Side Screens.... well my own design this time

[auyt]

After some considerable amount of work and time I made some new side screens for the car. I could have bought  Caterham ones but as I have an original low vis roof and am too tight to buy a whole new setup, I designed an made my own.

The Main reason is the original ones the frame and vynal trim are at eye line and I wanted the improved elbow room.

The picture is of the first set which is a prototype version, but they worked brilliantly. They have a 1/4" curve along the length with just add a small amount of stiffness.

I plan to keep upgrading the design and change the whole support structure to Carbon Fiber, as these are steel and with the 3mm polycarbonate 250 grams heavier than the factory ones. 

The design is such there three mirror locations possible including at the top of the frame. The screen are also designed to work with the original roof hence the odd shape at the rear.

[AdamQ]

They look most impressive - very smart and professional indeed.  I'd be very interested in some more details of how you made the support structure.

[auyt]

The Fit and finish is OK but and is a bit deceptive in the picture as they are prototypes. and I am doing mods to the next set for a friend.

I Designed a simple steel support and had them water cut in 3mm steel see drawing pic

Polycarbonate ( better structurally not optically) I bought from my local hardware and that is hand cut with an angle grinder with a 1mm disk. The trick there is to polish the edges to remove stress raiser. To do this I used a bench grinder with a soft cotton buff.

The Lower section is where the work was and I am still improving them.  The F/G lower section cloth and 6oz chop strand matt.

The side of a 7 around the side of the dash is a far more complex shape than first appears. as such the steel supports are bent in a number of directions.

The steel support and the lower sections give the poly a slight 2D curve to stiffen them and it worked.I was concerned they would vibrate at speed and they don't even at 110 Ks.

The Trick to stopping them rubbing issue is the use of a 1/8" black felt that in strategic places.

The assembly is bolted together using mm screws threaded into the mm steel, but I plan to replace then with Chicago bolts ( google them)

[andy couchman]

They look very good. At the risk of over-complicating, the window sections could presumably be detachable and the 'elbow' section could incorporate some form of sliding vent. May well be interested in purchasing!

 

 

[DJ.]

That looks good. I am using modified standard sidescreens with polycarbonate tops. I really like the improved visibility without the black edging.

I had pondered making something similar to yours, but as you say achieving a seal with the scuttle is tricky!

Adding some flexible material behind the hinges would improve the seal by the screen if you drivein the wet.

Another idea I had was to hot form the whole thing in polycarbonate, giving a bulge for elbow room and a view of the road. However, some sort of rubber edge trim would be needed for sealing and to prevent chafing.

I am impressed with yours, I would say it is the best looking screen I have seen

Duncan

[Golf Juliet Tango]

Well done. Having made a DIY showercap, I know that making your own is satisfying and that as soon as you test the product, you think "oh, I could add that" or "that bit isn't quite right"

[auyt]

Thanks guys for the compliments and thoughts. I am planning to make these in a commercial way, at this point in time and to ship them internationally would make them expensive, even though I hant costed them. Getting the steel supports water cut were about 30UKPs each and its suprising how much work was involved in making the buck to make the molds for the lower section.

Adding extra seals along the front edge is something I plan to look at tying to keep it neat is the trick actually bonding it the support frame is probably the way to go.Oddlly even though there is 3mm clearance along the front edge to the screen there wasn't any gushing air coming in but rain water is a different matter.

and also a fresh air vent is also something I plan to do as a 7 on a 20c degree day with the roof up in the rain is stifeling according to my friend who suffered this on his 70 mile very first drive home.