two lane blacktop 55 window ??????

For those who have seen the movie, were the sliding windows something comonly done back in that timeframe on drag cars? I've never seen another car with windows done like that.

For those who haven't seen the movie, go watch it.

 

The Mechanic: You'd have yourself a real street-sweeper here if you put a little work into it.
G.T.O.: I go fast enough.
The Driver: You can never go fast enough.

 

Can't say about drag stuff, but on European sportscars I've seen it done a lot.

 

speedtool, regular street driven sportscars or dedicated racers? Seems like it would leak like a bastard.... and be rather noisy too for a sportscar.

 

Both. Some really barebones street going sports cars will have windows like that. I believe even the Ferrari F-40 did. Some earlier traditional open top sportcars actually have side curtains. Kind of like a Jeep Wrangler with zip up plastic windows. In those applications it doesn't matter about leaks and noises. The owners find it charming.

 

Did the sliding ones on the Ferrari seal at all? Im guessing when you have a Ferrari, let alone one that is "built" enough that the windows are "stripped down" for weight savings, it probably doesnt see much wet weather driving...

 

It was all for weight saving....remember the scene where 'the mechanic' is bolting on windshield wipers!

 

I know it was for weight savings, just wondering if this was commonly done? or if this is just a very extreme weight reduction?

 

i'm not sure it was common but ford actually built several fairlanes equipped with lexan side windows in the 60s.
they went up and down but you had to pull them up by hand and fasten a strap with a snap to the top of the door frame.
i think it was for a special race only edition that was sold to specifically selected drivers.
i think they called the thunderbolts.

 

I think its cause its late, but for some reason I really want to know more about these "sliding" windows. Im guessing that it was done here and there, but wasn't a huge thing.

 

Sliding plexi side curtains in an aluminum frame on a 60 bugeyed Sprite, nothing new here.

 

Many had none. They did drive this from race to race so it was the next best thing to none.

 

twofosho, got a pic? I'm really way too interested in this, even though a minute or two ago about doing this on my truck if I can't get some decent window regulator hardware for it without breaking the bank.

 

Not a Drag Car, but my old Racer has a sliding Window...

 

On most race cars with plexiglas windows the glass didn't move. The only American car I ever saw the sliding windows on up and through the movie was that 55. On a gas class car you might save quite a bit getting rid of the glass side windows and regulators an hardware and putting in thin plexiglas. The classes were based on pounds per cubic inch with a bit of range in there so if you could drop 40 or 50 lbs and still make the minimum weight for the class you usually did it.

 

I guess what I was wondering is this (the sliding windows method of weight reduction) a one car only thing, or is is something alot of people did?

 

My Fiat Simca (Topolino) has side sliders.

 

I made sliding plastic widows on my 55 chev, because the door are glass it also made it easy to make as well as saving weight

 

The TLB car had a lot of glass body parts, front end/doors/trunk, making it logical to do the door windows that way, but to answer your question; it was not common. Most guys used a glass front end but used steel doors, then to save weight would delete the wing vents and put plexi with two straps with snaps so they could lower it, It gets mighty hot in the staging lanes in Texas! As for the movie car, only the money up racers trying to hit a certain weight break went that far. As a side note; that car was not built for a certain class, as it was built specifically for that movie. The guy that did the build later said that he would never have gone to those extremes had he known what they were going to do with it!!!!!!!!!!

 

Not to ruffle feathers, but hell yes a lot of cars had sliders installed...most of my 55 gassers had em........gets hot in Georgia also. It was a cheap and easy way in most post cars to save weight and get a little fresh air. Many did NOT do it...a few of us went the extra mile.
m.

 

I can remember seeing this on other cars, but it was pretty unusual. If you are considering doing this on a street driven car, it seems like it would be a real PITA to me. But, I'm one that thinks shaved door handles and poppers are a PITA too.

 

Had a 64 Austin Mini Cooper while in the service in England. It had sliders. They didn't leak in the rain but they did mount the distributor right behind the grille in the front and the radiator was mounted off to the side of the engine so during the rain all the water sprayed on the ignition. Not the best idea to be sure.

 

I remember seeing a few bracket cars back in the 70's with sliding windows in the driver's door and most of those were recycled 60's drag cars. Not real common but it wasn't unique to the TLB '55 either.

 

Dodge did it on the 1968 Hemi Dart
Lars

 

The 68 Hemi Darts had them also

 

Wasn't that the same '55 as in Graffiti?
My '62 IHC Scout had sliding door windows, a real pain.

 

Did I see an Abarth? What is that Metlashapes?

 

Yes, it was the same car that was in Graffiti. wan't it that they couldn't raise the hood because it had a Big block in it ? what year did the Big block come out ?

Kevin

 

Yep, a Fiat Abarth 1000TC.

Not a Drag Car, but it Drag Raced once...

 

Well I do believe I have my answer. Thanks guys.