Because I sometimes smoke in the car, I have the habit of leaving the front window or both of them about half an inch open to ventilate the jalopy for the benefit of the non-smoking majority. But because the car has roly-poly styling, with curved glass and pronounced 'tumblehome' at roof level, the sort of howling gales and lashing rain we've had today sprinkled the driver's seat lavishly with water. It wipes off the leather all right and soaks into the sort of suede stuff inoffensively.
But I remembered today while doing the wiping chore that cars of any size or with quality pretensions tended, when I was young, to have a sort of narrow fixed glass strip along the top of the window opening, outside the sliding window, that would have kept most of the water out. No doubt that is what those glass strips were for.
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On a related matter, the cold air blower stank briefly of sewage the other day. Doubtless the ghastly pollen filter has become clogged with dust and pollen, but also with damp leaves, twigs, oak-apples, snails and so on. Not a job I enjoy and not one I would impose on the indy who changes the oil and so on. But I'm not about to attempt it today.
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Plus quarterlights for draught and rain-free ventilation, and roof gutters to stop water running down the door or over someone using it.
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Climair make acrylic wind deflectors that fit between the car window glass and the frame allowing the window to be open a tad without a draught or water coming in. A simple push fit and are very effective.
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My Outback (in Aus) came with these wind deflectors fitted as part of the accessory pack I negotiated into the price (with the tow bar that I actually wanted). they seem a popular accessory in Asia - the Japanese and Hong Kong markets favouring them anyhow.
Personally I think they look a bit 'gauche' and I am not convinced they have any practical purpose as opening the windows still induces unwanted air turbulence / pressure / noise in the car. Likewise water still seems to streak across the windows so they're making no discernible difference there either..... It's also a PITA to clean the top 2cm of window glass.
With climate control my windows are only opened for ticket barriers anyhow.
Just my opinion of course.
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Perhaps it's a smoker thing, IC. Either that or it's a cultural legacy in hot countries from the days when opening the windows was the only option. Either way, I tend to your view; they belong in the same category as those plastic door edge protectors still occasionally seen on small automatics protruding from shop windows.
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You need a set of these AC.
www.gbdriver.co.uk/wind-deflectors-climair-car-window-rain-deflectors
Beat me to it. :)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 6 Oct 14 at 14:01
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I had one of those aftermarket deflectors on the driver's window of one of my cars. Can't remember which one though.
Thing is, they look finicky and certainly wouldn't make the jalopy look any better. Dunno. I'll think about it.
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>> Thing is, they look finicky and certainly wouldn't make the jalopy look any better. Dunno.
>> I'll think about it.
>>
It's a PT Cruiser, FFS!!
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>> It's a PT Cruiser, FFS!!
So? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Bb, and tastes are well known to differ. The Boxster isn't the best-looking Porsche is it? Quite a few dogs in that stable including the Panamera which I quite fancy actually. Some real beauties too of course...
My wife thinks all cars are ugly. Some certainly are, and I've owned a couple of those in my day. But the PT Cruiser isn't one of them in my opinion. It's not as harmonious as an aesthete might wish, but it's far from hideous. Matter of taste though. You're free to think what you like, but you seem to assume yours is the majority opinion. It may not be after all. Not that I care you understand...
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I'm with you there, AC.
Patronising comments about other members' cars are a real negative on these forums.
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Patronising comments about other members' cars are a real negative on these forums.
We don't patronize AC over his PT, we make fun of him. He gives at least as good as he gets, so where's the 'negative'?
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>> We don't patronize AC over his PT, we make fun of him. He gives at
>> least as good as he gets, so where's the 'negative'?
>>
Quite agree. It's gentle leg-pulling many of us indulge in it. I get it about me Harleys and used to rib bathtub tom mercilessly about his Kia Pride. This forum would be a dull place indeed if we refrained from such jollity.
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I see a PT Cruiser Pickup in my neighbourhood from time to time. It's been lowered and modded and it sounds like there's a V8 in there. Looks pretty cool too, certainly a head-turner.
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There are several 2-door convertibles round here. HJ quite liked the Cruiser but hated that model if I remember right. A bit noisy I think, sometimes a problem with convertibles.
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I thought about buying a diesel PT Cruiser at one time when I really needed something economical and with van like loadspace but which would double as a family car. Merc diesels in those I gather.
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Never been in one Humph. They are pretty audible from outside like a lot of diesels, and I believe are a bit rough to drive as well, can't swear to it.
The petrol Cruiser is far from silent but it's fairly quiet driven gently and economically round here. Noise levels rise at high road speeds but there are relatively smooth rev bands, quite narrow ones. Averages around 33 mpg, 28 to 37 depending on roads driven and frequency of journeys... very high revs, which it doesn't seem to mind, and very wide throttle openings make it thirsty.
You have to remember it's a 14-year-old 'world car', not an intelligent bit of Japanese technology, Bonsai Banzai so to speak... it's modern, but in a Tex-Mex sort of way. Anyone would prefer a well-cared-for snorting monster if they could afford it, obviously.
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Nothing wrong with an ugly duckling, Humph. I followed a BMW 530 GT home today, and every time I see one I'm tempted by the idea of one as a true four-seater for a tall family, oil painting though it may be not - although it helps that I think BMW's interior aesthetic is about the best in the business just now.
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"it sounds like there's a V8 in there"
When the Cruiser came out, I was rather disappointed to learn that wasn't standard, or even an option.
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>> "it sounds like there's a V8 in there"
>>
>> When the Cruiser came out, I was rather disappointed to learn that wasn't standard, or
>> even an option.
>>
The stock 2-litre petrol one was thirsty enough. Friend of mine in Derby had one when they first came out; loved it but reckoned he was lucky to see 24 mpg overall.
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They are excellent AC, and do actually work. We have them on the V70 and Fiesta and had them on the Mondeo too.
I'm the same as you with the windows and even if not smoking I don't like to be entirely shut in anywhere (it's why I don't like flying!).
With most cars now being narrow at the top and fat at the bottom, it means the run off from the guttering manages to drip inside the car on to the electric window catches, what a great design.
Theses cure that problem too, and are so easy to fit.
Pat
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"You need a set of these AC"
Or these..
flic.kr/p/pwc4Fs
:-)
Last edited by: J Bonington Jagworth on Mon 6 Oct 14 at 19:05
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R/h gearchange so not an early Twenty... an early 20/25 perhaps? Quite a lot of old RR saloons and brakes were rebodied later in life, and that coachwork does look a bit straight to be the real thing. The car doesn't look huge enough to be a Phantom but it's hard to tell from a photo. Don't suppose you know the car JBJ?
Scrolling forward through yr flickr was an appalling experience. What on earth is all that?
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>>
>> Scrolling forward through yr flickr was an appalling experience. What on earth is all that?
>>
Very amateur theatricals?
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Ventilation - Armel Coussine
