Jump to content
HybridZ

Rear window louvers.....how fast can you go if you have one?


80LS1T

Recommended Posts

Well I know the answer to that one! :D ........

 

I took a buddy for a ride tonight in my ZX and we got on this long straight away(about 3 miles long)(oh and I live in the middle of no where, so we were all alone) and I started to give'r and I got up to about 100mph then I took it to 110mph and all of a sudden I hear something from the rear....I was like what the hell? Look back and all I see is my louver flipping up into the air about 30 feet and flipping end over end! :shock::shock: Then my buddy being the smart a$$ that he is he says "hey there goes your mini-blind!"

 

So we turn around to go see if its ok....well the louver it self is ok but the mounts that it "was" on were all twisted up. When it flew off it ripped the two lower mounts off the window and broke the 2 top mounts in half (the tabs that were sticking off the mounts on the window broke off with the louver).

So the louver is ok for the most part but the mounts are completly shot. I dont really care because I wasnt going to keep it on once the car was painted and tinted out, but I was going to leave it on for the mean time!

 

I have been asking for this to happen though. The 2 top mounts broke twice before this and I JB welded them back on. It held up fine at normal speeds but not at high speeds! :D

 

I laughed about it! :D I couldnt not laugh when I saw that louver 30 feet in the air going end over end! LOL

 

 

Guy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my car was getting towed with the louver on it... on a flatbed truck, backwards.

 

A big truck went by and the thing flipped onto the roof leving a massive dent.

 

the louver is a total loss... the roof popped out with a good beating.

 

I knew i should have found those stupid latches :roll: ..

 

i felt dumb...

 

Joe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a similar incident...

 

I was driving along one way.... :)

it started to pour down rain..... :(

I started up a hill..... :)

the rear tires broke loose.... :?

car came around and slid sideways in a ditch (going backwards) :shock:

the louvers did the same as JoeinCA's did, smacked the roof and dented it... :evil:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Nic-Rebel450CA

Wow, you all are pretty gutsy.. I'm suprised no one has made a comment about turning around to look back at 110mph :shock:

 

Maybe I just havent been driving my Z long enough :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

nah, they arent that bad...

 

unfortunately i have grown to really like the louver... even if it is ugly...:-)

 

I may have to make one that is stronger... I think that if i design it correctly, I should be able to make a drastic decrease in the amount of lift the rear end of the Z produces...

 

I would really like to be able to take the car up to 160 without fear of leaving the pavement :-).

 

Joe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your stories remind me of a major brain fart that I had a few years ago. :roll:

To begin with... I had been bargaining for months with a guy over a perfect rust free bed for a Ranger pickup that I was redoing.

Finally we came to terms and I brought my old bed to him as an exchange.

On the return trip we had the new bed sitting in the back of my truck at the same position we had brought the old bed in. This turned out to be a very bad idea.

I happen to look in the rear view mirror as we pass a tractor trailer going the opposite direction. It was just in time to see the bed take flight. :shock:

The bed spun like a top to at least 30ft in the air then came down in the ditch and did about 6 end over rolls before coming to a rest upside down. Man was I glad there wasn`t anyone behind me. It was twisted and mangled beyond repair.

I did find another bed, but it took a few more months, cost more and was in worse condition than the first one I had found.

The moral of this story...ALWAYS SECURE YOUR LOADS. :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vaguely along the same theme.... Back when I had my first V8 240, I lived in Long Island, NY. I dont know how it is now, but the Major "strip" back then was Hempstead Turnpike..... about 2 miles worth was urban, and had the requesite donut shop to park at. I had great times there, being young, dumb.... and owning a fast car. One time in particular, a friend with a wicked hemi-based car, (forget the exact model) wanted to play... which sucked, as he was consistently faster than I. (must have been the 100+ HP difference) Occasionly, your basic carbed V8 feels like its on steroids, whether its the humidity, barometric pressure, or fortune smiling. As soon as I started the Z, I knew it was a good night to be out.... and then my friend wanted to play. I didnt mind another beating, so we ran, and I won by a car length or so.... and did it again.... so he wants one more chance. I get off the line perfect, while he spins, as he REALLY wants redemption. Because of his spin, i get out to probably 10 car lengths on him, and about 75mps, before I let up. A light is coming up, and I am slowing down, bumping my Hurst shifter back into drive, and just beginning to touch the brakes. Well, there is no reverse lockout, I miss drive and neutral, find reverse at about 65mph. :shock: I am not sure what is happening to me... but I hear and feel a bang, and suddenly my rear end is very greasy. I touch the brakes again, and I do a perfect stunt-driver's 180.... and I am looking into the rapid approaching windshield of my friend's car.... probably less than 2 car lengths away.... We are still around 60mph... and I will never forget it, face to face with his car, going backwards..... and my passenger has BOTH feet on the dash and is making this odd screetch... I ended up curbing it and wiping out the (thank god) steel rims. Two Z cars pulled up, helped me into the adjacent parking lot, and got their spares on my car, so we could bug out before someone called the cops. I doubt anyone who was there will ever forget it... I know I wont, my body has probably never excreted that much adreneline since....

tannji

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...