match your car's paint later on. As I understand it, the body tops and the cars they will be paired with are painted together so that the finish is as close a match as possible. There are aftermarket C5 transparent tops, so I am guessing that those manufacturers will eventually move into the C6 market as well, and at a lower price than the factory transparent top. Bottom line: you will most likely be able to purchase a glass top either from GM or an aftermarket company later on, but I don't think anybody (dealer, GM, after market company) will be willing to sell you a painted top, simply because they don't want the hassle of dealing with you when you find out it doesn't quite match your car's paint. I would caution against purchasing a body color top from a private party for the same reason.

Hope I've got this right. If I'm misinformed, my apologies, but that's my understanding of the C5/C6 top situation. Please correct if not accurate...anyone!

Blair

 

One important consideration: if you can only buy one top, and you think you might eventually want both, buy the body color top first, simply because you will pay heck trying to get a body color top to match your car's paint later on. As I understand it, the body tops and the cars they will be paired with are painted together so that the finish is as close a match as possible. There are aftermarket C5 transparent tops, so I am guessing that those manufacturers will eventually move into the C6 market as well, and at a lower price than the factory transparent top. Bottom line: you will most likely be able to purchase a glass top either from GM or an aftermarket company later on, but I don't think anybody (dealer, GM, after market company) will be willing to sell you a painted top, simply because they don't want the hassle of dealing with you when you find out it doesn't quite match your car's paint. I would caution against purchasing a body color top from a private party for the same reason.

Hope I've got this right. If I'm misinformed, my apologies, but that's my understanding of the C5/C6 top situation. Please correct if not accurate...anyone!

Blair

artyon: artyon:
Exactly my thinking and indeed what I did and plan to do for possibly getting a transparent top some day. I am curious to anyone's luck in finding a top from a salvage yard and how much did they pay.

 

I have the transparent roof on my C4, and all I am going to say is.... The ladies love it.

Medic

 

In my opinion the glass roof ruins the continuity of the car unless the car is painted black. :cheers:

:agree:

 

I only purchased the transparent top when I bought my coupe. As I mentioned earlier, here in Houston, the almost transparent top turned my car into a green house in the summer and the heat (for me at least) was terrible.

I had a friend with a collision shop keep an eye open for a solid top for the coupe. In a few months he found one.. it was silver, my C5 is Carmine Red. He painted it for me.. and I can guarantee you that no one can tell that top did not ship with the car. My point.. if you have a good paint guy, he can match anything.

 

I have the transparent roof on my C4, and all I am going to say is.... The ladies love it.

Medic

Hummmmmm, are the ladies you speak of exhibitionist?

:rolling: :rolling:


EFE

 

Mine is black so the paint color is not an issue. That being said, I wish I had the painted top. The transparent top is cool but when it comes down to trying to cool off the car, the transparent top does not do much to cut down the suns rays. I will, at some point, get a painted top.

 

Mine is black so the paint color is not an issue. That being said, I wish I had the painted top. The transparent top is cool but when it comes down to trying to cool off the car, the transparent top does not do much to cut down the suns rays. I will, at some point, get a painted top.

My C6 is Black also, and I have both tops. I love the "look thru" of the transparent top, and as was said before, so do the gal's, but on those bright, high 90's day's, even with the A/C on, the sun get to be too much. I like the painted top in Summer, and switch to the transparent top in the Spring and Fall.:cheers:

 

How has the tranparent top been holding up to repeated cleanings and washings? Being plastic I would think that it would eventually get swirl marks or "haze" scratches? Does it need a special cleaner or require frequent polishing? :huh:

 

How has the tranparent top been holding up to repeated cleanings and washings? Being plastic I would think that it would eventually get swirl marks or "haze" scratches? Does it need a special cleaner or require frequent polishing?

I got a couple of scratches in my transparent top from handling, not washing (stupidly stored it in my garage for a while without covering it and somehow it got scratched). There are plastic polishing compounds that you can use to get them out or buff them down to where they aren't as prominent, but my experience is the transparent top is a little more vulnerable to scratches than the painted top. I don't do anything different during normal washing, polishing, etc. for the transparent top (also apply the wax that is available at self service wash facilities and that seems to work just fine regarding a nice finish on the transparent top).

Any others have a different experience?

Blair