well what do you think? this is progress from today. more to come. this is my 87GT.
not bad for just a days work now is it? i still have to fine tune the mounting of the glass, and glue it down. more pics to come.
------------------
1985 Pontiac Fiero 2.5 SE, 219,500 miles and still runing!!! more pics of my 85 can be found here 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT, 139,000 miles! Cat less, but otherwise damn near stock! 1987 Pontiac Fiero 2.8 SE, 54,000 miles :( parts car RIP
Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
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08:13 AM
PFF
System Bot
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
AWESOME! I've always loved Skitime's decklid window... if I could figure out how to do it on a notchback decklid (it's got more of a hump than the GT decklids) I'd do it...
Please keep posting pics and details through the process...
------------------ Patrick W. Heinske -- LZeitgeist@aol.com 1988 Red Fiero Formula Convertible
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09:11 AM
Philphine Member
Posts: 6136 From: louisville,ky. usa Registered: Feb 2000
AWESOME! I've always loved Skitime's decklid window... if I could figure out how to do it on a notchback decklid (it's got more of a hump than the GT decklids) I'd do it...
Please keep posting pics and details through the process...
Cut out the hump, install a mustang scoop, then install the window in the mustang scoop.
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11:49 AM
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
i assume you've test fit it on the car. maybe it just looks this way in the pictures because the sense of scale is weird, but the hole looks too close to the rear window.
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01:00 PM
Saber49 Member
Posts: 937 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: May 2004
LZeitgeist: ill let you know how if i descide to do it on my 2m4 though i dont think the four would look as cool under there.
Philphine: i dont know what skitime did, i asked but he was kinda rude. i used a sheet of lexan.
Spyhunter: i did test fit it, and it is a bit farther back than i wanted, but i wasnt brave enough to cut out the underside support. im thinking of either adding a set of vents that i have, or putting a second window behind the current one.
Saber49: i thought about making a kit, and i may if damand is large enough, but let me see what the finished thing will look like.
if i made a kit who would buy it?
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02:00 PM
DotTC Member
Posts: 2345 From: Hamlet, North Carolina Registered: Nov 2003
since i'm looking at it again it came to me.i don't know why it didn't the first time...
if you cut that section out clean, it's gonna have the slight curvature to it already. so i guess if you took it to whoever makes the glass you could just tell them to copy what you have in tempered glass. sound like it should work?
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10:38 PM
PFF
System Bot
Jul 22nd, 2004
tednelson83 Member
Posts: 1993 From: Santa Clarita, California, USA Registered: Jul 2002
yeah, i have no idea what a piece of custom emper glass would cost, but i think he said he used it for durability.
how long do you think the lexan will last as far as staying clear is concerned? are you going to make it easy or at least not real hard to change it out if it starts getting cloudy?
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10:30 AM
Jul 23rd, 2004
tednelson83 Member
Posts: 1993 From: Santa Clarita, California, USA Registered: Jul 2002
yea removing it will be quite simple. i used claer sillicone to hold it in place. it seams to be holding. as for how long it will stay clear, the stuff i used should last more than 5 years. it is high quality and is designed to take the heat and weather.
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06:29 AM
tednelson83 Member
Posts: 1993 From: Santa Clarita, California, USA Registered: Jul 2002
this is before i painted the underside of the window's edges.
this is the final test fit
this is the finished product. i like it!
if you have pic requests let me know. if you are interested in a kit let me know. illtry to take better pics later with another camera.
EDIT 12-21-04: basicly i cut out the general shape fron the bottom of the decklid. i used the shape that was there already. than i measured half an inch(or thereabouts) in from the top or the lid. i used a dremmel tool to cut through ONLY the top layer of the lid. i separated the parts, sanded it smooth, and trimmed a sheet of laxan to fit the hole. i painted a black ring around the bottom of the window, and attached it with some old sillicone i found in the garage. next time i will use better sillicone. i have had it on my daily driver sence late summer, and it is just fine, only problem comes from washing it. it gets those light swirl marks like the rest of the body. the pics above illustrate what i mean.
