Windrestrictor, what do you guys think?

[RetArmy]

Hello all, new owner here. I have been looking at the wind restrictors from King Penn. Not sure I need one as I drove from FL to SC top down the whole way with no real wind problem. They do look great, so I would like to hear from any members who have one (from King Penn or anyone else). I would rather opinions from actual XLR owners themselves and not from the company (they have already done an outstanding job of representing their product).

 

[Tiffany's Dad]

They are an awesome product and you can customize any way you wish. Highly recommended.

 

[SJP]

I have one, its does help reduce noise and wind. If you get one from E bay wind restrictor you can bid a lower price and depending on how they feel you may win. Only issue is where you attach the center piece between roll bars is held down with two face tape which for me with the hot sun has cause it to shift. I am not sure how to fix this yet.

 

[ccclarke]

I spent the big bucks and installed a Wind Restrictor. It developed spider cracks after about two years, and when I asked the company about replacing it, the pat answer was, "You must have applied Windex, which is forbidden as spelled out in the installation directions." Well, I didn't, and was stuck with a nasty-looking piece of thick plexi-glass. From a customer satisfaction standpoint, they failed miserably. I promptly removed it and haven't regretted it.

Another issue I had with it was occasionally at night with the top raised, oncoming lights could reflect off it into the rear view mirror, making it seem like someone had just pulled up behind me. Very disconcerting, to say the least.

Having one that illuminates every time the brakes are applied, (for the higher end model) would get real old, real fast, in my rear view mirror. For a car show or blvd cruise, it might be kind of cool though. That's a personal taste issue.


It cuts the wind turbulence down a little, but with the top down and windows raised, it isn't that bad not having one.

---As far as making the supplied 3-M tape stick for the plexi-glass holder, the surface of the vinyl must be cleaned with 3M Prep-70 Solvent, followed by isopropyl. Alcohol wipes alone don't work.

CC

 

[David_B]

I bought the non-lit one when they had a sale. I think it was just under $300 at the time.

I would have been unhappy if I had spent $500 plus on a lit one with graphics though.

First problem, the counter sunk screws really weren't counter sunk all the way. Even after taking off the paint from the underside of the screws and the counter sunk area of the mounting brackets, they still weren't flush. I took a counter sink bit in my drill and removed some of the metal till each screw sat flush.

Next, the brackets that go under the roll bars. One had the rubber to the very edge of it, one had it an inch from the end. When I tried to install it in this configuration the bracket with the rubber an inch away was loose. So I moved it to the end of the bracket and that tightened it up. Once I removed the Windrestrictor for the problem below, the rubber on this bracket won't stay glued on.

I used the supplied cleaner on the location of my car where the double sided tape for the center bracket would go and pushed it down and held it there to set it.

After driving around for a day, I was looking at the Windrestrictor from behind the car and saw that the tape was coming off the bracket. The tape was still tight to my car, but I think the double sided tape had been on the bracket for so long the glue had degraded so it didn't hold to the center bracket. I wonder if these units have been sitting in stock for 5 to 7 years?

When I removed the Windrestrictor the tape was tight to my car. But the side facing up toward the bracket was a gummy mess, not very sticky at all.

When I pulled the Plexiglas from the center bracket also, some of the felt in the slot of the center bracket came out with the Plexiglas. It too was a gummy mess.

I guess for under $300 it's OK. I would have preferred a unit I didn't have to fix and buy new tape for though.

If you drive when it's chilly a lot, it might be worth it. But on a warm day I think it bugs me.

The idea behind a convertible is to have just the windshield in front of you. If you want something behind you, you might as well buy something with a removable roof panel.

I'm glad they make these, just wish the QC was about twice as good.

 

[David_B]

If I remember to take a picture, I'll show you how to use a really long piece of double sided Velcro used to hold cables together to hold the bottom bracket against the roll bars.

If you plan on removing the windrestrictor from time to time this will allow you to skip the double sided tape.

The roll bar brackets try to push the center piece toward the front, so if you wrap the Velcro around the roll bar, then in front of the center bracket, then around the other roll bar, it will hold it tight against the roll bar.

