Wind stop [blocker, deflector]

[Jimmy74]

I wonder if anyone has acquired or built a wind deflector for use when the convertible top is in the down position. I have a hoop roll bar on my 74 RWA and I am thinking about mounting a clear plastic film (with grommet holes and tie straps) or plexiglass/lexan (with holes and straps or resting in a channel welded to the roll bar) within the roll bar hoop to eliminate cold back drafts on cool days and/or long drives.

I'm particularly interested in the fastening techniques others have tried.

If you have comments or photos I would love to hear 'em and see 'em.

Thanks forum.

 

[budk1953]

Discussed this just recently......... Deflector

 

[weewillie]

Why not use snap fasteners on the lexan and the female side screwed to the roll bar

 

[leecreek]

This one does ok. If the rollbar was out of the car and not powder coated I think welded tabs on the inside of the bar to mount the shield to would look a lot better than the loom clamps.

 

[vagt6]

Been a long time since I rode around in a Spridget with the top down, at speed.

Is the wind buffeting really that bad in Spridgets? Is it the noise, or the wind buffeting that the "deflector" cures? When does the problem begin (at what speed)? Does it increase with speed?

Just curious.

 

[jvandyke]

Anything much over 30mph and there is considerable buffeting and noise. My blocker helps a lot but I wouldn't have bothered just for me as it's unsightly but since both my wife and daughter have long hair, it was worth the experiment. I'll probably leave it off most of the time, throwing it on for special occasions or long trips.

 

[Pythias]

I used to drive around with my son. At about 40 to 50 mph, he could take corners from a piece of paper, throw them up and the air, and we would watch them swirl from our feet to behind us, to above and back down for a couple of minutes before jumping out of the car. I've had stuff lift right off the floor at about 60 and out of the car. Full size pieces of paper I'm talking about. The buffeting is so bad that I can drive faster with a HAT on, just because I'm not getting beat to death. I've found that a hard top, or the soft top up is good for a 10% or so gain in top speed, just from stopping the air swirl!

Yes the buffeting IS that bad. .. I've got the hard top up till spring, and a wind blocker, in the box, that I got for Christmas, ready for the summer.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Jimmy,

Here is my solution for Bugsy a '68 Sprite with rollbar. I utilized a L shaped piece of aluminum bar stock and used my Dremel and bench grinder to cut a 3/4" wide slot at the center of a 2" piece of aluminum channel. This created a slot through which I could insert a radiator clamp which can go around the rollbar. I used 2 pieces of 1" alluminum at the bottom to stiffen the wind blocker. This method gives you some flexibility on how you mount hte sheet of Lexan. Do a lot of cogitation and setup with cardboard or foamcore board the check on angles. There are multiple angles to worry about at least with my rollbar to make it look nice. While this one is not as effective as my original wind deflector, pre roll bar, pictured on that link, this one does quite an effective job of keeping ballcap on my head at 75 mph. I was out 2 days ago at 40 degeres and sunny, tonneau on and windows up. Needed to roll windows back down as I was overheating while driving at 45-50 mph. Does it help, indeed it does plus an interesting engineering project.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

One more time

 

[maddy]

I've driven a BMW that had a fabric snap on wind screen that worked well. It was a mesh cloth that you can see through.

 

[vagt6]

Or, just wear some good foam ear plugs, stow all your papers, etc., and forgeddaboudit~~! :lol: