Home-made Side Curtains for Lemans Top – “How To”.

[Fullchat289]

Hi, Guy. Thanks for the compliments. The side curtains have ridden along now for 1K miles and have worked out great. I haven't been in any driving rain in that period, but I can tell you that in the light rain I've been in, the air moving around the windscreen pushes most of the moisture out around the window openings and the side screens don't get much at speed. For 40 F degree days, the curtains do make for a more comfortable interior environment. Noise inside is mostly the thrum of the lump up front. The sliding panel is about 1mm less in thickness than it really sould be just due to material I had easily at hand when constructing them, so there's a bit of rattling from them. I normally run the car with earplugs, so if you are in the passenger seat and want to talk to me, you better wait until we stop...lol.

One of the improvements or finishing touches I've added to the screens since writing this "how-to" is a seal at the bottom. I went through two iterations of this with the second being the preferred method. Because the furrels that the screen posts slot into stand proud of the bodywork, there is a bit of air space under the screens that requires sealing off to make the cold days more comfortable. Here's the two iterations:

This method was a copy of the method used in one of the first photos of this thread that provided the inspiration/design direction. I purchased some 3/16" thick rubber sheet from McMaster-Carr and incorrectly specified the hardness. This error presented itself in wild flapping of the seal at speed. I thought I might get lucky in that the air passing over would keep them pressed down towards the body work, but this was not the case:



This next picture shows the second and final iteration. Here I used a 3/8" bulb seal with gripper section for 1/8" material that just slid over the flange of the screens. This works very well at keeping air out and is speed-proof.





- Allen.

[Hagster]

Hello All,

Im Guy from across the pond in the UK, I love the side screens you have made and now know how to form the alloy channle. I made mine a little different and thought if we are on the subject you might like to see them.

They are made from two sheets of aluminium composit sheet 3mm thick (alloy/plastic/alloy) and 4mm perspex, when all fixed together makes a 10mm thick frame.

The aluminium composit has a rebate all away around the inside of a depth of 2.2mm, when the two sheets are screwed together you get a 4.4mm wide channel for the second sheet of perspex to slide in. I have a small drain hole in the side of the frame to let water out of the slide channel.

I am not going to have a lock but instead am using similar to a rubber bonnet strap but smaller fixed onto the rear of the frame (same place as a lock would go) and once inside the car you will just pull it tight and clip it over a small fork fixed to the inside of the roof pillar. When out side the car you will simple push the windows shut (no lock, but not important if you ask me since normally no roof on at all).

4mm hole through the perspex and 3.2mm holes in the aluminium composite with M4 tapped threads.

Just need to fix a small handle on the sliding piece now.

Comments please.

Regards Guy

[Fullchat289]

Guy:

Congrats and job well done! I see your version hinges at the windscreen. I like your concept. What does it look like when opened? Does it require some sort of gas strut or spring? Just thinking about wind....I spent 3yrs in the UK and know you have some wind there from time to time. Great concept and thank you for sharing your version!

- Allen.

[Hagster]

You can fit a gas strut when they are hinged, but to be honest I am in the middle of making fixings so they fix to the top of the doors to act like normal windows.

Regards Guy

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Oh great-now I've been confused with the Village Idiot...

I love the irony in that.

Allen - awesome job. Did I see a form in one of those pics for mocking up a redesigned trunk?

[Thomas Gayer]

i enjoyed following your post very much. thanks for posting

[Lynx]

Does anyone have a link to where I can find some Cobra Sun Visors and wind wings, side screens? I know I have seen them before online but can't find them now that I have purchased a Cobra.

[saltshaker]

Try Finishline.....

[Fullchat289]

Not sure what you have exactly, but if you are looking for something to fit a standard Cobra vinyl top, here's a link to Cobra Restorers:

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....rt~A2~cadeffib

Here's the Finishline link that Saltshaker mentioned:

Finish Line Accessories

- Allen.