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Triumph TR6 - Wind Blocker lexan

I am thinking about making my own wind blocker from Charlie's design.
I understand that the piece should be 12" by 34.5" and thickness...1/4"?
I have been quoted $30.00 for a clear 1'x3'x1/4". He only sells colours by the 4x8 sheet ($300 for light blue).

I understand Lexan is more durable but can I not just go to a thicker piece of plastic say 3/8"? I am no plastics engineer so have no idea the difference between the 2.
Does anybody have some plans for a wind blocker?
Does anyone in Ontario know where I can buy pieces of Lexan (or plastic)?? (I recall a place on Rexdale Blvd @ 410 but do not recall name).
Thanx

Rick
Rick Crawford

Rick,
Don't know about your local resources, but the usual suspects...Lowe's, Home Depot, Sears, etc all have Lexan and other plastic sheeting in various thicknesses. I'd recommend Lexan over everything else. I used lexan years ago in the explosive manufacturing industry to shield workers from energetic events. The lexan (at the right thickness, 0f course) is explosive proof and does not break or shatter with high pressure or impact.
db
Doug Baker

Rick,

I know a guy that owns a small plastic company and he told me he made some wind deflector for an A-H. He told me he made them with 1/4" lexan as it is almost undestructible. I am not of big help except that 1/4" is more than adequate for your need.

Cheers,

JGC
J. G. Catford

Hi Rick,
My blocker is made from Lexan but after 3 years it is cracking at some of the holes where the screws go through to attach it to the frame.
My ideal design would be a screen ( like BMW's etc ) but I can't think of a "clean" way to build it..that's to say without looking like it's a screen glued to a metal bar

I'm told any glass place can get Lexan

Charlie
Charlie B.

Rick

You may be thinking about Johnston Industrial Plastics? 401 427 area. They advertize Lexan. Good luck.

Address: 20 Fleeceline Road,
Toronto, Ontario
M8V 2K3

Phone: 416-252-9551

Toll Free: 1-800-268-2220

Fax: 416-255-7706

Email: toronto@johnstonplastics.com

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00AM - 12:00PM 1:00PM - 4:30PM


Mike Petryschuk







Michael Petryschuk

Thanx guys. That is intersting to hear yours is cracking Charlie. Could it be to high and it is flexing????
So lexan it is. I do like the idea of the screen but how to attach it is indeed the question.
Rick
Rick Crawford

Rich,

As all plastic with time and sun it become brittle. To fix it is easy if your go to a sail boat and outboard store supply that sell everything you need to improve your boat. It is common to add deflector on an outboard. They also sell hinges all many chrome or SS hardwarw.

Cheers,

JGC
J. G. Catford

JGC
The only problem with a boat supply place is....if it says for a boat then tripple the price:) but agree they might have it. Thanks.
I have been doing some thinking on the mesh wind blocker and a bent piece of extruded aluminium about 3 feet long top and bottom with a one foot radi at each end fastened to a flat bar that is screwed to the soft top frame......kinda a big flat oblong.
How to stretch the mesh...now that needs a little more thought.
Rick
Rick Crawford

Hi Rick et al.

Lexan is a trade name for a polycarbonate and will not crack except under the most extreme temperatures and impacts. 1/4" is PLENTY thick and you should be able to obtain it at most glass shops... sold in 2 inch increments usually. Various gradients are available and it can be easily machined/engraved. Edge finishing is also fairly easily accomplished. I believe that polycarbonates are much more UV resistant than mosty other plastics including plexi-glass.... which will crack easily at screw holes.

Let us know how it goes , Cheers, Rob
Rob Gibbs

Rob
Sounds like you clearly know something about polycarbonate material. Do you think Charlie's cracked because of too much bending/vibration due to wind buffeting?
Rick
Rick Crawford

Rick.

An easy way to damper vibration is to use in screw hle a piece of softer material like viton or nylon to alleviate cracking.

JGC
J. G. Catford

My bet is that Charlie has a polystyrene or plexi-glass wind buffer. The edge color on poly-carbonate sheet is a distinct grey color as opposed to clear/white with the others.

Rob
Rob Gibbs

FWIW, I agree with Rob. It'd be unlikely for 1/4" Lexan to flex and crack at the screw holes.
db
Doug Baker

Rick- I too have been looking at building my own windblocker, and I found a place in Toronto that sells, cuts, etc. Lexan and to your specs by the looks of it. Plastic World, 1140 Sheppard Ave West, Unit 8, Downsview, Ontario, M3K 2A6 416-630-6745
http://www.plasticworld.ca/index.asp?pid=1

Haven't seen Charlie's design, or pics of it- some of the links to pics are too old. So wondering about the metal bar for the bottom edge. Ideas? Where to find? etc. Thanks!
Rob Dice

Rob et al
Thanks for the name Rob. I am up Collingwood way so I went to local Speedy auto glass and bought 1x3 piece for $45 + cutting $10 + taxes= $60.00. I was quoted $45 then got the bill for "cutting and sanding". Cutting yes sanding no. I could hear he was using a skill saw to cut it. Man what a noise.

I actually installed it 2 days ago and have kept details and pics for any one who wants the info on how to build. I will do up a parts list and procedure when I have finally completed it which should be today. I have bought everything from Home Depot so this suites both US and CDN builders. With the $60 I am about %100 so far.
Just for a heads up I got a "L" shape and flat stock aluminium 3' long pieces for the lexan support and flat stock steel 3' long for the brace attached to one of the arms of the soft top frame.
I will detail this within a week. here or if big will send by e-mail. attached is a pic so far. I have an idea to attach my softop cover to the back of the blocker to stop the air from comming in underneath the blocker. That I am going to do within next 2 days. The next step is to cut the softop cover where the bracket is so the cover sits properly.

