NIK
03-01-06, 11:25 AM
My '99 DeVille, puchased new in October of 1998, looks (looked) practically new with 46,000 miles on the odometer and my wife has been the primary driver since I purchased the "V."
Late last summer I began to hear some wind noise eminating from the top driver's side window area. Upon close inspection, I noticed that the vinyl top (which is full roof) moved slightly up and down when I pressed on it in the area of the wind noise. Took it to a local shop that specializes in tops, upholstery, etc. and was advised that the top was indeed lifting a bit at that point - he could do a repair (about $200) but warned that he could potentially rip the top while doing the repair, at which point the top would have to be replaced at a quoted price of $900.00. I figured I'd get some clear silicone and do the repair myself and it did indeed work - no more wind noise, top was solidly secured - until last week when my wife stated that she began to hear the wind noise once again ..... I said I'd check it out. That evening I was going to meet my daughter for dinner and, since my wife was not feeling well, I took car and figured I'd check it out. It was very windy here in the Lehigh Valley that night, I might add. I jumped on the Freeway, immediately heard the wind noise, got up to about 60MPH coming off the on-ramp and WHOOSH ...... I knew immediately that the top had left me! I pulled to the side of the road expecting to find shreds of something, but to my surprise, the whole damn thing was gone, luckily not hitting anyone behind me! Where it went, I have no idea.
To end this saga, the kicker is that initially I never expected that my insurance company would pay for replacement and returned to the same shop I had been to previously and gave him a deposit to replace the top, for which he now quoted me $1400.00 - WTF? I never really like this guy's attitude and I should have obeyed my gut instinct, but I gave him the go-ahead. On a "what the hell, let me check it out" hunch, I contacted my insurance company who told me that I was indeed covered 100%! Good news, right? Being the truthful guy I am I tell them where I was having the replacement done. Now, get this - they contact the shop, the guy volunteers that I was in months earlier and didn't have them do the repair, and now my insurance company denies the claim! Needless to say, I cancelled the job and have gone elsewhere (for $300 less, by the way.) Sorry this tale is so long, but the story is a bit novel, don't you think?
Late last summer I began to hear some wind noise eminating from the top driver's side window area. Upon close inspection, I noticed that the vinyl top (which is full roof) moved slightly up and down when I pressed on it in the area of the wind noise. Took it to a local shop that specializes in tops, upholstery, etc. and was advised that the top was indeed lifting a bit at that point - he could do a repair (about $200) but warned that he could potentially rip the top while doing the repair, at which point the top would have to be replaced at a quoted price of $900.00. I figured I'd get some clear silicone and do the repair myself and it did indeed work - no more wind noise, top was solidly secured - until last week when my wife stated that she began to hear the wind noise once again ..... I said I'd check it out. That evening I was going to meet my daughter for dinner and, since my wife was not feeling well, I took car and figured I'd check it out. It was very windy here in the Lehigh Valley that night, I might add. I jumped on the Freeway, immediately heard the wind noise, got up to about 60MPH coming off the on-ramp and WHOOSH ...... I knew immediately that the top had left me! I pulled to the side of the road expecting to find shreds of something, but to my surprise, the whole damn thing was gone, luckily not hitting anyone behind me! Where it went, I have no idea.
To end this saga, the kicker is that initially I never expected that my insurance company would pay for replacement and returned to the same shop I had been to previously and gave him a deposit to replace the top, for which he now quoted me $1400.00 - WTF? I never really like this guy's attitude and I should have obeyed my gut instinct, but I gave him the go-ahead. On a "what the hell, let me check it out" hunch, I contacted my insurance company who told me that I was indeed covered 100%! Good news, right? Being the truthful guy I am I tell them where I was having the replacement done. Now, get this - they contact the shop, the guy volunteers that I was in months earlier and didn't have them do the repair, and now my insurance company denies the claim! Needless to say, I cancelled the job and have gone elsewhere (for $300 less, by the way.) Sorry this tale is so long, but the story is a bit novel, don't you think?