so...about that wind deflector...

[Overdrive]

Looks like I'll be slightly uncomfortable for a little while with the top down. One of the mounting points for my wind deflector broke last night. Not the tabs up top that are notorious for snapping off (those have actually been holding up like champs, 'scuse me while I find some wood to knock on), but the small tab on the bottom where that notch on the bottom side of the deflector fits.

Thankfully, this didn't happen at speed. I'll have to get some pictures up later, but all I was trying to do was wipe off some fingerprints I'd made on the plastic while I was parked talking to a buddy. I left it in place on the car, as I didn't see a need to remove it. I wiped maybe two times, no Herculean pressure by any means, and suddenly the bottom of the deflector is flapping around and I see the bottom holding tab fall back and into the folded top.

At this point I'm mentally cussing out the car, but recovered the plastic piece after opening up the top just enough to get my hand in there and search. It just sheared right off, a very clean-looking break. As I said, I'll get pics up some time soon. Makes me wonder if that was going to be the night where my wind deflector flew off on the highway never to be seen again, so I guess I can be glad I was parked when it happened. But now I'm wondering, has this ever happened to anyone else? Is this something that can be replaced, like a separate piece that's not a part of the entire rollbar?

I now know just how important that small piece of plastic is to any sort of driving over 40mph...it's just crazy how so much of the air just shoots straight down or gets buffeted back into the cabin without that deflector in place.

[ProjectM96]

My wind deflector is also broken and sometimes falls out of place. Electric tape solves the problem since it is the same color as my roll bar and the black plastic clips on the wind deflector. My car has the most ghetto repairs.

My door handle also does not close back because the inner spring is broken. So the window never fully closes when I close the door. So I got some Velcro from an Arts and Crafts store and put Velcro on the Handle and Door so that the handle closes. It works great. Better than paying hundreds of dollars to fix it the right way.

[Mark_T]

That's how I used to do repairs on my old '66 Falcon that I bought for $50. I treat my Porsche a little better.

[Overdrive]

Well as I said before, the top clips are fine, it's the bottom tab that the wind deflector rests on that broke off. Is that a piece that can be replaced by itself? Would it involve removing the cover for the roll hoops or something to get at what's left of the part, or is it a part of the whole roll hoop assembly?

[Keith Newby]

you can buy the pieces (all four) in a kit and yes, you need to remove the roll bar covering. Removal is not too difficult. Carefully pry up at one end (I used a plastic trim removal tool I had on hand) and the internal clips will pop out.

[Overdrive]

Thanks, Keith. Are you talking about the front or back portion of the roll hoop covering?

[hartids]

Hi Overdrive,

I know this is an older post but wondered what you did in the end as the same thing has happened to mine!! Again, I hardly even applied any pressure to it and it just snapped clean off!! Driving fast sucks without the defelctor!!!

Cheers,
Hartids

[Beelzy]

Now this thread makes me laugh.....I purposely removed my deflector 4yrs ago to
save me the agony of it flying off at the high speeds I drive at.

Who cares about a little more wind in the cab, that's why combs were invented.

[Overdrive]

Glad I could provide you some amusement, Beelzy.

hartids, I actually haven't taken care of it yet, and the car's currently with my mechanic getting a few things sorted out. I was considering having him do the job, but I think I'm going to ask him about it and what's involved, probably pick up the kit from the local dealer/online and see if I can't knock it out in the coming weeks. Since the top's currently not operational, it hasn't been a pressing issue.

And I agree with you that driving fast without it sucks when the top's down. Can't have anything in the cabin that might get blown around/away. Advantage, though, comes in the way of better airflow with it removed and the top up.