Correct Windshield Angle

[cobra_dude]

What is the correct and orignal windshield rake angle????????

[Specialk]

somewhere in the neighborhood of 52 degrees for a 427. I think the FIA's are 42 degrees. Get it somewhere in between and if it looks good to you, bolt her down!

Kris

[Bob Putnam]

Actually, it's almost exactly 45 degrees for a 427. I've measured a couple originals myself. Use a protractor on these pictures and you'll realize that the only one that's at about 50 degrees is the FFR.

[Andy Dunn]

Hey Bob

You might check you link....I think you have two "http://http://" I decided to try your protractor suggestion but in a slightly different way. I downloaded the pictures to the desktop and then opened them up in a drawing program (adobe illustrator). I then blew each picture up to a large size for accuracy and drew a flat line. I then rotated the line to best match the angle in the picture and illustrator gives you a angle the line has rotated from 0 degrees. I tried to best match the windows rake in each picture. It is a little tricky since the front of the window post has a lower angle than the back so I tried to split the difference. I hope you don't mind that I used your pictures to create a mini picture with the results. Someone might also want to try this on their own to double check results. Of course I had to add the Butcher's ride since I went to great efforts to try and hit 45 I do not know what the original 427 rake was.



It has been my experience that a lot of people think they have a 45 degree rake when they really don't. I found that two things occur when you start getting into the mid to low 40's. The windshield doesn't follow the contour of the body as nicely as the higher rake but the rubber trim still holds a good seal. Secondly, the windshield post "cover plates" fail to function. Here is the piece I am talking about. As you cross under the 50 degree mark, these plates do not have a long enough slot to allow such a high angle and the plates then have to be abandonned or altered. I see that enzo has a second set of plates now that look like they have a longer distance. If you have these plates on your posts and you did not alter them, it is highly unlikely that you window is slanted less than 50 degrees.



and a fun tool to have around the garage is a digital protractor. Not only good for setting windshield rake, but if you get the type that can be zero'd out one the chassis, you can then use it to set up suspension, even if the garage floor is not level since you are going from the baseline of the chassis.











hope this info was amusing


Andy

[Bob Putnam]

That digital protractor is exactly the tool I used to measure the angle of the real cars' windshields (down the centerline) - not the brackets. And I got between 44.4 degrees and 45.2 degrees of every car I measured, real or ERA.

[Andy Dunn]

Hey Bob

that is interesting. I have never tried down the center of the window and always gone off the braket. My car is not here to test. I'll have to try some friends cars with that method shortly. Do you think that perhaps the center area of the window is at a greater angle than the bracket? It is curve outward at that point. Did you zero the protractor off the frame...I forgot to....and thinking about that, it would give an different reading if the cobra was higher in the back than the front and many are. There is rake against the frame and rake against earth. I never considered this until now.

I just thought of an error in my measuring of angle with the gif and jpg technique. This assumes that the camera is taking a perfectly level picture when this is simply not true. The camera holder is most likely off a few degrees to one side or another for a variety of factors.

Andy

[Bob Putnam]

Andy,

I always zero'd the gage on the chassis. Most chassis have a very slight rake, at least without a driver.
The windshield frame is definitely more upright than the center of the glass - probably that 5-7 degrees that our figures differ by.

[COBRAMIKE427]

Contemporary gave a measurement from the top of the headlamp opening to the top corner of the windshield.

[Michael C Henry]

does that mean that these brands all have different sidecurtains?