[ezmobee]

My inexpensive wind blocker

I've been reading the different threads about inexpensive ways to have a fairly good looking wind blocker for the Spider.
I also got tired of not being able to listen to music or have a conversation while driving.
This might not work without a roll bar but, since mine had one…
I had a piece of 1/8 inch Plexiglas about 12 inches wide and 48 inches long. I outlined the curve of the roll bar and attached it.
Pictures tell a thousand words they say, so take a look at the pictures.
I’m still not sure if I want to screw it to the roll bar, but the way it’s attached does not look all that bad.

79 Spider
78 Spider (parts car)

 

[Tifosi]

Was the curve deliberate?

If so, how does it effect airflow/turbulence? (do you get a lot of air coming in under the sheild?)

It looks just fine to me.

 

[ezmobee]

The curve came naturally because of the roll bar.
It's attached to the inside of it.
I don't seem to get any air coming under the shield.
Thanks

 

[alfafan61]

I would Polish the edges to prevent cracking in cold weather and use smoked Plexi

 

[ezmobee]

I have polished the edges and most likely switch to smoked Plexiglas.
That's just what I had lying around.
I also would make it wider than 12 inches most likely.

79 Spider
78 Spider (parts car)

 

[espresso veloce]

I have the windscreen that comes from IAP, installed by a previous owner, and I do like it quite a lot. But I still like solving puzzles, and I just had an idea about this one.

Rather than attaching to the floor, or to the side of the interior, why not split the screen and attach the two halves to the backs of the seats? For a temporary mount, it could possibly be done with reinforced velcro strips, or at worst, a couple of U brackets mounted to each side of the back of the seats in some unobtrusive manner, then the windscreens could have legs drop right into the brackets. Removal would be very easy, and quite possibly, height adjustment could be a feature as well.

Tim

 

[lgbalfa]

So last year I built this wind screen but didn't have a camera to show what I was on about.

Now that I've got the camera, I can finally share


If you look at the pic with 'fixing bolts' texted into it, you'll see where I removed the two outermost luggage skids that go in the cargo area.

Using #6 machine screws, some flat washers, 4 nuts and 4 wing nuts and drilling only 2 holes (that will never show if the cargo rails are put back in) I made the mounting system.

The shield was made out of one of the hunks o' 1/8" plexiglass they sell at home depot, and was large enough to get 2 panels out of in the event I broke the first.

The support bars are those 1/2" x 1/8" x 4' galvanized flat bars they sell for use in chain link fences.

The seats, if straight up, can go to the rearmost setting on the rail, and if you come forward 1-2 notches, they can be almost fully reclined.

The top can go up and down without removing the shield, so having to take it out or tinker with it isn't a neccesity.

The whole shield will fit in the trunk of the car, and if laid with the little support feet pointing up, will take up literally 0 trunk space. (of course there's a better chance of scratching the plexi if it's put in that way, but if you needed to stuff the trunk, you could)

BTW, the red vinyl on the lower 1/2 was something I had laying about that more or less matched my carpet and dash color, so I put that on as a 'lower level' deflector to stop air from coming in down low between the seats. It can be slipped right off with no problem.


As to effectivness, my wife can vouch for that.

Prior to this things creation, it was a 15 minute stop outside wherever our destination was so she could get her hair back in shape.

Post creation and install, the hair fix takes less time than what you spend at a short red light.

Net cost of the whole project: around $40

Net worth: priceless

you should make these and sell them.

 

[cmbenedict]

Some great solutions. Been considering getting a wind screen as can't hear radio and ear drums taking a beating from the wind at high speed. Now I have a couple options.
Thanks.

 

[Inner Circle]

My solution is a hat - and now comes the tricky part - with a securing strap under the chin! No more wind-blown hats! I can even shove it back and still won't lose it!
(The wonders of modern science never cease to amaze me! )

 

[Robert Ferguson]

I use 2 alligator clips, and heavy string one end clipped to hat, and one to shirt. I always keep them on my sailboat. Haven't lost a hat yet.
Bob Ferguson
87 Quad
91 164L
53 XK120

 

[Favali]

Screen and Hats

I have a plexiglass screen available for the cost of postage. I used it on my Spider until I purchased the IAP screen. Contact me if you want it.

Regarding keeping a hat on your head, go here X Cap - Freetime 101 - Freetime
Very good hat and it works.....

