Plexiglas Sidecurtains

I know this subject has been talked about before, but the sidecurtains in Ola's file pictures are the best I've seen. They look like very clean and I'd like to know the source and price if possible. If they are not available is there another source that anyone is aware of?

Those are slick side curtains! I wonder if they were homemade or are an aftermarket product sold in Europe. For the life of me I don't know why the US made McSpeedsters don't offer something similar...

You can buy aluminum dual-channel extrusions and have a competent shop fabricate frames from them; this allows part of the side curtain to slide fore-aft for ventilation. Or with a fixed plex side curtain you can install the rotating pop-out ventilation scoops used in light aircraft and some motocycle fairings.

Sliding is more convenient if you have to toss change into toll road or bridge change collecting baskets.

The side-curtains on Ola's car look a lot like what came with CMC kit.
I got all of the weather stripping and hardware described below with my car, but got no plexiglass panels as he didn't have them.
BD






(Message Edited 1/23/2003 3:52:41 PM)

George,

I spoke with John Steele about sliding plexi glass window treatments vs the curtains.

Earlier he had priced it out. Apparently it is neither inexpensive nor easy to create the curved channel with a center divider for the sliding part, though he said if the front portion didn't slide to the rear, but rather front part remained fixed, and the rear piece slide forward, that would be easier way to go as you wouldn't need to have the bend with the divided channel in the front part of the window. I don't know if the way I explained it makes sense. However, for a sano look our European friend has some nice windows. Kudos.

Fibersteel carries these, check out "sliding windows" on their web site. They are pricey though, I believe he quoted me about $450 several months ago, though I may be wrong.

I recently sent Fibersteel an e-mail about the plexiglas side windows for replica speedsters and he responded that they are not ready and to check back in a few months. I figure he'll have them available by the summer (timing...)

Can any of you guys that fabricated some plastic/glass windows post any detailed pics? Or at least send me some shots via private e-mail?

I am going to start creating some of my own, possibly even as a small side project for other member of the group.

Any help would be nice. I just want to make sure that I have all the details on the table.

Eddie,
Here's what came with Fiberfab or CMC Speedsters.
They are made of Lexan.
They are not curved. The front rubber is a hollow "D" shaped extruded moulding. It sort of mashes into place against the aluminum windshield frame.
I haven't driven it enough to tell how well they work. My initial impression is that they work better than the canvas and plastic ones that are used on Vintage Speedsters.
Both are a pain to open and close doors and tuck the curtains back in.
The Lexan ones on the Red Fiberfab are harder to open and close doors, as they are larger and less flexable.

Greg B

This has been discussed before. Look at the "chesil speedster" builder in the UK. They have
a chrome filler peice that fits between the curve of the windshield frame and the roll up
window edge. Maybe a piece like that would help you.

Wow, I surprised myself. Look at their link below
www.chesil.co.uk/info/frames.htm
Look at the "news" window, there is a nice shot of the piece Im trying to describe. If you had
this piece roll up/slde up windows would be a snap. And if you keep looking most of your other questions you see posted here are answered. Special "speedster exhaust" made in S.S. etc....Wow.
Just remember to multiply by two for the prices

I love this group. Ask a question as Eddie did and you still get answers nearly 3 years later. Now that is Follow Up with a capitol FU.

Merry Christmas

Justin resurfaced the thread asking for pictures of folks side curtains. "We don't need no stinkin' wussy side curtains" --- not with a Eberspacher BN4 gas heater (any how!).

I loved this thread, especially the post that Fibersteel was promising
sliding side cutains in "several months". Russ's calender is still not moving 3 years later. I got the same line of BS from him, even face to face three years ago. Nothing has changed obviously.

As someone that has made at least a dozen sets of Lexan / "MarGuard" side curtains.
There are differences in relationship to the actual placement of windshields and convertible tops on speedsters, this dictates the actual shape of a hard side curtain ...hence no two are exactly alike and must be hand crafted using a cardboard template etc.

Thanks for the pics Greg.

I agree Alan that every one will need to probably be hand crafted with no two being alike. I guess I'll get out the cardboard this weekend and start mockups.

Remember, too, that the "post holes" for Speedster side-curtains will not be in exactly the same place on any two cars (even two cars from the same manufacturer).
That detail alone makes "mass producing" these babies tricky at best.
Realistically, lexan side-curtains are going to need to be custom-fitted to individual cars, one at a time - unlike the canvas side-curtains which because of the large "soft canvas" border around them, are much more forgiving, fit wise.

I had an original 57 set. They were a .25 in. bar frame with typical top material, like jeep doors.

Alan, what have you used typically on the edges (lower and upper if anything)?

Also, who would be the best resource for the male brackets that attach to the window?

Thanks.

Use Lexan or MarGuard if available, I use a tapered flat piece of rubber that has a U channel on one edge to affix it to the plastic
(JC Whitney, $26 a roll) I only put it on the leading edge and bottom leaving the top portion bare that rests under the top flap.

The male brackets that attach to the window...you can order them from Street Beasts ( VS has a more complex configuration)or make them out of a chrome elongated U shape cabinet draw pull cutting off one of the short ends.

As always, thanks for the help Alan.