Wife wants rollup windows

Has anyone converted a 356 speedster kitcar from side curtains to rollup glass windows? Are there any kit manufacturers that have rollup windows whose doors/windshield can be purchased separately & bolted directly to our speedster. Of course I'm assuming that the specs on all kit 356 speedsters are equal and that compomnents from one manufacturer are interchangable.
This is our 1st speedster & I believe it to be the discountined CMC version but I cannot find any manf plates to verify this. I have studied the interior of the door & believe it would be relatively easy to install a universal electric rollup window & modify the top of the door edge to provide an opening for the window. However I would still have a gap to fill at the base of the windshield post. Would a later model speedster/roadster windshield with rollup side windows bolt directly on?

Thanks,

Possible, but be prepared to ask for foriegn aid......

Click on the search button on the main forum page and type in roll up windows. You'll find info on this.

They work best with the roadster top and windsheld frame A can do but you will have to monofy the doors and the coul post Its alot a work

If you want to do it cheep but neat Make up a pair of solid vent windows that mate up to your windsheild post Out of old vw vent windows But non openable type and let the door glass run it the back part like a stock beetle Cutting up a custom set of glass partterns and sending them off to Accap. glass in New York. is the Best.
They did me up real nice with nice edge beads all out of tempered glass Very resonable and I got spares. Excelent quality!! you can then use the bug regulators too..

I beleive this is a real neat short cut and you dont have to repaint if your very carful and plain it right.. use as much ghia ragtop trim as you can find and it will look very neat.

I used porsche cabrio outter door chrome and cut it to fit the had it rechromed along with the windsheild frame ...(Pricey but very professionally done at Advantage plating and powercoating In Tenn,

Barry,

Is your Speedster D an IM? and where did you get the D emblem? That is so cool! With your seat mods, arm rests and now this door glass mod I am really impressed. Can you post some close ups of some of your speedster D's details.
I have a 91' IM Speedster D on the way and would love to add the D emblem also.

Cheers
Dave

Barry had sent me his write up couple years ago - I started looking on SAMBA and ebay for D windshield frames and top frames ($$$$ ouch at $4-5K! and many needed restoration) - it would add another 12 years to my build. Ha, would be cheaper/easier to replace the wife.

Check out the windshield frames on the Chesil UK Speedster - it looks like a setup that could be duplicated. I had thought of using plexiglass vice glass too.

Attached is the sales sheet for the CMC windup window option -- it was NOT an add on after fact kit - had to order with original kit.

@Derrick Neal

try to check out the pics of my build, i got windup from Tygan (former Chesil) also on "demand" from the wife.

it is bit of a fiddle to make them fit perfect - but looks ok and works fine :-) - price is about 300

Nice setup Jesper,

Your door mounted rubber scapper looks familiar....VW Karman Ghia?? The interior of your door has a panel where as our is almost entirely open. I'm looking at using a streetrod universal power window unit. They are very simple(more so than my VW beetle) to install and only require 2 attachment points(top & bottom). The most difficult part I expect will be the seal of the glass to the front windshield.

About eight years ago John Steele (JPS) made roll-up windows for one of his speedsters. I beleive he said the car went to Florida? It was a decent job, but he swore he would never do THAT again. Maybe you could call him for issues?

Basically, he cut a slot into each door top and re-enforced the edges of the slot with small steel channels. At the windshield posts, he made a separate vertical channel to guide and hold the glass. He attached and sealed this piece to the existing windshield frame. This vertical guide channel required some thickness, and it definitely detracted from the look of car. The big visual issue is where the speedster windshield top corner has an early and large radius (tumblehome) and the straight door glass requires a rather square corner. Mating these two is difficult at best.

The windshield John used was a standard speedster, not a convertible D windshield. The windows themselves worked quite nicely. Don't remember if electric or manual. John is a old hot rod builder, and I believe some of his parts came from street rod suppliers.

as Wolfgang can confirm i startd with a new Vintage kit body in 2000. The car would have been running in 2004 if not for a bad T4 cam

Windsheild was found in Hemmings and the top came from Doc and Sy's restoration both are the real deal.

This is a speedster with roadster top and w/s the D letters came from Fibersteel

I have been tinkering with the idea of putting amber lens with lghts in the D letters as sidemarker for better safty.

Would y a do it ???or leave it be???


As far as the cab adding on to the front of the doors at the top about 3 inces and trimmin back the coul post to get a straight door transiton from cab to windsheild post is no small task