drewf
Member
- Messages
- 7,159
As mentioned yesterday, the trip to Oulton yesterday was the first proper test of my prototype DIY wind deflector for the Spyder.
History - bought the Spyder without a wind deflector, then discovered two things: they are virtually impossible to source, and go for silly money on the second hand market. Obviously, the moment I made this unit, one appeared on eBay... It's still there (at ~£500) if anyone else wants to buy one for that price.
Also, I don't really like the mesh deflectors in any car. They reduce visibility, and although they work fairly well, I didn't consider I could make one. What I can do though, is work with Lexan sheets
So.... A bit of measuring later, a rough cardboard template was made. From this, I made another, better, cardboard template which had the correct dimensions, including the bottom curve where the body meets the roll bars.
This was then transferred to a 10mm optically perfect UV stabilised Lexan sheet. 10mm sheet is very stiff indeed, and trials have proven to me that it could be made from thinner material (cheaper) without any issue. I also need to put a final polish on the finished visible edges (using alcohol to get the cuts glass-clear). The bottom edge has a piece of 10mm rubber edge seal to ensure there are no scratches to the car - that simply presses into place.
The final installation is intended to be mounted using 6 stainless steel glass mounts, directly to the roll bars. The painted covers can be removed, revealing a simple steel internal tube. I'm going to mount pipe brackets to this, inside the painted/leather covers, and have the glass mounts protrude slightly proud of the rear surface. Then the whole thing is reassembled, leaving 6 female stainless screw threads to accept the other half of the fitting, clamping the polycarb sheet. I've got some sample mounts, so all I'm missing is the 'round tuit' aspect.
So... here is the current installation, using dual sided velcro and zip-ties. I can confirm that it's completely rattle and squeak free, and the hood can be raised and lowered without removing it. In use, it works very well indeed, and is virtually invisible through the rear-view mirror.
History - bought the Spyder without a wind deflector, then discovered two things: they are virtually impossible to source, and go for silly money on the second hand market. Obviously, the moment I made this unit, one appeared on eBay... It's still there (at ~£500) if anyone else wants to buy one for that price.
Also, I don't really like the mesh deflectors in any car. They reduce visibility, and although they work fairly well, I didn't consider I could make one. What I can do though, is work with Lexan sheets
So.... A bit of measuring later, a rough cardboard template was made. From this, I made another, better, cardboard template which had the correct dimensions, including the bottom curve where the body meets the roll bars.
This was then transferred to a 10mm optically perfect UV stabilised Lexan sheet. 10mm sheet is very stiff indeed, and trials have proven to me that it could be made from thinner material (cheaper) without any issue. I also need to put a final polish on the finished visible edges (using alcohol to get the cuts glass-clear). The bottom edge has a piece of 10mm rubber edge seal to ensure there are no scratches to the car - that simply presses into place.
The final installation is intended to be mounted using 6 stainless steel glass mounts, directly to the roll bars. The painted covers can be removed, revealing a simple steel internal tube. I'm going to mount pipe brackets to this, inside the painted/leather covers, and have the glass mounts protrude slightly proud of the rear surface. Then the whole thing is reassembled, leaving 6 female stainless screw threads to accept the other half of the fitting, clamping the polycarb sheet. I've got some sample mounts, so all I'm missing is the 'round tuit' aspect.
So... here is the current installation, using dual sided velcro and zip-ties. I can confirm that it's completely rattle and squeak free, and the hood can be raised and lowered without removing it. In use, it works very well indeed, and is virtually invisible through the rear-view mirror.
