reproduction vent windows

[Guest allbuick]

Speedway Automotive in Phoenix (www.reattaparts.com)is working on a reproduction for the vent assemblies with a tempered glass window just like the original part. Because the vent is supposed to be a structural part of the car and help to support the mirror and keep it from vibrating, a plastic or polycarbonate replacement is not a very good solution. In case of a roll over the vulcanized vent glass assembly helps to support the A pillar and in convertible models the windshield frame and post. The rolled over cars that they have, seem to indicate when the vent is broken the front of the top is caved in. When the vent is intact the roof is still up.<BR>This reproduction process is in the early stages and is probably months away from completion but the targeted finished product is an exact reproduction. There is not even a guess at how much they will cost at this point but this is proving to be a very complicated and expensive project. Watch for more info and an update around 01/01/01

[Howard]

This is welcomed news. So far I have not been in need of such replacement, but with me luck you never know. It seems strange to me that I can get a reproduction replacement windshield for my 56 Mark II of which only 3016 were built during two years of production, but vent windows for a car produced over four years of which over 22,000 were built, I can't. Keep us informed.

[Guest]

vent windows that function as roll bars are a hard sell

[Guest]

Al a contrare, monshere' (or whatever the french is...)<P>Edgewise, the vent window glass is very strong. In a roll situation, you ed up with an open box structure (actually a triangle) with no internal support. As such, the structure yields in a rotational bending type of failure (the box folds and collapses). The window glass acts as a rigid member (in it's thick axis) that keeps the box from folding. <P>This phenomina is easily modeled using a beer box. As long as the bottom flaps are glued closed, the box is rigid. Once you open the top and bottom, the box is easily collapsed flat using a rotational load along the side of the box.<P>However, it does not take much off-axis loading to break the glass, eliminating its structural contribution.

[Guest]

Nice to see you are working on an exact replacement, keep up posted.<BR>A comment on the structural support theory, however. Based on the simple way the vent window assembly is attached to the door I don't see how it can really be considered a significant structural part of the car. It is not attached very strongly to any structual member of the car, and the small frame around the glass wouldn't support a lot of weight (and certainly the glass won't). If the assembly can't even take a firm hit to the mirror without breaking it won't offer rollover protection. I would suggest that if a rollover crushes the windshield pillar the vent frame goes with it and if the rollover does not crush the pillar the vent frame stays intact. Not the other way around.

[Guest allbuick]

I didn't mean to suggest that the vent acts as a roll bar. It does not. I am not an engineer I only shared what I have seen. On cars that rolled over and broke the mirror without breaking the vent, it "appears" that the front pillar held up better. Truth is if I get upside down in a Reatta the vent glass will be the least of my worries. My hope is that myself and all of you never find out first hand.

[Guest]

well said ! the thing that also gets my attention is the fact that there are so many rollovers to be able to make such a comparison. living in a small town in west texas i seldom have the opportunity to visit any reatta boneyards are the rolled cars that prevalent and is this something that might relate to the brake maladies

[Guest Stan Leslie]

While the window (either plastic or glass) would help structurally in a rollover, it appears that most are broken by running the mirror into something (garage door, mailbox, another car in parking lot, etc.). Even though the mirror is not attached directly to the glass it is easily deflected into the glass at it's weakest point. I even suspect a few unknowing people have broken them on purpose to get into a locked car.