Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

What sets your Spider apart from the rest?
wizard124
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Your car is a: 1980 124 spider FI
Location: Sheridan, WY exSan Rafael, CA

Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by wizard124 »

OK. I am much happier with the outcome of my 2nd attempt :D

I started out the same as before by cutting the visor shape out of foam board, gouging it out in order to lay in the wire frame.

Then, I folded over 2 sheets of thin self-stick foam. I had to insert a wedge of foam sheet since the I didn't get the 2 sheets perfectly square. Fill the cracks with extra adhesive:
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Use a putty knife to smoothly spread the adhesive over the entire foam surface to glue the vinyl.
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I glued 1 side at a time. I sandwiched the visor between folded towels and weighed down with books:
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The visor comes out looking like this: Use heavy duty scissors to trim to shape. You are cutting about 1/4 inch of foam sheets and vinyl.
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I bought some 1/4 hem to trim out the edge. Sorry about the focus:
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The finished product :D Not flawless. But a result I can live with. Now to re-do the passenger's side :roll:
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A couple of things: I used a black sharpie to blend in the white backing fabric of the vinyl. This made the visor look a lot better, even before adding the hem. The cost of doing this is pretty cheap. 5 foam sheets at about 1 dollar each. The foam board was about $5. A tube of glue $6. The hem $1.50. The cost of your vinyl can be $10-30 /yard. A couple of hours of your time (assuming you avoid having to do it twice :? )

The satisfaction of your own handy work....priceless 8)
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RRoller123
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Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by RRoller123 »

Cool! A labor of love!
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
'75 BMW R75/6
2011 Chevy Malibu (daily driver)
2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Ext Cab 4WD/STD BED
2002 Edgewater 175CC 80HP 4-Stroke Yamaha
2003 Jaguar XK8
2003 Jaguar XKR
2021 Jayco 22RB
2019 Bianchi Torino Bicycle
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kbee00
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Your car is a: 1972 Spider
Location: Waukesha, WI

Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by kbee00 »

Excellent job! I am going to give it a try.

Thanks for posting.

kbee00
1980 Strada (crushed)
1982 Strada (parts for the 1980 then crushed)
1966 MGB (E-Prod race car - sold)
1968 MGB (Targa Newfoundland - totalled)
1979 Spider (current vintage restoration)
1972 Spider daily driver
wizard124
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Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:27 pm
Your car is a: 1980 124 spider FI
Location: Sheridan, WY exSan Rafael, CA

Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by wizard124 »

I've been out driving and enjoying the summer :D

We had the first rain of the fall. This helped me re-focus on the Spider to-do list. I completed the passenger side visor. Each attempt yields a better result.

A few tips:
1) A curved Exacto blade makes quick work of cutting the gouges in the foam board. A thin bladed screwdriver to dig it out.
2) A heavy, sharp scissors or shears to cut the edges. Straight edge razor blade near the frame pivot points.
3) Spread the silicone adhesive with a putty knife. Use a liberal amount as it soaks into the fabric backing.
4) Cut the vinyl/foam edges at least 1/4 inch beyond the foam board edge or the 2 sheets of foam tend to pull apart.

The end :D
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spider2081
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Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by spider2081 »

Here are a few photos of my solution. It works for me. I traced the original visor, and made new ones out of UV blocking Lexon. The material is pricy and it takes a cpl hours to fabricate. They use the original windshield mounting points.

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joelittel
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Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by joelittel »

That looks great. I especially like that the material you chose is partially transparent.
wizard124
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Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by wizard124 »

A polarized tinted visor might be a solution for tall drivers.
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RRoller123
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Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by RRoller123 »

Not to rain on things, but pray you don't get into an accident. Visors are always made of soft, pliable material for safety reasons, to avoid sharp pieces in the event of an accident, at eye level.... I made some replacement visors myself from thin wood and then thought about it and threw them away.
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
'75 BMW R75/6
2011 Chevy Malibu (daily driver)
2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Ext Cab 4WD/STD BED
2002 Edgewater 175CC 80HP 4-Stroke Yamaha
2003 Jaguar XK8
2003 Jaguar XKR
2021 Jayco 22RB
2019 Bianchi Torino Bicycle
spider2081
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Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by spider2081 »

The danger of an accident is always there so I have no problem with your comments. I share many of your concerns.
I chose Lexan because unlike acrylic it does not shatter crack or break very easy. It is used to make aircraft and motorcycle windshields. It is also used in sport and crash helmet visors. The sun visors are usually up or down so the edge is not facing one's face or head. I agree it is most likely not as safe as the soft material stock visors but the fact that it is transparent and does not obstruct visibility is a plus,
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RRoller123
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Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by RRoller123 »

That makes sense, and as always it is good to share any safety concerns with our fellow fiat enthusiasts here!
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
'75 BMW R75/6
2011 Chevy Malibu (daily driver)
2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Ext Cab 4WD/STD BED
2002 Edgewater 175CC 80HP 4-Stroke Yamaha
2003 Jaguar XK8
2003 Jaguar XKR
2021 Jayco 22RB
2019 Bianchi Torino Bicycle
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RoyBatty
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Your car is a: 1975 124 Spider - 1971 124 Sport Coupe
Location: Locust Grove, VA

Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by RoyBatty »

Something you might try for the outer cover.
At any good rc hobby shop in the aircraft section, you should be able to find a fabric textured synthetic iron on material. Brand name might be coverall or coverite. With a little practice and using a small hobby iron, you should get some nice results.
brackie1
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Your car is a: 1978 124 spider
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by brackie1 »

I had problems bought new ones which wereto sshort. I scraped the whole thing and made my own. I found that the ones Ibought were in the way of the top snap down brackets. I rre-designed and made new ones. I used fiber board bought at home depot. I then took metal strapping with holes which is used for hanging pipe. I cut off a piece and bent it around a small screw driver shaft. The screwed it to the ffiber board form covered with thin foam and then covered with vinyl. Looks good and fits correctly. Can send pics if interested.
Gene
North Carolina
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ga.spyder
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Location: Blairsville ,Ga.

Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by ga.spyder »

Spider2081 gave me a set of his lexan visors to ''product test'' on my car.I love them.I am a taller driver and it is awesome to be able to look thru them.I have had many comments on them from other owners.Thanks again,David!
Craig Nelson

1982 Spider 2000...pride and joy
1981 Fiat X1/9..gone but not forgotten
1976 124 Spider..the self-healer
2001 BMW 328ci daily driver and track car
Fling It Around Turns !
brackie1
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Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by brackie1 »

The visors all look good. I prefer the padded one. I made one as well but can not make them stay in place. I see how the one made from lexan works but how do you keep tension on the stubs to keep the visors in place with the padded ones.
Gene
North Carolina
wizard124
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Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:27 pm
Your car is a: 1980 124 spider FI
Location: Sheridan, WY exSan Rafael, CA

Re: Sun Visor. First Attempt, Improvements to follow..

Post by wizard124 »

Scroll up to my pictures. There are screws that pinch the hinge.
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