Austin-Healey Fold-Down Windscreens

[pan]

G’day Reid,
I wonder if that is where Didier Mongin got the idea? I don’t think he uses this Forum but he posts frequently on one of the popular social media.
Cheers,
Alwyn

 

[DTDuck]

It wasn't that deliberate. Besides, for racing it was better to remove the windscreen - it is easily removable - to save the weight and to prevent it cracking the glass.
Despite the lowered position being retroactively called "the racing position" it was conceived, by DMH, as merely a nod to pre-war sporting car features that he recalled, and Coker found a way to make it work ... sort of.

As I recall from the original shop manual I had with the first 100 I owned, it was referred to as "Le Mans Position" which I always found ironic as this configuration was never allowed at a race at Le Mans, I believe that windscreens were required to be removed even when these cars were new.

Cheers,
Dan M.

 

[BobAH100]

Perhaps some of you remember the "special windscreen feet" that we featured in the August 2014 edition of Healey Marque magazine. A resourceful member named Ray Juncal of southern California made some of these to permit lowering the Healey 100 windscreen to a sort-of halfway-down position that gave the car some of the dramatic look of the fully lowered windscreen while still providing enough wind protection to keep you from losing your hat! Here's what they look like installed:

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Click image to enlarge

Here's the full text of the blurb that appeared in 2014:

Special Healey 100 Windscreen Feet

I love innovation, and Ray Juncal of Los Angeles has innovated with the best of them with the special “feet” that he has developed for the Healey 100 windscreen.

Everyone knows how fabulous the 100 looks with its windscreen lowered into “the racing position.” It looks fast just sitting still, and it is always a source of complimentary comments at car shows. However, all of us Healey 100 owners know something else: it’s not really comfortable to drive the car with the windscreen lowered. In fact, with the windscreen down, the air is directed right into your face. Even if you duck, you get it right in the forehead, and unless you’re wearing a face shield, it’s not comfortable and the threat of catching bugs and debris is ever-present. But gosh, the car just looks so good that way, it’s tempting to suffer anyway.

Enter a little thinking “outside the box.” Ray has made some windscreen feet with relocated sockets for receiving the pegs on the lower edge of the windscreen. The sockets are farther to the rear than the stock ones, and the result is that the windscreen is lowered less. In this position it gains much of the dramatic look of the fully lowered position, but it remain high enough to direct the airflow over your head.

Why didn’t someone think of this a long time ago?

If you would like a pair of these “special feet”, Ray is selling them for $200 plus $10 shipping in the US, $20 shipping to Europe. You can call him for more info at (213) 944-3167.

Ray Juncal
1517 N. Benton Way
Los Angeles CA 90026

Ray advises, “They may require some grinding or shimming to get them to fit. Some of the tests so far have been a bolt-in, but one required shims as the pins on the windshield were spaced too wide apart. I also have not had a set fitted to an early car that had the sand cast fender mounts, but I think they were only on the first couple of hundred cars.”

Note also that the windscreen holddown springs do not work with the windscreen in this intermediate position. If you do stretch them to reach it, they will not return to their original length and will no longer stow on the tonneau studs. However, I haven’t found the springs to be necessary, and after logging several hundred miles with the windscreen in this intermediate position, I have experienced no windscreen vibration or other problems.

Editor

Along with wind burn—which is at least partially addressed by racing goggles or 1960s-style wraparound sunglasses—there's a much bigger issue with driving the "100" windshield-down: The black weatherstrip below the windshield will almost immediately begin rubbing a nasty line in the shroud midway between the base of the w/s and the back of the hood—er, bonnet. If you drive your Healey 100 a lot, lift the weatherstrip a bit with your fingers and have a peek beneath. Odds are, you'll immediately see what I'm talking about. At least in the windshield's upright position, those ugly marks are hidden from view. A clear-plastic protective layer on the shroud, a length of terrycloth or other non-scratch material below the weather-strip surface, or both might work if you're dead-set on actually putting the 100's unique lay-down windshield to use. Both options would also help prevent the top and tonneau cover from beating a line into the rear shroud while driving, though those marks are far less severe (and are among the signs of a Healey that's driven, rather than merely trailered). Otherwise, I'd suggest keeping the windshield in its upright position unless the car is sitting at a show. At least it will look as if it's going fast!

 

[BobAH100]

That ingenious fold-down w/s, while striking, brings another issue besides wind in the face and the added possibility of being decapitated: Driving with it in the fold-down position can allow the black weatherstrip beneath to almost immediately rub an ugly line into the shroud between the w/s base and the rear of the hood—er, bonnet—as I quickly discovered in my BN1. Use your fingers to lift a portion of the weatherstrip with the w/s in the upright position, and odds are you'll see just what I mean. At least with the windshield up, those ugly abrasions are hidden from view. You could apply a clear plastic protective layer to the shroud or even some terrycloth or other material beneath the weatherstrip if you really want to use this endearing feature while driving. Or you could simply fold the thing down while the car is sitting serenely at a show; it least it will look as if it's going fast!

 

[David Verity]

I’ve driven my AH 100 with the screen down and so long as you are wearing glasses / sunglasses it’s no problem whatsoever, and an exhilarating experience. The only minor issue is that you wont hear the engine for the wind in your ears, and need to be mindful of when to come out of overdrive or change down a gear when slowing down. But apart from that, and remembering that lowering the screen is a 2-person job, you should do it! After all, there are few other opportunities!

 

[Michael Oritt]

I wouldn't drive with the screen down on a bet: On numerous occasions while racing I've had tire marbles and other track debris hit the Lexan shield of my helmet--a couple of times deep enough to leave a gouge and cause me to have to get a new shield. A pebble, etc. at 30 mph would definitely leave a mark--or take out an eyeball.

Great for Show but not for go!

 

[red57]

I agree with David Verity, I have 100 shields on my BN4 and my BT7 and in the last 25 years I've logged at least 30-40k miles all across the country with the shield down. Nothing finer than the totally unobstructed view I get and certainly no more dangerous than riding my old Harley . Truth be told, the angle of the shield pushes most of the air above your head so actually very little hits your face. If it's above 50F and not raining, the shield is down. I wear safety sunglasses and I've never had a problem - well, one time a bumble bee in the middle of my forehead at 60mph was a little messy .
Also worth noting that in 25 years of raising and lowering it by myself daily, the only one I ever cracked was off the car and in my tent at a race (I took it off to race) when I rolled off my air mattress and put too much pressure on the glass - never broke one on the car.

 

[billspohn]

I may be wrong, but I always had the impression that the windscreen glass in the 50s wasn't as durable as later glass was, hence the cracked screens. The two position windscreen sure looked cool, though.

I usually used Brooklands on my cars when I could - TR-2