*HELP* missing rear topper window
 

hello,

I found your forum trying to determine how much effect my accidentally breaking my rear topper window on my 01 Toyota Tacoma would have on my gas mileage, as my wife and I are taking a trip back to Michigan in 36 hours. (2600 round trip miles)

What do you think? Will having no rear window really effect my gas mileage that much?? should I try to temporarily cover it until I can afford the $500 replacement glass?

ANY help would be greatly appreciated as we are leaving for Michigan on Wednesday.

I guess you need 5 post to post a link, this is number 2 :)

I thought a picture of the truck might help?

The rear topper window slops down at ~ 75-80 degrees.

I could take my iphone out there and find out exactly if that helps?

(post 4)

and post 5

:)

http://link393.net/images/truck.jpg

lol, all that and no picture of the window. You mean the window over the tailgate? You won't notice it.

sorry for the bad picture.
I thought it might show you the angle of drop.

so no affect huh..

Nope, spend the $500 on a metro and it will probably pay for itself on that one trip though :)

ok, maybe not 1 trip,

tacoma
2600 miles
$4 gallon
17mpg
=$611


"metro"
2600 miles
$4 gallon
45mpg
=$231


difference $380

No way that little window costs $500! :eek:

And if they were charging that I'd tell them to stick it you know where.

And it won't have any noticeable effect on fe.

Tempered smoked glass from a reputable glass company. Meaure, cut, send out for tempering, re-install. 10-day turnaround. Guess you might learn to price stuff, Frank Lee. Or a replacement piece from the manufacturer (new window + frame) at about the same price. Had an "economic migrant" break mine out a while back (not what we call them in Texas).

A piece of lexan cut to fit is the cheap option (but degrades vision quality).

No noticeable effect on FE. Just a lot more dust.

.

I know all about pricing stuff, believe me. I've been in charge of projects with million dollar tooling budgets.

I was given a ridiculous price quote once back in the day for replacement safety glass tractor cab windows. I went to the local glass shop with the frame and they made a nice new safety glass pane and installed it for less than it would have cost me to buy a piece of plexiglass, cut it, and put in a crappy plexi window myself! The glass shop was stymied by my request to change from two sliding panes to a single fixed pane, so I found a local tractor cab company and bought some rubber gasket extrusion from them that had the perfect profile and gave that to the glass shop to use. It looked like a factory job when it was all done.

If I couldn't make one, I'd find a used one somewhere. They are out there.

I have gotten volume discounts on glass before too. Probably wouldn't apply to toppers, but I stocked up on several windshields that I knew I'd need and because I bought 6 at one time I got the same discount that actual glass shops usually get! :thumbup:

Back to toppers, again I say there's no way I'd pay $500 for that little window; that's just highway robbery. I'd jerry-rig my own solution if I had to before I'd fork over that sort of dough.

OB Economy: good opportunity to scrap the cap and make an aerodynamic one :)

I too doubt the missing glass will have a significant effect. It's possible that a little vacuum develops from wake suction inside the cap with the back glass gone. Integrated over the inside surface of the front of the cap plus bed areas might add up to some detectable drag force. Maybe. It's also possible that eddy currents developing behind the cap work a bit more favorably with the rear glass missing. Theory there being that eddies can tuck inside slightly and thereby draw the wake down slightly. Slightly. Maybe. Bottom line, I doubt it'll make enough difference to notice. I could be wrong. ABA testing before & after repair would of course settle the question. Meanwhile, enjoy your trip! :D

drag and $
 

I believe member Sepp,in Europe measured a small drag penalty for an 'open ' back on his Frontier.Probably not worth the worry.
Plexiglass/Lucite/Lexan is approved by the DOT for safety glass replacement on motor vehicles in the USA.Could be your plan-B if you can't find affordable glass.

Time to build a temp kammback... ;)

Thanks
 

Hey folks,

Thanks for your replies on my question.
We made it to MI with no troubles and really not much if any change to the MPG.

THANKS AGAIN!! :thumbup:

I agree. I bought my complete ARE fiberglass top used in ecelent condition for $500! I know some shells have fancy curved/tempered/tinted glass but shop arround a bit and you should find something for less. You might have to cut out the middle man of buy used. No rush since your FE will not be majorly hindered.