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Louver Purchase Poll

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by NoMoShocks, Feb 18, 2008.

?
  1. I would be interrested in buying for $150

    25 vote(s)
    44.6%
  2. I would be interrested in buying for $250

    3 vote(s)
    5.4%
  3. Not interrested at any price.

    28 vote(s)
    50.0%
  1. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    Updated Tuesday, Feb 20
    Would you be interested in purchasing aluminum window louvers for the rear window of Prius similar to ones popular in the 70 or 80 and currently used frequently on Ford Mustangs? The louvers will not interfere with rear wiper, and will be secured without any permanent damage such as need to drill holes.

    I have contacted the manufacturer of rear window louvers and they indicate they are always looking for new markets and would produce louvers for Prius if they see there is a market for them. Therefore, I referred them to these threads here on PriusChat. They called me back about 1/2 hour later to let me know they have reviewed these threads, and sounded very interrested in helping us out here, so by all means, if you want some louvers, vote "Yes"

    I am thinking the design for Prius will be close enough to one of their existing models that they might be able to punch some out as a batch without too much fuss.

    Aluminum louvers on Mustang:
    MustangLouver.JPG

    How I think they would look on Prius:
    PriusLouvers.JPG
     
  2. bestmapman

    bestmapman 04, 07 ,08, 09, 10, 16, 21 Prime

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  3. Rokeby

    Rokeby Member

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    I would be interested in seeing some information about said louvers such as:

    1. How much would it cost? Shipping?

    2. How are they attached? Screws and holes vs clips at forward hatch edge.

    3. Can they be easily raised to clean under?

    4. Is the window wiper -- pathetic as it is -- operational?

    3. What colors are available? (With luck, not the Henry Ford answer: Any color you want, so long as it's black.)
     
  4. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    I'd also be interested in cost of shipping to California.

    I am not interested in anything that requires I drill a hole or in any way damage my Prius. I'll do clips or adhesive, but will not drill.

    I have to be able to either raise it or remove it easily to clean underneath.

    I can live without the wiper. I'm not keen on removing it. I don't mind not being able to use it with the louver in place, but I don't want to have to deal with taking it off in case I remove the louver and have to put it back on later.

    Black is fine with me. I've never seen a louver that wasn't black. Since it's on glass I think black works better than matching the color to the car. It will also keep the costs down if the run is all black. I've only had aluminum and I've found the finish oxidizes over time. They're also heavy. I'm not opposed to a good quality plastic.
     
  5. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    Not interrested at any aluminum rear window louvers price.
    wy not plastic?
     
  6. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    Good Questions:

    1. Will need to negotiate the price based on interest. Shooting for less than $199.
    2. I want to design clips that would hook around the edge of the glass, and secure to existing screws.
    3. IMO, I think lower profile loovers will look better and I wouldn't mind removing the wiper, as the louvers will shed water from the window. Used with some RainX, I don't think the wiper would be missed.
    4. Yes, I want to stive for a design that will be hinged to open for cleaning.
    5. Color will be black. Could be painted with higher quality spay can paint available from paintworld.com, much much better than Duplicolor. With practice and a clean work area, you can get this paint to flow and produce a good smooth mirror shine.
     
  7. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    I'm concerned about the removal of the rear wiper.

    I've always installed my own rear louvers. If I have to remove the rear wiper, I'm concerned I'll have to hire someone to do that, and if in the future I remove the louver, I'll have to hire someone to put the wiper back on so it works properly.

    If there is a way to design this and keep the wiper in place, even if it won't function, I would prefer that.
     
  8. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    My plan is no permanent damage such as drilling anything. I would prefer clips formed to fit snugly around the edge of the glass.

    I might look into how high a louver would have to rise to leav the wiper in place. Once it is raised high enough for that, the wiper would also be opperational; however, removing the wiper is very straight forward. It simply pops off from what I remember.

    Since a couple have mentioned plastic, please comment on any past experiences with it. My concerns were as follows:
    1. Plastic warping over time.
    2. Countoured edges on plastic louvers to give it rigidity would reduce visibility.
     
  9. Rokeby

    Rokeby Member

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    Oops! Forgot to say:

    I would not buy said louvers until I had at least read a post, preferrably with 137 pictures, from a purely estatic PriusChat member who had mounted and driven around for a while, including in the hot sun and heavy rain.

    Personally, I am not interested in getting into something like one of the ongoig squabbles involving the various i-pod interfaces.

