"Randy"

To those who have elected to use small glass/lexan/plexiglass sections between the rear window louvers on their Makos, how did you approach the installation?

Did you mold a recessed or flush tab into the individual openings so the glass can rest against it? Loaded from the outside (seems logical, like a front or rear glass on a car) against a silicone sealant?

Or something different?

I'm looking at mine thinking how poorly-designed the slid-in rear glass treatment is. I'm thinking I'll probably modify my rear deck so that the entire factory louver assembly is converted into a hinged cover over a flat piece of glass; either a stainless-steel piano-type hidden hinge could be used, or other "factory" flush-mount rear louver hinges, such as those used on the late 60's/early 70's Mustang fastbacks, Datsun Z-cars, or other.

I suppose if a guy really wanted to get tricky, he could make the teardrop into a hatchback, so that the glass and louvers opened together or independantly.

Bro' FF

In my case the tear drop louvered part will just be added to a stock hard top which will be removable so the hard top has a rear window, I will cut my louvers open maybe even make them functional as in open and close like the wild paint Mako, which is a hot sweet treatment but really not practical on a conventional Mako Coupe,
Also note, I will not be hacking up my Mako rear clip but pulling molds for the custom one off parts I need,

I really did grind hard on the idea of glass between each louver, glass as in real glass would work, some sort of support and mounting for the thin pieces of glass would be needed,
This would not be a place to use plexi or lexan,

The best way to do it has to be like you said with removable louvers and a I will add a real glass window,
I have thought of this many times back when I thought I was going to build a Coupe,
Take a look at how well it can be done, the dark colored car is a vert,

Something odd, both these cars have a Vert style rear deck louver in the center of the tear drop, but unless modded one is a Bohannon style the other is Silva style,

FF,
You did magic with your headlights do the same with the rear louvers, there are enough hack jobs out there, make one that people can respect and admire,

"Randy"

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I guess it is my disgust to hack jobs and all my experience with kit cars that really make the Mako rear window finish a big old sore spot to me,
Way back when I asked about the Mako rear window a fellow tells me his was plexi glass glued in from the into side of the car, fixed louvers and no way to clean the outside of the window, that is a shameful hack job,
In fact I am not trying to offend but any use of plexi or lexan for the rear window is a hack job in this case

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Maybe I should reply to Firefingers..................... since according to 13Bats............. I'm doing a "HACK JOB" with putting lexan (instead of "REAL GLASS") between the louvers on my short-tail !!!

I guess it really depends on what you have to start with as to what your best bet will be for installing "rear clear" between the louvers !

My "Silva short-tail" had 1/4" plate glass in it and half the glass was broken............... top to bottom from pressure and/or vibration. I have opted for the lexan since it is flexible and harder to scratch than plexiglas. As for installing it........... Silva molded the fiberglass right and inside of the louvers have "shelves and grooves" for each piece. If you look at the following pix.......... you'll notice that the "glass" sits in its own hole on the inside and from the outside, it sits in about 1/8".............. so carefully cleaning the inside and outside should be a breeze !!! I've gotten some Lexel to install each slat. It's made for sealing lexan to fiberglass............. so hopefully the install of each piece should be pretty clean.

Hopefully, these pix will shed some light on how some of the rear glass can be installed.............. properly !!!!! Rick

Hey, we can all dream can't we.

McBrain

All things being equal, I like the idea of one sheet of safety glass for a rear window. That means either a removable or hinged louvered panel (as shown in Bats pictures), but the downside is the break in the body lines...minimal to be sure, but not as sleek side-by-side as one that isn't removable.

I'm wondering if I may have a third option I've not yet considered... a full, one-piece glass, perhaps mounted in an aluminum frame with permimeter weatherstripping, hinged at the BOTTOM, mounted on the INSIDE, latched at the TOP. Unlatch it, drop it down, clean it, latch it back up. There would simply need to be some provision to allow water to collect at the bottom and be channeled outside, not difficult (fixed weep holes/drain lines). Maybe even use early C3 removable rear window latches/hardware to continue the "factory-built" theme I'm shooting for.

I'm going to play around with this idea a bit and see if I can make it work, and perhaps get the best of all worlds.

The coolest by far is the operational louvers, but that's outside of my perceived range of abilities right now.

Bro' FF

Rick,
Sorry I offended you but it's just the way I feel about plastic windows in cars, they get ratty and fast,
If it makes you feel any better the Laser has plastic side windows and headlight covers that I trash on my own car all the time,

Like I said I knew my disdain for plastic in this apt would get me flamed a bit the fact is while it "might" work for a while in a show car, It will get nasty fast in a car out in the world and weather , this I believe will actually be made worse from the small slats,
Also it's a common mistake, fact is, Lexan scratches very easily but isn't as brittle as less scratch prone harder Plexi,
I will be curious if Randys glass breaks,
Your car rocks, did you use a metallic paint with large flake or candy with smaller flakes?
I see you like the "short tail" idea did I mention I am doing my vert short tail?
Well, perhaps not as short as yours but shorter than stock, I have to wait and see what look right to my eye, has anyone came up with how much shorter a short tail really is?

ShawkRider,
To do a motorized slats which I really think is beyond sweet
I put my dad on that one, he is working it out using a small motor, and the same idea a home AC vent, when it gets done I will share it here,
My dad is pushing me to make a second set of louvers out of aluminum to be the slats that move because they would be thinner and with that slight curve ridged enough,
I believe that is how they did the ultimate Mako, wild colors as the lovers look too thin to still be fiberglass, but I am guessing,

Like I said I am going to make a mold off the rear clip to make my parts as I don't want to hack that rear Motion Mako clip.

FF,
Your idea isn't really new but is a good one, again back in the day a few people told me their rear window dropped out for cleaning, held in with knobs, clamps etc, it does have some appeal over making the louvers a removable section, but I do believe if GM had done the tear drop louved rear in 68 it would have had removable lovers rather than lovers that opened and closed like window blinds, but GM bigwigs wanted that Dino cove rear window,
I believe if done with careful planning and real glass this could be the best way to go,
The downside is when you drop the glass down for cleaning anything on it ends up inside the car, and as you pointed out it would still need a drain set up on the outside,
Sealing the glass wouldn't be too hard,

What we are doing is placing ideas out there, for the entire time I was on this forum I thought the only way to tilt a Mako front clip was Randys hinges then I get my clip and see other options, doh!
There is only a few people here tossing in ideas how to tackle this and each of us will do it the way that appeals to us the most,

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Randy,
Just poking at you a little, but would love to see it.

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That's ok Paul, I like getting gouged every once in a while.

You probably weren't around during this spell, but here is the thread, complete with PICTURES!

http://www.makoshark2.com/dcforum/DCForumID3/178.html

Like in my earlier post, I knew I did this before, but as I get older, things don't quite fall together like they used to....
69 days to retirement.....

"Randy"

Looks great, do you fear the glass will crack?

I read that whole post, that one post made me sad, why was David bashing "dreamers" "pipe dreams"
All of this custom junk starts with a dream,
Sure the next step is making happen, but no one is the "pace setter" on another mans dreams,

My sig on all car forums is same as here,
As you see I hold dreams close to my heart,

"Randy"