-Rob

 

[Toptick]

Darren-

When I made mine from Paradiso's plan http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/spider-1966-up/1512-rear-wind-deflector.html#post11701, I wasn't all that happy with the bungee attachment "system" myself.

How does your placement compare functionally to the up-against-the-seats placement?

Might be a worthwhile mod.

 

[Tifosi]

As you likely know anyway, it mounts directly to the cargo panel via screws coming up through where the outer 'scuff bars' were removed, and is held onto that with wing nuts.

Both seats can be independantly moved/reclined/tipped forward/whatever without effecting the screen or how it interacts with the other seat, but it is a bit better if both headrests at least just touch it to prevent wobble when at speeds over 65mph, and it just looks 'neater'. (except when tipping one or both the seats forward so the sun doesn't turn them into ham cookers while parked with the top down, in which case it then just looks neat )

Space-wise, a few 12 packs of your beverage of choice can still be dropped in behind the screen and it's mounting bars, and if neccisary, only takes about 30 seconds to remove and drop in the trunk.

 

[Toptick]

The bungees are getting pretty ratty & frayed at the ends, and since they started out as a revolting yellow color, age has not improved things at all.

The ability to adjust the seat front to back without skewing the deflector has more than passing appeal, so I guess I'll go into the yawning maw of the workshop storage area to see if I can find some suitable bar stock & get busy.

 

[Tifosi]

Just remember to put a drop of locktite on the bolts-n-nuts that go throught the sheild to hold it to the bars. (it sucks when they unscrew themselves, the thing drops, and surprises the crap out of you)

I'm considering a few revisions that'll some features I'd like, such as a plexi lower panel and the ability to raise and lower the upper portion.

 

[Toptick]

Vertical adjustment might be a real advantage. I was limited in the original install by the ability to put up the top without pulling the whole gizmo out. I wouldn't mind being able ot have it a bit "taller", I still can have a hard time with tunes from the stereo at 75+ (standard L.I.E. speed). I'll post up if I find an acceptable solution.

BTW, was upstate inside the blue line over the 4th, I forgot how good the sleeping temperature is up there.

 

[Tifosi]

Obviously you weren't where the bugs are then (I swear, some nights I come home and have to clean them off with a ice scraper)

If you do yours according to the drawings on p1, the top will go up fine, but depending on seat angle, you might need to reach under the top and pull the screen forward a bit to clear the middle roof bar as it goes by. (not a big deal, and certainly nothing you'd have to take it out for)

Do you roll your windows up when at speed? It helps quite a bit with the stereo killing buffet noise.

 

[Toptick]

I keep the windows down. In addition to giving me a place to rest my arm, unless it's cold, the vent windows seem to do a pretty good job.

The top goes up fine with the current setup, but I wouldn't mind a bit more height, so I'll see what I can rig up. The vertical support bars in your setup are giving me ideas...

 

[Inner Circle]

Obviously you weren't where the bugs are then (I swear, some nights I come home and have to clean them off with a ice scraper)

Do you mean these bugs?
(It's the hood's front edge, now folded on the morning following an hour's drive in the night with the hood up, photographed in the act of surprising me and causing my girlfriend to wonder if she'll EVER feel the same way about taking a breath at night in the open.)

 

[CLeopold]

Thanks, Tifosi, for such an informative description of your windbreaker..... I have wanted one for years, finally saw one that IAP sells, and bought it. Unlike what they advertised, the brackets that attach to the side of the inside of the rear fender do have to be bent so as not to interfere with the softtop movement, and the thing flops down in high wind, and it is so small as to not offer much wind protection...but it looks nice, and is made of some plastic screen......There's a guy on the BB, MSiert I think who very graciously had sent me similar plexiglass design to yours, last year, but he used bungee cords attached to the headreast
So I just came back from Home Depot, as you described, and bought a piece of acrylic (30" x 36", 1/8" thick).

Is acrylic o.k., they also had Lexan (more $$$)???

I also just bought a 1/2x36" (not 48") pieces of aluminum (not galvanized steel), as I thought the alum. would be nicer, easier to paint black, easier to bend, and lighter.

Finally, I wanted to know what you used to cut the acrylic,--- can I use a jigsaw ?? --(that's all I have), and should I use a metal blade or wood-cutting blade?

Thanks.