Side curtain posts

There is not a standard distance. @Troy Sloan is an expert on door post distance so maybe he'll chime in here. Some of the makers are consistent with each other and others are not.

CMC / FF the post locations vary, just be sure that the screws that anchor the door top rail do not interfere with the side curtain post sockets.

Do you have the plastic side curtain pieces?  They are pre-drilled for the post attachment and that determines the spacing.

Robert M posted:

There is not a standard distance. @Troy Sloan is an expert on door post distance so maybe he'll chime in here. Some of the makers are consistent with each other and others are not.

Vintage and JPS cars are consistent and the same.  Beck cars are the same, different than JPS and Vintage.  CMC and FiberFab are anybody's guess, because most of them were home built.  I don't know about IM.

I would think that any CMC car that used the plastic side curtains that came with the kit would have the same post spacing.  My posts are about 23" apart.

I don't have side curtains of any kind at this time and was thinking I'd space these holes so in the future I could order side curtains from Vintage or JPS. Thanks for the input guys.

Mike, on CMCs the side windows were never pre-drilled for the mounting posts, nor were the receiving tubes in the door pre-drilled.  They were cut to more-or-less fit the space but where you mounted the posts to hold them up was up to you, so there is no consistency between CMC/FF cars unless made by the same person (and even then there will be differences - just ask Alan!)

I use three screws to mount the door top rails then, an inch in for the side curtain sockets.

@Gordon Nichols, my CMC side curtains were pre-drilled. I assumed all were. 

Jesse, I think the consensus is to wait until you have the curtains in hand to install the posts. Safest bet I think.

jesse postill posted:

I don't have side curtains of any kind at this time and was thinking I'd space these holes so in the future I could order side curtains from Vintage or JPS. Thanks for the input guys.

I'm not 100% positive, but I'm pretty sure JPS side curtains come from the same supplier as the Vintage side curtains. I would recommend buying them from Greg at Vintage Motorcars Inc. in Hawaiian Gardens California. 

I think you guys are right about getting the side curtains here before doing any drilling.

Consider doing some rigid plexiglass side windows with vents.  Several of us have done them and they really improve the all-weather experience of the car.

Hi Lane, I have been investigating your idea, also considering making side curtains with a sliding pane. I'm thinking outward visability is a huge issue with traditional side curtains.

I didn't do a sliding pane as my talents aren't that great.  I used the pop-out aircraft-style vent and it worked well.

Anyone have pics of the plexiglass side windows?

I’ll see if I can find some, but I think I lost most of ‘em in a disk controller crash a few years back.

I would rather have the plexiglass....if I could get a good design...

Lexan Side curtain, his is the one photo I could find quickly.. It' Lexan " Margard" it's scratch resistant, rubber molding at the base and against the windshield edge.  

I love that clean look....did you make a track the glass?

Smith423 posted:

I love that clean look....did you make a track the glass?

Lexan Margard Instructions:   No., it's one piece that sets into the door top rails The pins are from CMC FF old lit , you can also use a chrome wire draw pull ( 5/16") you just cut off one of the short sides and support it with a small chrome washer & capo that with an acorn nut.

I first make a full sized cardboard template, ( note that the Left and Right sides will not be the exact same ) fits half way into the top flap and against the windshield frame. Be careful not to  have too much of the Lexan Margard ( scratch resistant and has one side that is UV resistant)  into the rearward flap or you'll have problems opening the door. I use a rubber molding that has a 3/8" U channel that captures the Lexan and has a flat 7/8 " tapered rubber as the seal. ( eBay) So the combined width of the molding is about 1 -1/4" so you deduct that measurement from the bottom and windshield portion of the template. ( do a bit less for a test fit you can trim as needed.  Press the U channel onto the cardboard template and test fit , adjust as needed then cut the Lexan with a fine tooth jig saw blade...run the saw at a slow speed so that you don't melt the Lexan edge. Press the U channel onto the Lexan for a final test fit. At the bottom corner cut it at a 45 and Super glue it. Then sand the exposed edge with 220 / 320 paper....If you want a clear edge you can run a Propane torch along the edge at about 1" per second this will gloss the edge to a polished look ( Practice on a scrap first).  Lastly cut the posts to length, set the Lexan into the opening and mark the Lexan where to drill for the mounting.  For storage bag, sew up a bath towel so that it will have a two pockets to store that curtains for scratch  protection  a layer of towel between them ..

I like that Alan, much improved outward visibility with that clean design.

Great job!

I love it!

Smith423 posted:

Great job!

I love it!

@troy sloan makes and sells clear side windows for these cars. If you're interested in a set he could probably help you out.

Troy's windows are designed for reducing wind buffeting when riding with the top down.  They aren't intended to fully fill the side window opening.

When I did mine, the biggest challenge was to get a good seal between the flat plane of lexan and the compound curve of the windshield frame.  That will take some work to make (mostly) water tight.  You also need to make sure that they don't pull outward at highway speeds.  Mine looked much like Alan's, but I had a 3.5" round airplane pop-out vent about 2/3 of the way back.  That doesn't hinder vision, but does allow for ventilation.  They can be rotated as needed to get good flow-thru.  Check out an aircraft supply shop for purchase.

Lane Anderson posted:

Troy's windows are designed for reducing wind buffeting when riding with the top down.  They aren't intended to fully fill the side window opening.

Minor correction to Lanes comment.  Although they do help to slightly reduce top down wind and noise, the main reason people buy my CruZin windows is because they look cool on Speedsters.

I don't sell the hardware separately, but I see no reason that my hardware could not be used to do what is being discussed in this thread.  I would need to be aware that the buyer was buying them with the intention of removing the plexiglass and using there own plexiglass.

I have spent a great deal of time trying to develop a full size window, but there are just too many variables that make it nearly impossible to make a "one size fits all" window.  There are issues at both the windshield end and the backend with interference with the top frame.  Too many buyers would encounter problems and want to return their windows.  I'm just not willing to deal with that problem. 

Troy is correct when he says that all tops are different.  I have a pair of his cruising windows and they almost fill up the openings on my car.  I used them on the first day of my trip to Carlisle this year and stayed drier than expected in a moderate rain and the windshield never fogged up. If it's not raining the top is down and the windows stowed.  Adjustable posts made it simple.