C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

[Colton S.]

Sometime during the C4 production, this latch handle was changed from a smooth finish to a textured finish. I would like to narrow this transition down. There will be a period where the C4 production year saw both textured and smooth handles installed, this is the running production change that I am trying to track down. So far I have found that 1984- 1993ish models have the smooth handle, and 1993ish - 96 have the textured handle.
So far I have narrowed down this change to somewhere between 1992 - 93 production models. If you have one of these cars, please post a picture of your latch and build date.
Thanks,
Colton.

[Dave P.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

My 92 is smooth. I think. Car isn't here to confirm, but I'm pretty confident that it is smooth. October 10, 1991 Assembly date.

Here's a screen shot of an expanded pic from my files.

Roof Stowage Knob..jpg

[Colton S.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Dave,
That appears to be smooth. Thank you for the info! I am researching and taking notes from as many cars that I can.

[Gary C.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Colton my '92 is VIN 42 that I sent you a photo of its textured handle.

per the build sheet and window sticker:

• Paid for by Show and Display 00-995
• Shipped to GM Service Dev. Center in the GM Tech Center in Warren 00-185

Perhaps the changeover was in '92?

[Colton S.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Gary,
It is looking like the change happened between 92 and 93 production years. If you could send a picture and your body build date that would be great!

[Gary C.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Build sheet with body build date of 91/261 = 17 Sept 1992

[Colton S.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Awesome!
Thank You

[John M.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Colton, attached is a photo of my 1992 Targa Top Release Handle and a photo of my build sheet door label. As the original owner, I know the handle is the born on piece. The handle is smooth.
John M.

[Colton S.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

John,
Thank you!

[Dave P.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

We've got (3) 1992. Now we need some 93 and later.

I have a comment: Where would this item be judged? I posit it will be in Section 16 Rear Compartment, Roof Panel Storage & Tool, & Wheel Wrench. On the line Roof Panel Storage Brackets & Tool. 6 and 6. More than enough to justify a point for a deviation in texture. But the line item does not spell out "Release Handel".

Many (Most?) judges use the score sheets (I used a 1992-1993) as their prompt for what to be looking at. If it's not on the score sheet, it will probably be overlooked. Stuff like this "smooth or textured" is fascinating trivia, but in the future is only going to be of interest to those of us in this thread that now know about it; particularly John Marisco who is still judging C4 Interior. Sure, it may someday be incorporated into the JRMs, but on the field there isn't enough time (or interest) to read and parse the now 1" thick JRMs, so unless a judge's experience and knowledge includes the "smooth or textured" the handle finish isn't going to be evaluated.

And besides, "No one cares about those [these] cars anyway". But thanks for noticing and bringing this trivia up. I find it fascinating, and remember things like this. But I'll most likely never need to know it.

Cheers.

[Colton S.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

I agree. I am manufacturing this part, the smooth one. I noticed that the other reproductions were textured. Mike Yager and I starting doing research on when the change over of this component happened, so that each reproduction can be correctly listed. A small detail that most probably don't care about, but each part, and the info is here for those that do!

[Pat F.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Colton, I do not have access to my 1995 right now, but I think it has the smooth handle. I just had it apart last year and from my old memory it was smooth. My 1995 has a build date of 8/94. First or second day of regular production.

[Steve B.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Posted on the ZR1 Registry FB page, so double dipping here. 94 ZR1 built June of 1994 is grained. Believed to be original to the car.

[Eric P.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Colton,
Here are two pictures of the handle from my 1993 ZR1. The handle is smooth, and the build date of my all-original car is June of 1993.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Eric Patty

[Colton S.]

Re: C4 Corvette Targa Top Roof Storage Release Latch Handle. Smooth or Textured

Thank you!