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Old 05-10-2012, 11:49 AM   #1
Lee123

 
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Effectiveness of new plexiglass wind restrictor?

I have the GM wind screen that folds up and down directly behind the front seats. My wife loves it because it keeps her hair from blowing into her face and I like it on colder days when I want the top down. It is really quite effective, but not much to look at.

Lately I've seen the new plexiglass wind restrictor that mounts behind the back seat and light up at night. I really like the way it looks, but wonder if it would do much good for the front seat people since it is smaller and further back. If anyone has had both, please give your opinion of the effectiveness of the new wind restrictor compared to the GM version. I don't want to spend $400 and find that it looks great but doesn't do much.
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Old 05-10-2012, 09:15 PM   #2
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It looks great but doesn't do much!
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Old 05-10-2012, 09:32 PM   #3
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It looks great but doesn't do much!
Thanks for answering. Do you have one?
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Old 05-11-2012, 07:26 AM   #4
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Unfortunatley, there's usually a trade-off with some of these things. The OEM windscreen, from what I've read and pics I've seen, doesn't allow for backseat passengers when it's in place and takes a bit of room to store. At ~$400, it isn't exactly inexpensive, either.

The windrestrictor is quite small and too far back in the cabin to be as or very effective on a car as large as the 5th Gen. On a smaller vehicle, in particular the Saturn SKY and Pontiac Solstice, they are VERY effectve due to their much smaller cabin and it being a small, 2 seat roadster. They are VERY popular among SKY and Sol owners. The other advantage of the windrestrictor is that it is customizable with graphics and lights and is, for many, a purely or mainly aesthetic mod for their vehicle.
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Old 05-11-2012, 09:44 AM   #5
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Thanks for answering. Looks like I'm going to stick with the old wind screen. The main reason I bought it is that it keeps my wife's hair from blowing in the face. The new one looks great, but it's really important that it be as effective as possible. I seriously doubt that anyone will ever sit in the back seat anyway.
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Old 05-11-2012, 10:03 AM   #6
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I have the plexiglas Windrestrictor and while it looks small it actually stand pretty tall based on the mounting on the back deck.
As for it effectiveness, it is not as effective as the GM one that sits right behind the front seat. However it does cut down the wind backlash quite a bit and with the side windows up it is very effective, again not as good as the GM one but still really good.
The two big things for me was I don't have to remove it and remount, this is a big pain, really big pain. And secondly I can use the backseat at any time.
Lastly the looks are simply great. One of the biggest attention getters. This may or may not be that important.
I had both and ended up selling the GM screen recently.
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Old 05-11-2012, 10:18 AM   #7
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I still haven't given up on the idea, just because it looks so good. I'm going to look for the installation instructions later today. Do you drive your car with the top down and no tonneau? If so, how does this effect the top fabric blowing around? I'm thinking being closer to the top it might calm the air back there a bit.
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Old 05-11-2012, 10:29 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baba View Post
Unfortunatley, there's usually a trade-off with some of these things. The OEM windscreen, from what I've read and pics I've seen, doesn't allow for backseat passengers when it's in place and takes a bit of room to store. At ~$400, it isn't exactly inexpensive, either.

The windrestrictor is quite small and too far back in the cabin to be as or very effective on a car as large as the 5th Gen. On a smaller vehicle, in particular the Saturn SKY and Pontiac Solstice, they are VERY effectve due to their much smaller cabin and it being a small, 2 seat roadster. They are VERY popular among SKY and Sol owners. The other advantage of the windrestrictor is that it is customizable with graphics and lights and is, for many, a purely or mainly aesthetic mod for their vehicle.
I agree They worked wonders on the saturn skys but i Honestly can't see it doing anything but looking good on the camaro.
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Old 05-11-2012, 10:30 AM   #9
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Yes, without the cover with the top down there is a lot less shifting of the folded top even at highway speeds.
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Old 05-11-2012, 10:35 AM   #10
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Yes, without the cover with the top down there is a lot less shifting of the folded top even at highway speeds.
That's a really good thing! I'm going have to think about this one a bit.
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Old 05-11-2012, 12:13 PM   #11
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Yes, without the cover with the top down there is a lot less shifting of the folded top even at highway speeds.
That's the first thing I noticed when I installed mine. The buffeting in the cabin is reduced perceptibly, but not dramatically. The folded top, however, moved around a lot less after installing this. I almost never use the boot cover.

I posted an install thread when I got it and my conclusion is not to buy it as purely a functional piece. I'm very happy with mine because I wanted both function and aesthetics. It has enough of each to have been worth the cost for me.
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Old 05-11-2012, 01:30 PM   #12
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Thanks for answering. Do you have one?
I do have one. If you're looking for a significant reduction in wind, don't get it. If you want some reduction and lots of cool factor. Go right ahead.
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Old 05-11-2012, 01:35 PM   #13
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I can't seem to find install instructions so I have a couple of questions. Does it only fasten with 2 bolts? How sturdy is it once you get the bolts tightened? How does the lighting hook up?
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Old 05-11-2012, 01:43 PM   #14
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Mine isn't illuminated so the install was about a 3 minute job. You take the allen key that they provide and loosen (but not remove) the 2 lugs that the boot cover snaps/loops onto. The slide the brackets on the Wind Restrictor down onto them. Then tighten them back up. The lugs are held on by nuts on the inside and there's no way to get a wrench back there (not that I can see anyway) so getting it properly tightened up isn't easy. But even with just moderate snugness, it holds on fairly well. You'll see it wobbling while driving though.
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