    On the matter of being available only in black: I think it almost necessary that the undersides be black -- heavily anodized aluminum I presume. Poorly done, the stuff does oxidize, or ablate, or something, but at any rate disappear over time. (Anybody know an ANSI or MILSPEC on this?) My hope is that with proper professional prep the upper surfaces could be painted to match body color. I'm thinking that the louvers would have a slight tilt towards the back and thus show only the black underside when seen through the rearview mirror.
     
  10. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    If they're done right, you don't see much of the under or over side. You mostly see the edge.

    Wouldn't the company making the louver be designing it too? So they would be the ones to figure out how it attaches and if the wiper needs to be removed or not? I would hope they could just modify something they already have to the dimensions of the Prius back window.
     
  11. icarus

    icarus Senior Member

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    I'd rather have automatic louvers opening and closing with temp in the grill.

    No thanks to the rear window ones.

    Icarus
     
  12. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    While these may be retro looking, something that hasn't been mentioned is the privacy factor. I didn't have cargo covers on my Pinto or 200SX so the rear louvers provided me with privacy for the cargo area. It was extremely difficult to look in and see what I had in the cargo area with the louvers in place.
     
  13. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    Yes, normally, the company making the louvers would do all the design, but since I am going to ask them if they would make 10 for an enthusiastic group like ours, I thought I ought to at least put a little thought into it for them. They can do what they want with my ideas, including coming up with their own better ones.

    Here is what I was thinking would work for mounting. Generally, there are some stainless steel plates that mount at the top of the windows to mount hinges, and a couple at the bottom with posts to latch the bottom of the louvers to. So here is what I came up with.

    Top glass clips (option 1 wraps around the edge of the glass only, but would need to have a way to tension it)
    [​IMG]
    Top anchors (option 2 very secure, but requires drilling in an inconspicuous area in the jambs)
    [​IMG]
    Bottom latch pins can secure under existing hatch bumpers
    [​IMG]


    OK, we will need to find a way to add these without any drilling.
     
  14. BerkshirePrius

    BerkshirePrius New Member

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    Count me in. Retro all the way!!! Now if you could only find a manufacturer to make an 8-track player to fit in the Prius, we'd be talking.:)
    Seriously though, I've always liked the look of louvers!
     
  15. jammin012

    jammin012 The man behind The Man

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    Color coordination is a must. Factory matched paint :rolleyes:
     
  16. timcarlos

    timcarlos Junior Member

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    Years ago I had louvers on my Accord hatchback; they rattled more than you can imagine -- and they weren't cheap louvers! However, that being said, if the retro louvers are manufactured, keep the clearance for the rear wiper.

    Has anyone considered the micro-style metal solar screen? I've looked online for an example and one can be seen here Smart Louvre Solar Shading Systems. Basically it is a sheet of thin metal which has micro slits which are pushed out on an angle like a Venetian blind. The assembly is then mounted on the outside of a building's window like a window screen is. Anyone who passed through the DFW Airport would have seen them as they were installed on the exterior windows until several years back.

    In the case of the Prius, it could be mounted on the inside of the rear window so that the wiper doesn't have to be messed with, it isn't damaged by hail, weighed down by snow, damaged by automated car washes, and because the mounting system is on the interior of the car, it wouldn't harm any painted surfaces. Additionally, it could be hinged at the top of the window so that it could be dropped down when the hatch is open so that the window could be cleaned.

    While the "retro look" is appealing to some, in my opinion it was never practical. Also, the mass of the retro style adds more weight to the eco-Prius which diminishes the reason that we all bought them. I'd go with a micro-louver faster than a retro louver.

    Just my thoughts.....
    Tim
     
  17. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    I had an encouraging conversation with Sergio at the window louver factory. He says they are always looking for markets for new products, and they would like to make louvers for Prius if they see a market for them, so I referred him to these threads here on PriusChat. I'm thinking there must be a market since 13 people have said they would be interrested here in the short 24.

    All of their designs acomodate rear wipers and are attached without drilling or other permanent damage.

    Sergio called me back and said he had read our threads and they have discussed them and will likely move forward with designing a product for Prius. But he also reminded me that the research and development can take some time. It was encouraging to hear that they test their products thoroughly before releasing them on the market.

    I am hoping that perhaps in a year, I will get my louvers. Yeah!
     
  18. Bobbyb

    Bobbyb bobbyb

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    I'm in on it as well (black) .They need to be quiet since most of us up our tire pressure.Also i'm in and out of nyc and Queens so if they would work for me i think they could work for most . :)
     
  19. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy!
     
  20. BerkshirePrius

    BerkshirePrius New Member

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    It's gonna be pretty hard to get a louver to fit over that fin!!!;)