I have one, its does help reduce noise and wind. If you get one from E bay wind restrictor you can bid a lower price and depending on how they feel you may win. Only issue is where you attach the center piece between roll bars is held down with two face tape which for me with the hot sun has cause it to shift. I am not sure how to fix this yet.

 

[RetArmy]

I bought the non-lit one when they had a sale. I think it was just under $300 at the time.

I would have been unhappy if I had spent $500 plus on a lit one with graphics though
I guess for under $300 it's OK. I would have preferred a unit I didn't have to fix and buy new tape for though.
The idea behind a convertible is to have just the windshield in front of you. If you want something behind you, you might as well buy something with a removable roof panel.

I'm glad they make these, just wish the QC was about twice as good.

Thanks David, great report. After reading you and cc post I may pass. My rear license plate holder says "In memory of my fallen Brothers" I wanted to get the $500 plus windrestrictor with a Soldiers cross and a statement in honor of those guys. It would really hurt me to watch it fall apart or for it to be shabby and do the opposite of honor those Men. Many of us talked about buying our dream cars when we made it home, now I have mine and I wanted to show that it's OURS. Thanks again for the advice everyone.

 

[SJP]

David B .......If you could post pictures on where to apply velcro, I would appreciate it . ....Thanks And I agree the reflective glare takes some getting used to

 

[David_B]

Actually, the reflection is something else I didn't like.

You get a reflection from the side of your car, and when you pass or are passed by a car that reflection out of the side of your eye makes me freak out thinking someone is coming up behind me super fast, if I'm passing or being passed at a good clip.

I think I would have rather had the Cadillac cloth/plastic optional wind blocker over this, but they are even more expensive and very hard to find..

There's another cloth/mesh one that just came out, but the pictures of it, and it's price, don't look that great either.

I've been thinking about a design I might have a seamstress make for me out of spandex and mesh with a Velcro seam that would wrap onto the roll bars, if I can find some stretch mesh that is also UV stable.

David B .......If you could post pictures on where to apply velcro, I would appreciate it . ....Thanks And I agree the reflective glare takes some getting used to

 

[Patrickv2221]

Hello all, new owner here. I have been looking at the wind restrictors from King Penn. Not sure I need one as I drove from FL to SC top down the whole way with no real wind problem. They do look great, so I would like to hear from any members who have one (from King Penn or anyone else). I would rather opinions from actual XLR owners themselves and not from the company (they have already done an outstanding job of representing their product).

John,

Congrats on your new ride. I have the same year and color except, my interior is cashmere. I installed the King Penn wind restrictor on my car after having driven it for a little over a thousand miles, I found a marked difference in the cabin turbulence. I got the one with the Cadillac Crest and light connected to the brake light. That drove me crazy so I disconnected it. While we are talking about mods, you also may want to install the Volant Cold Air Intake the Corsa Exhaust and the XLR-V Sway Bar. And to keep your Crystal Red Metallic shining brightly use Zaino Products.

May you have Many Miles of Smiles

 

[RetArmy]

[FONT=comic sans And to keep your Crystal Red Metallic shining brightly use Zaino Products.

May you have Many Miles of Smiles[/SIZE][/FONT]

Thanks, I had read on the forum about Zaino products. I believe some members said you have to order them. I called my dealer today to ask what they used to detail it but he said it was some commercial product that I couldn't order. He recommended Meguiars. Products I can buy locally. How much difference is there? Also, From your post it sounds like you had a positive experience with your windrestrictor? I actually like David B idea of developing his own.

 

[nerkpowers]

Two other high quality products are the Griot's products or Wolfgang/Menzerna products ( I use Wolfgang). Here is a link to an excellent site to buy those products (most of these are on Amazon as well). Look through the site, they have several excellent videos on detailing your car.
Car Care Kits, Car Care Cleaning Kits, Complete Detailing Kits

Auto Detailing Facts, auto detailing Tips, How to detailing Guides, how to polish, how to wax, DIY detailing, do it yourself guides

Tim


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ccclarke]

I highly recommend Griot's Garage for their multitude of car care accessories. I've spent many an hour in their Tacoma flagship store. I bought their best buffer with all the pads and high quality polishes they had, and to be honest, I went back to using Zaino products. (Zainobros.com)

Be prepared to spend the better part of an afternoon prepping the car by removing the old wax, cleaning the surface with clay and applying several coats of Zaino. It takes about ten minutes to put it on, and you have to wait awhile for it to cure before applying the next coat. The results are spectacular. I do this twice a year and wipe the car down with Z-6 for light dirt, or use Zaino wash when it gets really dirty, followed by Z-6 with a cotton towel. Zaino also has some really good leather products. A Zaino starter kit will last for years.

