Narrow windshield?
 

I have been drawing a project in my head for a few years now.
A narrow windshield (with frame would not hurt) is a stumbling block.
What cars in US have the narrowest windshields? Looking for 48 to 52 inches wide. [I have considered delivery truck and/or bus flat glass] Efficiency would be lost getting around the edges.

This group may know some I have not thought to research.

Thank you. Hogheadv2


DOT may not be crucial, Helpful, In Michigan Rain, Snow, Bugs suicide squads hit with little warning. At least one good wiper is needed.

FWD, flush front wheels, single rear, front engine, Big twin trans/w reverse added, chain to differential VW style half shafts out to front wheels. {air , horizontal spring/shock, or push-rod suspension is still on the table.

Seat are to be staggered 6-9 inches. let passengers ride a bit closer to center-line and not crowd each other,,,, conversation not be to the point of rude. Much in line with Morgan construction. wood skinned with aluminum or plastic [fiberglass].



I hope this gives you a better idea of what I'm after.

#Relativity light, sleek powered by 750 Kawasaki w/c horizontal service engine. 27HP stock.




If my math is close, and I can keep it cutting air. I predict 75mph @55-60 mpg. 55-60mph 80+ mpg.... I have found a turbocharger to fit the application if needed.

I am thinking of a mid 70s Super Beetle has a nice curved narrow windshield. They even came as a convertible so there may be some frame pieces around. The regular beetle had a fairly flat glass. Other than that the British sports cars of the same era were very narrow cars.

Look at any of the Japanese Kei cars. My Copens windscreen would fit the bill.

If you wait another 5 years, the Elio will only be a few months away from production.

Mini Cooper? Plus if you're looked to pick one up for a custom type vehicle, they're still produced and should be cheap.

These have got to be on the smaller side.


Drop in Windshield Replacement for Elise/Exige S2 & S3
Sale price $599.99
https://www.gregsraceparts.com/produ...se-exige-s2-s3
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/28...g?v=1516937914

Not glass, do not see anything about DOT approved, but also do not see the typical disclaimer about "TRACK USE ONLY".

For a 3-wheeler none of this will be an issue.

So what is your design like?

More on that windshield, this one is glass and twice the price.


https://www.lotusgarage.com/index.ph...duct_list&c=41
https://www.lotusgarage.com/images/p...1.01_large.jpg
I found the second link here (also discuss polycarb):
https://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/...lately-440121/
The other other alternate often discussed in the forum is the Lancia Stratos.

Lancia Stratos Front Windshield
https://mrfiat.com/lancia-stratos-front-windshield.html
Same company trying to sell on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lancia-Stra...-/201391678649

The Lancia Stratos I believe is even smaller than the Lotus Elise.

If you want to go even smaller yet, try sailplane/glider or kit plane suppliers, again if this is a 3-wheel licensed as motorcycle.

^^ that one would be excellent. Being a custom built vehicle, I would expect the windshield to be subject to some dynamic loading, being flexible is a huge benefit.

Get in touch with TerraCycle bike parts. They bought out Windwrap fairings a few years ago. Maybe you could get them to blow you a custom windshield.

https://t-cycle.com/collections/windwrap-fairings

JJ

It depends entirely on the shape of the nose and the windshield header. "A project in my head" is pretty non-specific. Care to open up a little bit?

Yea, and we still don't know if it's 3 or 4 wheeled - a HUGE difference.

The only 4-wheel car I know of that got away with polycarbonate windshield was a custom from scratch convertible (no top at all not even a bikini) beveled the exposed top edge to look like safety glass and passed inspection no questions asked. He is a notable professional car designer, so I will not mention names, a good guy that does not need any grief.

I had hopes for a Elio, Don't think any more than the proto-types will ever roll out of anywhere. Shreeveport and depositors got robbed. Sad days, there.

The KEI cars/vans look to have promise, I will search for parts. May be lay the van windshield back a bit. I am hoping to get by with few compromises of aerodynamics.

Fiat 500 or Smart windshield, maybe?

Good candidates, but the original Fiat 500 or the new one?

Are modern day windshields of a laminated design or of the million pieces design when they break ? I know from experience, laminated windshields can be cut by any glass shop worth their credentials.

As asked several times is your project a 4 wheel or 3 wheel design ? I am going to use a used golf car windshield, after cutting and vacuum molding to shape and applying Rain-X as needed. Got it for free (actually 2 bags of pure Costa Rica coffee)

Passengers, plural?