Rick



Rick Crawford

Rick- Thanks for the picture. I was trying to envision a U-shaped sort of bracket on the bottom like what Little British Car Co has on their Wind Blocker. I am in Kitchener, so I checked with the local glass shop here, and they quoted me about $50 + tax cut to my shape. I am interested to see more details on your attachement to the soft top. Thanks for the update, and Good Luck with the final product!! Cheers, Rob
Rob Dice

Nice looking job Rick

Mike Petryschuk
Michael Petryschuk

But Rick, how do you get to the back seat now?
db
Doug Baker

1 point for Doug!
DON KELLY

Do not go to the back seat as there are 2 big honkin spekers back there which you will see in some pics.
Rick
Thanks Mike, I am happy so far but I think I will move where the top coiver is attached to clean it up.Give me a few days guys to put a plan together.
Rick Crawford

Hi Rick

I made a windblocker for my 73 MGB using exactly they same aluminum extrusions sourced from Home Depot. It was attached to the car by bolting to the cross tubing that supports the front of the tonneau cover. My mistake was not making the lexan tall enough and there was still a lot of buffeting from behind. Sadly I either didn't take any photos or simply can't find them!

Looking forward to some warmer weather.

Barry
75 TR6
BJ Quartermaine

I just finished pictoral constructions for my wind blocker with parts list.

Anyone welcome to it. It is in .DOC format and is 3.5MB big. I have shrunk the pics to make it as small as possible.
Send me an e-mail rjcassocATlynxDOTorg. Replace the AT and DOT with appropriate symbols.
Rick
Rick Crawford

I just converted the constructions to PDF and is only 900KB so will send that.
Rick
Rick Crawford

I hate to raise the dead, but I went to Shannonville Sat. for the races, about 45 min. drive, then to Picton on Sun. for the slaloms about 1 1/4 hr. drive. By the time I got to both places my eyes were burning I'm guessing from exhaust fumes from my stupid Monza pipe. I am therefore going to get a wind blocker and am wondering if the general opinion is "yes this this will solve the problem". I have to think that if it will stop the air, it will stop the fumes coming with it.
Charlie, I saw yours on an earlier thread, are you still happy with it (cracks aside), any mods. or revisions you would recommend? Did you figure out a mesh one?
Rick how did yours work out?

Rob
rw loftus

One thing that will help that Monza stink is pipe extenders. Just a little bit seem to help others.
Don't know if the blocker will help. Others might chime in
DON KELLY

Thanks Don, I thought someone might say something like that, thats why I mentioned I had them in the first place. I don't want to do that thought because I spent a lot of time fitting it really tight under the rear valance so that none of the muffler itself sticks out past the lower edge of the valance, I did this to keep the pipes up high and short. I thought it was a neater look. Pipe extentions would pretty much defeat the purpose.

Rob
rw loftus

It is neater but with the TR6 Kammback tail it sucks the yukky stuff (technical term) right back inside
DON KELLY

Yea, I found out the hard way. You don't notice it just pokin' around town, but at speed on the highway, I'm going to have to do something differant.

Rob
rw loftus

Rob
I do ot have an exhaust smell at all but then I am stock system. I know how my wind blocker stops the air from comming in over the boot so I can imagine that a wind blocker stops air and thus the smell.
To make sure there is no air at all coming in under the soft top cover, I attached dome fasteners to the wind blocker then on the soft top cover. With the soft top cover snaped on to the wind blocker, there is no air coming in over the boot.
In the May 20 2008 post above is my e-mail address. Rob, post or send me an e-mail and I will send a PDF of how I build one with pics.

Rick
Rick Crawford

Rick, you have mail.

Thank You

Rob
rw loftus

I got your message, Rick.

Thank You good sir.

Rob
rw loftus

Rob
I also have a chrome pipe extension and even with the blocker in place if the wind is behind me I still get the occasional whiff of exhaust ..I think it's just the design of the car
Charlie
Charlie B.

Yea, I think so too. I've read where differant guys have had this problem and attributed it to the Kamm back that Don mentioned earlier. With all the other issues I've had with the Monza Exhaust, I would never buy one again.
I got a piece of Lexan yesterday, I was quoted a price of $40 and change. When I got there the lady asked if i needed an invoice, when I said no she said OK $36. I said I think I hae that exact amount, and rifled through my pocket, oh, no, sorry I only have $34 in change, close enough she said! I win! This weekend I'll pick up all the other bits and pieces and get at it.
Charlie, with yours being a little narrower, do you think maybe that is why you get a wiff now and then? I'm weighing the pros and cons of being able to put the top up without removing the blocker and I'm woundering if the few inchs on either side would make a differance.

Thanks

Rob
rw loftus

Rob
Remember all the parts come from once place...Home Depot. Good price on the lexan.
You have to decide on the top up and down thing. I can only add that it has only been once when I have had to take the blocker off and put it in the boot. As said I have attached the soft top cover to the wind blocker and it just might cure any left over exhaust smell. Without it attached, you definitely have air swirling over the back and coming under the blocker.

I would say you want the blocker as wide as possible.


Oh Ya, you are welcome Rob
Rick
Rick Crawford

I thought snapping the top cover to the blocker was a real good idea and I'm going to do that. I think I might even have enough snaps left over from putting on the new top and tonnou (sp?). I guess that kind of ansewers my own question, is there any point in snapping the top cover to the blocker if there are going to be gaps at each end. I guess if it's real easy to change, why not go full length? Decision made, full length it is. Going shopping tomorrow.

Thanks Rick

Rob
rw loftus

This thread was discussed between 01/05/2008 and 11/06/2010

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