McGuires is good too, but I like Zaino as a one-stop shop for all my consumable cleaning products.

Check it out!

CC

 

[XLRATING]

+1 for Zaino. It might be considered expensive & can be tricky to use, but once you get it down it's not bad at all (you have perfect application when it looks like you don't have any on the car before you wipe it off). I'm the second owner of my XLR and after a year or two of putting Zaino on after every wash, the dealer told me it looked better than when they delivered it new. We do my daily driver twice a year & probably for the first 4 months it just looks like it's been washed after it's rained on - no dirt sticks. I've also been impressed with Zaino's customer service.

We've only used Mezerna's "jewelling" polish as a last step after Zaino on some super soft Black Raven paint, but were very impressed.

Opinions on good polishes are a dime a dozen. You just have to figure out what suits you best. I like the quote of Mike Phillips on Autogeek.net: "find something you like & use it often."

 

[David_B]

Did you guys use a micro scratch remover?

I was pretty impressed by a couple of youtube video's I saw where they used a power polisher and some swirl remover.

 

[nerkpowers]

I have used Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0. Mike Phillips has a very detailed video on the steps for detailing your car. It does totally remove swirl marks. Black cars are notorious for showing swirls. If there is one thing you can do to improve your finish is to is to clay bar your car. When polishing, get a good random orbital polisher and follow the directions to a T and get the good polishing products (they are expensive). Wolfgang and Menzerna (same company) use diminishing abrasives which break down as you polish. That is why multiple passes, s l o w l y, gives best results. Here is an informative video on how to detail your ride.
Mike Phillips & Bruno Massel - How to detail your car with Wolfgang - YouTube
Tim


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RetArmy]

Thanks all

Thanks for all the information on both the windrestrictor and the care wax. Zaino seems to be coming out on top. Im going to experiment and see what I come up with. One thing I can say about this forum from reading past post and from the few questions I have asked, it's like having a garage full of friends over for the weekend, drinking a few beers and getting tons of free Information. I appreciate it and hope to be able to return the favor one day.

 

[XLRATING]

Did you guys use a micro scratch remover?

I was pretty impressed by a couple of youtube video's I saw where they used a power polisher and some swirl remover.

We haven't -- didn't want to risk overdoing it & making a mess. Used a DA polisher & Zaino ZPC, added Menzerna SF4500 on the black raven (really soft paint & a lot of micromarring). Also makes a difference what pads you use.

Don't know if you've seen the videos by Junkman2000 -- silly name, funny guy, good info. He emphasizes technique trumps over polish, pads, etc. Found that to be pretty accurate, we made a lot of use of his methods, particularly on the amount of pressure and going sloooowwwww.

 

[David_B]

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[William]

Windrestrictors

Hello all, new owner here. I have been looking at the wind restrictors from King Penn. Not sure I need one as I drove from FL to SC top down the whole way with no real wind problem. They do look great, so I would like to hear from any members who have one (from King Penn or anyone else). I would rather opinions from actual XLR owners themselves and not from the company (they have already done an outstanding job of representing their product).

Great product I got one couple of years ago ans did not think I wanted it lighted! Don't make that mistake the lighted system with the controller will give you about 5 colors and rotatthem in any way you want! I got the on board power supply so I don't need anything in the car having to be on, but it does show how to connect it to your running lights, brake light, or headlights! I love mine and I ran it for about 5 hours on my power supply that you can get from them along with the light controller which has a little remote that fits right in your pocket! Real bright in the bright sunlight bu in the dark it is a great show peice!