------------------
1985 Pontiac Fiero 2.5 SE, 219,500 miles and still runing!!! more pics of my 85 can be found here 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT, 139,000 miles! Cat less, but otherwise damn near stock! 1987 Pontiac Fiero 2.8 SE, 54,000 miles parts car RIP
Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
[This message has been edited by tednelson83 (edited 12-21-2004).]
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07:19 AM
Black-Azz-GT Member
Posts: 2326 From: Florida Keys Registered: Oct 2003
------------------ -Chris - Custom Gun Metal 86 GT 3.4 5spd 3.4 SOLD & 4.9 being installed
"It's too low, too rough, too loud, drinks gas, it's totally impractical, but damn good lookin. In other words, It's almost perfect!" Build up tread or MODS w/ Pics
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07:40 AM
Philphine Member
Posts: 6136 From: louisville,ky. usa Registered: Feb 2000
hey is that car silver? mine is. if so, are you considering changing the plenum color? i think part of what made skitimes so nice was the plenum matched the car. i'm thinking if i do it then looking for a polished or painted silver plenum.
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10:37 AM
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
Ted, Thanks for posting the pictures, I have a similar mod I'm thinking of doing that requires an opening in the same area. The biggest challenge for me will be getting enough room for stacks to clear on right side.
well, you've inspired me into experimenting with it (or maybe messing up a good trunk lid). i cut the section out. a guy at work had a kind of mini router so i was able to make my measurements, set the depth so i didn't cut the underframe work and cut it out in one piece relatively cleanly.
i also drilled some holes around the perimeter first so i can bolt the piece back on while i figure out what to do next. yep i did it without knowing how i plan to finish it. i want try real hard to figure out how to get it to move like a sunroof for extra venting. if i can't work it out affordably then i'll go ahead and work on a stationary piece.
[This message has been edited by Philphine (edited 07-25-2004).]
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05:02 PM
Jul 26th, 2004
tednelson83 Member
Posts: 1993 From: Santa Clarita, California, USA Registered: Jul 2002
[/QUOTE] I have been thinking of doing the same thing (glass view) for more then a year. And well since I am going to park my GT for a little while I think I going to go for it. All I need is to start cutting and then find a place that will sell me the tempered glass. Anyway does anyone have an idea on the cost for the GLASS?
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06:47 PM
Jul 29th, 2004
Philphine Member
Posts: 6136 From: louisville,ky. usa Registered: Feb 2000
i guess the person who knows is skitime, or possibly the person he gave the extra one he had to (i forgot who. was it capmam or or a name something like that?).
i lucked out. i thought we had plexi at work but i took a pair of channel locks and tried to chip off a corner and it bent instead. that means it's lexan dosen't it? i remember we had some of this stuff before and you could bend it like metal in a bending brake. they said that was the difference bettween lexan and plexi. anyway it seemed more durable that i thought it would be so i cut out a piece and stuck it in for now. if someone comes up with a decent tempered glass price or i've got more cash later and can seriously look into it myself i'll replace it.
two things that might be interesting, the moving glass thing i mentioned before, and more for the car show folks, what if you could get like two way glass where from the outside it was clear, but if the trunk were open it would be like those mirror kits like what chester and maybe some others have?
i two things that might be interesting, the moving glass thing i mentioned before, and more for the car show folks, what if you could get like two way glass where from the outside it was clear, but if the trunk were open it would be like those mirror kits like what chester and maybe some others have?
very cool idea
i still want to see if i can window a notchback decklid ontop of the bubble (curved surface)
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10:48 AM
Iron_Mark_2003 Member
Posts: 1767 From: Northeast Kansas Registered: Jun 2004
well, this needs some more lab time. the lexan is warping enough that the silicone let go in about a 6" section.
where i am now...
i used a peice of about 1/8" lexan 'cause it was available to me and about the thickness of the panel i cut out and i figured it would look better flush. i used a high temp silicone and set it in with a few weights to keep it down while it dried. the car then sat for a few days so it had plenty of time to set and cure.
