Indycars
Well-Known Member
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My first windshield was an original T frame that hinged in the middle, I ran it mostly folded
in half. Next came a 3/4" Plexiglass windshield that was 19 inches high. Just too tall for ascetics,
so when it cracked near the bottom, I cut it off leaving the good portion. it was now just 12 inches
high. Too much wind in my face, on the highway at 65 with a 35 mph head wind on the way to
Austin Texas I was experiencing essentially a 100 mph wind rocking my head. Vision was always
blurring on the highway at best for hours at a time. Time to spend a few dollars and get another higher
16 inch windshield, something I could barely look over and would be more pleasing ascetically.
Call me crazy, many have. But I went to Eaton Quade Plastics in OKC and Frankie fabricated a new
16 inch windshield with Winglets. Now there was more to it than I am telling here, but it cost me
about $525, including the $117 cost of materials. The whole time Frankie was fine with me watching
and a few
times helping for 6 hours. I tried not to inject too many of my suggestion/comments,
Frankie has been working with plastics since he got started at the age of 16 years old in shop class.
He's been at Eaton Quade for 35 years.
Obviously not everything fit exactly like it should in a perfect world and I think he noticed a few times
in my observation about the stanchions. The next day he sent me a text, saying he had an epiphany last
night. He thinks he has a better idea for the winglets and at the same time we can fix a problem with the fit in the stanchions. Now this is what I cannot believe, he wants to do it on the weekend, cause he wants to do another completely new windshield and his time it's going to be FREE. I don't know about the materials, but there is NO WAY I can let him pay, I really think he will come up with some scrap and neither one of us will need to worry about the material costs. JUST WOW, can't believe it !!!!
Ok, time for some pics from the different versions and some close-ups of the newest windshield. the time frame for this evolution is 40 years, I've owned my TBucket since 1979.
The first first version, I took the pic just before the car's last iteration .....new engine and trans. It has been sitting for 15 years at this point.
Next came the 19 inch high windshield. Just don't like the looks, the proportions are not right.
Then the 19 inch windshield cracked at the bottom. Thus was born the 12 inch head buffeting, vision blurring windshield. I wanted to try a short windshield. Love the looks, but the wind was terrible.
And the latest 16 inch windshield !!! Got to do something about those mirrors, they shouldn't be higher than the windshield.
The winglets are inserted into a 1/4 x 7/8 inch slot cut in the 3/4 thick windshield. That's what is causing the frosted look. Frankie warned me about this before he cut the slots. I like this idea since I could change out the winglets easily for a different size with minimal cost. If I just wanted to shorten how far they stick out, then I could do that myself at no cost. Definitely would have to put some SS acorn nuts on those 10-24 SS button heads.
And this is Frankie working on a template for fitting the windshield to the cowl to keep the rain out.
Between the cowl and windshield is a seal. See below for a pic.
.
My first windshield was an original T frame that hinged in the middle, I ran it mostly folded
in half. Next came a 3/4" Plexiglass windshield that was 19 inches high. Just too tall for ascetics,
so when it cracked near the bottom, I cut it off leaving the good portion. it was now just 12 inches
high. Too much wind in my face, on the highway at 65 with a 35 mph head wind on the way to
Austin Texas I was experiencing essentially a 100 mph wind rocking my head. Vision was always
blurring on the highway at best for hours at a time. Time to spend a few dollars and get another higher
16 inch windshield, something I could barely look over and would be more pleasing ascetically.
Call me crazy, many have. But I went to Eaton Quade Plastics in OKC and Frankie fabricated a new
16 inch windshield with Winglets. Now there was more to it than I am telling here, but it cost me
about $525, including the $117 cost of materials. The whole time Frankie was fine with me watching
and a few
times helping for 6 hours. I tried not to inject too many of my suggestion/comments,
Frankie has been working with plastics since he got started at the age of 16 years old in shop class.
He's been at Eaton Quade for 35 years.
Obviously not everything fit exactly like it should in a perfect world and I think he noticed a few times
in my observation about the stanchions. The next day he sent me a text, saying he had an epiphany last
night. He thinks he has a better idea for the winglets and at the same time we can fix a problem with the fit in the stanchions. Now this is what I cannot believe, he wants to do it on the weekend, cause he wants to do another completely new windshield and his time it's going to be FREE. I don't know about the materials, but there is NO WAY I can let him pay, I really think he will come up with some scrap and neither one of us will need to worry about the material costs. JUST WOW, can't believe it !!!!
Ok, time for some pics from the different versions and some close-ups of the newest windshield. the time frame for this evolution is 40 years, I've owned my TBucket since 1979.
The first first version, I took the pic just before the car's last iteration .....new engine and trans. It has been sitting for 15 years at this point.
Next came the 19 inch high windshield. Just don't like the looks, the proportions are not right.
Then the 19 inch windshield cracked at the bottom. Thus was born the 12 inch head buffeting, vision blurring windshield. I wanted to try a short windshield. Love the looks, but the wind was terrible.
And the latest 16 inch windshield !!! Got to do something about those mirrors, they shouldn't be higher than the windshield.
The winglets are inserted into a 1/4 x 7/8 inch slot cut in the 3/4 thick windshield. That's what is causing the frosted look. Frankie warned me about this before he cut the slots. I like this idea since I could change out the winglets easily for a different size with minimal cost. If I just wanted to shorten how far they stick out, then I could do that myself at no cost. Definitely would have to put some SS acorn nuts on those 10-24 SS button heads.
And this is Frankie working on a template for fitting the windshield to the cowl to keep the rain out.
Between the cowl and windshield is a seal. See below for a pic.
.
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