Now I'm concerned about the drivetrain packaging. What's the length of the motorcycle trans/VW differential. You might drop the chain drive for an adapter plate. You'd wind up with something along the lines of the R. Q. Riley X-3 or the Blackjack Zero.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...4-guzzi-vw.gif
____________

As for the windshield, with staggered seating 48-50" seems excessive. My Superbeetle has a windshield that's 42" across the base. The trick is that it's 48" across the B-pillar. Thus the windshield header and aft is within the frontal area. The glass is flat but it doesn't make much of a difference as there is no need for the flow to reattach.
____________

I just happened to notice the colored text in Permalink #1. Edits to the first post can be missed by people who are just trying to keep up.

3 Wheel, standard big twin trans 5sp. Electric reverse ad on. Belt from engine to trans as normal primary set up with clutch. Final drive to diff from small car in bearings. Differential enclosed by metal housing. Sprocket in place of ring gear. Half shafts out to front wheels. 30% of hp stock clutch can hold, weight not much more than bike with side car.

Thank you for the input. Yes as a slick wide reverse trike.

Wouldn't you be concerned about PC getting scratched, yellow, or hazy in the elements?

I am a big wide guy. 275 lbs, 2xl ,,, 28in wide at shoulders. 30 plus inches are mine. :)

Yes, that is why I want production windshield. In Michigan weather requires wipers.

Have you considered a Geo Metro. I'm your size and I've thought a few times that if I straddled the center console if would be about the right size in there for me. As is I'm squished in pretty tight in the driver's seat.

Yes, glass has much better longevity..............until that gravel truck finds you. :cool:

That's a good one, my wife had two Geo Metro's.

Another windshield out there that's caught my attention is the Juke's.

https://www.jukeforums.com/forum/nis...tection-5.html
https://www.jukeforums.com/forum/att...ction-juke.jpg
https://www.jukeforums.com/forum/att...n-tint-pic.jpg

There might be something out there for the Japanese Kei class micro trucks, I doubt they are very curvy but narrow, small and lighter than cars windshields one would imagine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_truck
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...rry_2005_a.jpg

https://www.jukeforums.com/forum/att...n-tint-pic.jpg

That one's got possibilities.
Still don't get it. Is the engine/trans ahead of the front axle? Is it behind the passenger compartment? How do you get the sprocket into the differential?

If I were going to build a reverse trike, I'd use this (Lexus) drivetrain. 98lb and 68hp. 10K RPM single-speed.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...nov-09-375.jpg

Wow, what vehicle is that from?

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...mgr-29878.html

Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive. The Highlander and Lexus LX400h used them for an electric rear axle for a six year run. I chose it because the cutaway shows the spur gear differential. Here's the one I have compared to a 36hp engine case:

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...mpare-size.jpg

Truthfully, these have a single motor and an open diff. A better choice would be a later RAV4. It uses a similar unit with twin motors and limited slip/torque vectoring.

And here for reference is the R.Q.Riley X-3

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...-xr3-plans.jpg

Never mind that, the handling issues associated with putting a majority of the weight on a single rear wheel should probably come first.

As much of a fan of rear wheel drive and rear engine vehicles that I am, I have to surrender that a reverse trike with two wheels up front as FWD makes more sense.

Excellent post on the Hybrid engine by the way.

So have you thought about just getting a Metro as a base and buildling/modifying the body to suit? That way you could maybe avoid the hassle of registering a homemade car. I have a pipe dream of doing that with my 92 metro, and I would probably end up making it a center seat rig if I did.

If only I had a garage...

A very practice approach, just don't stop half way. :p

2013
Geo-trike, again!
https://mechanicscorner.net/2014/06/14/geo-trike-again/
https://mechanicscorner.files.wordpr...4/06/alive.jpg
https://mechanicscorner.files.wordpr...06/reddoor.jpg

......................or go a bit too far?

https://www.stanceiseverything.com/2...ay-triked-out/
https://www.stanceiseverything.com/w...trikedout1.jpg
https://www.stanceiseverything.com/w...trikedout6.jpg

EDIT

Can't leave this one out.

2012
WTF Friday: More Questions Than Answers
https://www.stanceiseverything.com/2...-than-answers/
http://www.stanceiseverything.com/wp...questions1.jpg
http://www.stanceiseverything.com/wp...questions3.jpg
http://www.stanceiseverything.com/wp...questions2.jpg

EDIT-2

No comment.

https://www.autoblog.com/photos/1989.../#slide-395758
https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dim...89geometro.jpg
https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dim...89geometro.jpg

Interesting front wheel enhancement, and good quality.

Interesting build. though my plan was to more or less leave the front end alone (other than the usual aero improvements we all seem to do), chop the back off, rebuild the back end to the aero template, tear dropping down from the top, and in from the sides. I would relocate the seat to the center, move the parking brake lever to the side of the seat, move the throttle and brake pedals to the 'passenger' side, leave the clutch where it is, and build some decent sized armrests/consoles on either side of the seat. The shifter would stay between my legs (I've tried this straddling the seat, it's easy enough to shift.