i drove it to work today. about 75-80deg. car warmed up normal and to about normal op temp. the trip to work is about 8mls on normal streets (no highway). by the time i got to a restaurant near work i noticed one high section around the edge. stopped and got food and checked it. then drove another mile or so to work and saw it had risen a bit more.
i was a little afraid of it cooling down warped but i had to go in. came back a couple hrs later and it had actually kind of settled in it's original position, except of course that section is no longer glued down.
so now i'm considering these options...
now i have some 1/4" lexan available that i can get a piece of (i didn't want to cut into a new sheet but some work project's been started so now it's in play). it wouldn't be flush but the extra thickness should resist warping.
i can countersink some small bolts around it. don't really want to till i know this is how i'm going to keep it and/or i give up on making it move or replacing it with glass later.
some combo of both thicker lexan and bolts.
over the couple days it's been in i really like it so iguess i'll keep playing with the idea. gotta do something anyway, the hole's there already.
------------------ Phil T.
start where you are, use what you have, do what you can. arthur ashe
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05:12 PM
Silicoan86 Member
Posts: 1614 From: Savage, MN, USA Registered: May 2004
i have noticed a small spot over the X-over where the lexan has dimpled just a little, but it is not very noticible unless you know about it. i would rate mine as a success. now the sillicone calking i used to "glue" it in place is doing ok, but the stuff that i used was somewhere between 5 and 10 years old, and it was no good, so it still hasnt dried in some spots, but it is holding well. i think when i get to it, i will replace it with RTV blue.
this is my daily driver by the way. i have driven about 100-200 milesand at speeds of up to 90. the window is holding up to the beatings of daily life just fine.
------------------
1985 Pontiac Fiero 2.5 SE, 219,500 miles and still runing!!! more pics of my 85 can be found here 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT, 139,000 miles! Cat less, but otherwise damn near stock! 1987 Pontiac Fiero 2.8 SE, 54,000 miles :( parts car RIP
Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
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04:03 AM
Aug 8th, 2004
tednelson83 Member
Posts: 1993 From: Santa Clarita, California, USA Registered: Jul 2002
well it has been 3 weeks now and the thing is holding up beautifully, so i descided to go out and take more pics. i like it, but im thinking of making it bigger like on that yellow ferrari in the above pics.
gosh now i need a new sig with my gt in it, plus i need to get my ex out of there. Tip: nexer have your girlfriend in your sig, caus than it really sux when she dumps you. ------------------
1985 Pontiac Fiero 2.5 SE, 219,500 currently going under the knife to become a chopped hard top custom convertible, watch for the build up thread more pics of my 85 can be found here 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT, 140,000 miles! Cat less, decklid window, silver guages. 1987 Pontiac Fiero 2.8 SE, 54,000 miles parts car RIP
Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
[This message has been edited by tednelson83 (edited 08-08-2004).]
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04:14 AM
Philphine Member
Posts: 6136 From: louisville,ky. usa Registered: Feb 2000
i went ahead and switched out to the thicker lexan i also countersunk some beveled stainless steel bolts around it.
because it's been nice i've been in the convertible the last few days, so i haven't tested it yet, but this time i can't see it coming up.
for now i've kind of given up on making it move. i'm not smart enough to figure it out and i can't afford some kind of custom work right now. i think i'll go ahead and see if i can just copy skitime more and pick up one of those center rear vents from kahines (i also emailed kahines to see if they were considering a front hood vent to match. he said he's considering it but hasn't had time to develope it.)
i even cleaned up the engine some. did ya know the top of that thing is red?
gosh now i need a new sig with my gt in it, plus i need to get my ex out of there. Tip: nexer have your girlfriend in your sig, caus than it really sux when she dumps you.
exact reason why i no longer have a sig...
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03:48 AM
tednelson83 Member
Posts: 1993 From: Santa Clarita, California, USA Registered: Jul 2002