wind deflector advice please

[theelanman]

Chris P, that looks Crisp!

I think u meant crispy

[Paul.P]

Hi HJ2
I made a perspex version ages ago, its bolted to the softtop cover and works quite well - I couldn't make it too tall as it would get in the way of using the soft top
Regards
Chris

Good effort Chris, we made ours to pull out so as we could get them higher, then when not in use, drop down to a similar position where yours is, & the brkts we're mounted on the bulkhead behind the seats.

[chrisP]

Good play on names.....

James The perspex is 6mm thick tinted, it was an off cut from a local plastics company. I bent it with a blow torch (carefully) and welded up some aluminium brackets so that I didn't have to drill into anything. Only using slightly longer bolts to attach to the soft top cover. Picture below

I'll sort out some dimensions for you.

Paul, I see what you are saying with your design, if I had a machine shop I think I would make it adjustable, I just don't have the tools to engineer it.

Regards
Chris

[HJ2]

Well, as far as engineering goes without a toolshop: This looks great!

[rival]

Chris,

Thanks for the additional photo. That's a real tidy job. I like the fact that you still have easy access to hood stowage space.

I wonder whether my wife's creme brulee blowtorch will be up to the job...

James

[HJ2]

Hmmm! The smell of cramelised perspex!

[Paul.P]

Well, as far as engineering goes without a toolshop: This looks great!

Have to agree with that !, your brkts look a lot more technical than ours ever were , & it sounds quite fiddly trying to bend perspex with a blowtorch , very comendable job with the tools available !

[dapinky]

it sounds quite fiddly trying to bend perspex with a blowtorch , very comendable job with the tools available !

I have to agree......


....however, the cleanest way i have found to bend perspex is to put it in the oven!

Obviously, not at the same time as your tea, and usually when the wife is out (some people have no sense of humour ) like you would for heating the ring gear to fit onto a flywheel, but i digress.....

something like a 220 heat, put the sheet of perspex on a flat board and leave the bit you want to bend overhanging - it will soon go floppy and bend evenly under gravity - this is an extremely crude description, and i usually make a wooden mould/former, but you get the idea.

Leave it to cool without quenching it and you should have a near-perfect item.

[HJ2]

I used to do it like this:

Build a bending bench (is this correct english?) out of plywood and door hinges.
At the bend point use an aluminum U-profile.

Put a Wolfram ribbon connected to a spring to keep tension and heat it up with use of a transformer.
Perspex on bench, heat up and bend in right angle, cool down... Tadaaaaa!

HJ

[CJ101KT]

Stick with the one that Classic additions do ... best ive seen around really ...

[chrisP]

I'm not sure if your wifes blow torch will really cut it on this one

The reason I did it like this was so that you could get to the hood stowage area - ideally I would have liked to have the perspex slightly taller.
The brackets were a pain, first I tried them as just a bent bit of 4mm aluminium, but there was a resonance problem once you got up to speed, so I welded a reinforcement along one side of each one.
The perspex was too long for the oven (about a metre) so the only thing I had was the torch and some long bits of wood to bend it with - HJ's idea sounds good though.

Chris

[Neil D.]

Good play on names.....

James The perspex is 6mm thick tinted, it was an off cut from a local plastics company. I bent it with a blow torch (carefully) and welded up some aluminium brackets so that I didn't have to drill into anything. Only using slightly longer bolts to attach to the soft top cover. Picture below

I'll sort out some dimensions for you.

Paul, I see what you are saying with your design, if I had a machine shop I think I would make it adjustable, I just don't have the tools to engineer it.

Regards
Chris

You can use makrolon, it will bend cold... Simple..

http://www.makrolon.com/BMS/DB-RSC/Makr ... id/home_en

use it at work all the time

Neil

[chrisP]

Neil
Would it not bend back or flex with the force of the air once driving?

[BFG in the BRG]

Hi Peeps,

I was thinking of doing a wind deflector out of 5mm acrylic if anyone has a Matia deflector can you let me know the dimensions - Enright, CJ101KT?

I was thinking along the lines of 450mm deep x 930 at the bottom reducing towards the top - just to give it an angle for asthetic reasons with rounded corners - the only downside to this would be the loss of the hood storage area which is useful as a cubby hole - although I could do a cutout between the hood stowage cover catches, or 260mm x 930mm again reducing towards the top, and the deflector sits above/level with the hood stowage cover.

Basically I am a tight arse and don't want to pay for a Matia one ......and I think a matia one would reduce rear view vision too much..but mainly I am a tight arse

[CJ101KT]

Hi Peeps,

I was thinking of doing a wind deflector out of 5mm acrylic if anyone has a Matia deflector can you let me know the dimensions - Enright, CJ101KT?

I was thinking along the lines of 450mm deep x 930 at the bottom reducing towards the top - just to give it an angle for asthetic reasons with rounded corners - the only downside to this would be the loss of the hood storage area which is useful as a cubby hole - although I could do a cutout between the hood stowage cover catches, or 260mm x 930mm again reducing towards the top, and the deflector sits above/level with the hood stowage cover.

Basically I am a tight arse and don't want to pay for a Matia one ......and I think a matia one would reduce rear view vision too much..but mainly I am a tight arse

You have a PM

[*LUCA*]

It's very very nice the ChrisP's wind deflector model, compliments.
Here there is my wind deflector prototype. It is almost finished, ready to receive an electric motor (the same of the electric window) and finishing leather.
The rear panel will be covered with the same interior leather.
I chose a dark color for when I want more privacy. With softop closed and wind deflector on the cockpit becomes more intimate and without that annoying feeling of having the eyes of him who is behind you in the traffic.

Wind Deflector 1.jpg

Wind Deflector 2.jpg

Wind Deflector 3.jpg

Wind Deflector 4.jpg

Wind Deflector 5.jpg

Wind Deflector 6.jpg

[Gee0]

now I love the wind deflector, Very nice

[lotos]

I love the idea of it's there when you want it, and slides down when you don't... very nice.

[tigerdog]

I love the idea of it's there when you want it, and slides down when you don't... very nice.

Agreed! Could you please post pictures or diagrams of the mechanism you made and how it mounts? Great job!

[HJ2]

hohly canoli!

Respect!