The reason for this is it would leave the structural part of the cabin where I would be sitting intact, and as cheap as these cars are they still must have passed some sort of structural safety tests right? I had considered adding a cage just for my own comfort, but I'm not sure if it's necessary.

The only part I don't have a solution for yet is the steering wheel, and that might be as simple as extending the center steering shaft depending on how the column is setup, haven't looked into it yet.

I'll add I planned to stick with 4 wheels, though the rear ones would get narrowed in some. This is mainly because I have to drive on snow 6+ months a year and I'd like to have as much rubber on the road as I can for stopping in that.

I still have to scrape my windshield of ice in the morning, the joys of North Dakota.:thumbup:

I've wondered about that aspect myself with my own paper sketches. I don't know if the more common electronic/electric steering would be any easier or just a different set of problems.

One thing I find interesting is that the "Pill Bug" only slightly narrowed it's rear track.

The Schlörwagen or “Pillbug“ – A German futuristic looking experimental aerodynamic vehicle from 1939 …
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/...-schlor1939-2/
https://www.thevintagenews.com/wp-co...6/03/ova-4.jpg

You have to really look to see it.

Other cars with narrower rear tracks:

Porsche 356
EV-1 Chevy Impact
Gen-1 Honda Insight
(not a complete list...........)

https://www.the-blueprints.com/bluep...honda_insight/
https://www.the-blueprints.com/bluep.../396/download/

We can add to the list, just mentioning it as excessive rear taper isn't going to fit the aero-template in plan, yes there is a plan view to the aero-template most often ignored.

Well the metros don't have any power steering so that isn't a concern: just whether I could run a center steering wheel and have the u-joints in the column handle the angle, if it even has u-joints. Again I haven't dug into this much, everything I've told you is just brainstorming at this point.

I did not communicate well enough, allow me to try again. I was not talking about hydraulic or electric power assist steering.

Drive by wire, Steering by wire, Digital Steering, Wire Haptic Systems and Columnless Steering are some of the other names often used.

One would hope extending a few wires is all it takes to reposition one of these, but they are sure to be complex and with a many sensors that a couple of extra U-Joints could be the more attractive alternative.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...19057813001043
https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/imag...001043-gr1.jpg

Drive by wire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_by_wire
I thought these Drive-By-Wire steering systems were pretty common, at least on the from scratch Hybrid and Electric cars.

EDIT:

My problem might be is that I purchased my last new vehicle in 1990, and if I read something was on it's way 10 years ago I might assume it's a done deal already.

Research says the Prius and Insight still have some form of mechanical linkage - my bad.

2017
Steer by wire:
https://mymotorwheels.wordpress.com/...-or-x-by-wire/
https://mymotorwheels.files.wordpres...pg?w=600&h=516

Looks like the mechanical linkage above is a fail-safe backup system.

No way would a layman want to be messing with them computers and sensors, not me anyway.

I think safety regs require a mechanical linkage of some sort, same with brakes. Imagine your battery cable comes off and now you have no steering or brakes. It would be a recipe for disaster.

Off road folks use hydraulic steering. Helps them get proper steering geometry since there is no steering shaft linkage. It isn't legal on the street though.

PSC is one supplier.

I can see this, loss of steering at 15 mph not near as tragic as it would be at 75 mph.

Or faster....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjvCSvY4ygc

(Changed videos, you can see 124 MPH in this one.)

If you want to get anything from the thread, you'll need to manage it. You had six posts in the first twenty, but in the last 24 hours the count has almost doubled and is drifting into non-narrow windshield territory.

If you look at the Juke windshield, there is a lot of crown in the upper corners then a transition into a flat wedge shape. If the contour of the header is pulled from the contour of the glass, with Surbaru SVX-style side windows, you'd have a tight little bubble top.

2011 Nissan JUKE SL
https://erepairables.com/salvage-car...e/vid-31880218
https://c2df242195b9c5de2d1c-35e8170...0981220713.jpg
Many more:
https://erepairables.com/salvage-car...on/nissan/juke

All I did was Google "salvage title Juke" and click the first link.

Portland is 20 minutes west of Lansing, but I've read there is construction.

https://c2df242195b9c5de2d1c-35e8170...0981220558.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Juke
You wanted a clutch anyway, right?

Windshield, wiper blades, FWD drive-train, instrument cluster, computers, ........seats?

The list of parts is as long or as short as you want.

front screen
 

Whatever it is,it will have to be DOT rated, laminated safety glass.LEXAN may cut it,as some buses use it.You'd have to check.
The best,narrow screens you'd find on LeMans racers,but they're not homologated road cars,and I doubt they'd have DOT certification.
1950s sports cars had narrow screens,but they're nearly flat.
The Bede/ Laser/Pulse cyclecar of the 1980s is DOT rated but could set you back $10,000 if you could get the owners club to sell you one.And it's really narrow.