Fry, That is absolutely THE BEST rearview mirror for a Model A! I have had one in my '31 Tudor for decades and it has saved my bacon more than once!
A flat windshield is never going to be a good situation for redirecting air smoothly, but it won't hurt any to experiment some. On the other side, getting sound deadener into a lot of those small areas and a good dense sound deadening mat above the headliner can't hurt anything. Anyone ever try thicker gl*** ? Is it even available?
Hello, As much as the popularity of sun visors are for old and new cars, it ends up looking like some mean business. It shades a little of the dash and interior only on direct overhead sun. Plus, it cuts down vision of the road ahead. If the top is chopped, then it adds to the limited vision. Interior sun shades work well and have the same job as the outside unit. But, for less cost and better airflow. We have all used the interior visor to cut down the glare going up hill with the sun facing us directly. Or overall blockage of the glare against the vision of the road ahead is always a down sun visor use in the inside. But to permanently install something that blocks vision and created a total wind blockage is silly. There have been wind tunnel tests done by most major magazines showing the effects on car design and wind flow. For a while, it all pointed to a drag coefficient study that showed anything on a car design will send wind in crazy patterns everywhere. Less blockage and smooth design creates a better flow of air and the better coefficient of drag. In a design cl*** in college, there were presentations of the effects of the coefficient of drag and then the magazines and car manufacturers got on the bandwagon. Today, we have sleek sedans and even the station wagons have body shapes to move the air back much faster. The big SUVs and trucks are trying, but not much is able to hide a big blob pushing the front air as one moves ahead on the road. Granted the old style cars did not have the best coefficient of drag, but as wind tunnel effects (and a funky drawing) can show, that stock outside visor or any visor creates on big block and diversion problem. Jnaki In newer versions of add on visors, there are some companies that have made an air escape vents to allow air to flow rearward with less blockage. As far as the holes drilled into the old style visors, they do nothing other than make the wind hit the windshield and fight its way around and back. YRMV Sealing the front windshield and making sure the vents seal well, as well as the side windows goes a long way in old hot rods and sedans. Despite the long time in design improvements from the Model T, the modern designs have been created with the idea of windows always being up and the A/C being on 90% of the time. When a new design car, foreign or domestic, has a window rolled down, the interior sound is burbled with wind circulating past and into the opening. It creates a terrible noise that feels like a balloon is being bounced off of your ears. Some advancements solve the problem outside, but the wind is like no other… it searches for any opening and attacks with a vengeance. Replacing all window channels, rubber gaskets and filling in holes in the firewall, helped the noise coming into our 327 SBC 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery. I even replaced the gasket around the hood cowl vent. I made sure it was down in the closed position always and sealed tight. That is a lip that ****s in air and also is a hindering item for smooth air flow over and around the sedan delivery. Granted the 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery is a lot smoother than a Model A, but every design has its basic air leaks and difficulties to correct, or it drive the occupants (my wife and I) crazy.
WOW i never thought of the wind noise being a problem. I am just finishing my Model A so i will find out soon. I did install new seals in the windshield and i installed wind lace in the doors. I love the look with the visor.
Hello, I am not a naysayer, as our first purchase for our hot rod/drag race build was a Model A Coupe. It was to be fitted with an SBC motor, centrifugal supercharger and a LaSalle transmission. My brother's idea was that the 283 was going to be strong enough to race his friend in a 34 Ford Coupe that ran in the A/Gas cl***. We were planning on being in the C/Gas or B/Gas cl*** with the smaller SBC motor. At the time, we loved the look of the Model A, visor and all. This Model A Gas Coupe was the epitome of the brand and model. We wanted ours to look similar and go just as fast, yet still be able to drive it to high school on Monday mornings. Jnaki But, as an older hot rod person, wind noise is very bothersome. We spent hours filling up every hole and opening on the sedan delivery. At the time of the Model A, we had not even considered the ramifications of air drag on the body parts of the coupe. No one was thinking along those lines back then. It was a late 60s, early 70s thing for research, car designs and wind tunnel experiments. So have fun with your Model A. Sometimes, I wish my brother and I had actually continued building the Model A. We got it to run on the 4 cylinder, cleaned it up and was ready to get started on the modifications, when a black 1958 Chevy Impala rolled up on our driveway and the 51 Oldsmobile Sedan and Model A were su****iously missing...
I have no plans to alter the visor i think it looks great. My car is almost finished so i will find out about the wind noise soon. The original builder of my car drag raced it in the 1950's with the visor on. I guess most people did not know any better.
I've made a few trips to SpeedWeek in my sedan, cruising at about 60. My annoyance was not the noise, but the buffeting inside the car with the front windows down, one or both. I've often thought this could be lessened with a roll-down rear window. Any comments on this?
When I worked for Freightliner, we built our own full sized wind tunnel. I was in a meeting with the manager of the wind tunnel who came from the aerospace industry. One of the marketing guys was asking about drag on different models specifically our long nosed conventionals. They are shaped much like a Model A. The response he got was that if it looks like a brick, it has the drag of a brick.
Whistle while you drive. These are old hotrods they're suppose to Rattle, Bang, and Clank along. Sit a little lower.
I noticed wind noise on my Model A Tudor and decided to go with a louvred visor. No improvement that I could tell and I'm guessing holes would be the same or maybe worse. There is quite a bit of vibration at speed with these visors, so I figure if possible making the visor more rigid could help a little. Before you punch holes in anything, remove your visor and go for a drive and see if there is any improvement. That is something I did not do that, but considered that I should have tried it long time ago. I'm guessing you will still be disappointed, but worth a try. You may recall seeing those perspex wings setup on the radiator area of big tractor trailer rigs. I've always wondered if something similar may tame the air turbulants on an old hot rod. I know it does not sound appealing, but is probably one way of knowing what direction to investiagte if it is doing your head in...
On my 32 5w there is considerably less wind noise with the windshield open. It was a lot quieter before I chopped it because the windshield doesn't close as well now. Seal the windshield tight with good fitting seal or leave it open. I would not cut holes in the visor.
Check your door hinges ,they make a lot of air noise at speed ,that’s why a lot of hinges were removed ,it was not the look , it was noise !!!
I always have a pair of the earplugs on the head band around my neck at work. I also take them to the races, and sometimes use them in my cars. I had a car that I pretty much always had to use them in. If they are around your neck, or in the car, you will use them. If you are getting headaches or your ears are ringing and your head is bizzing, you need them. Ringing in your ears is a sign that permanent ear damage is taking place. What is no fun is getting old and having a permanent ringing in your ears, or not being able to hear your grandkids.
In an open roadster, driving behind a sloping vee windshield does a lot to reduce ****pit noise and air turbulence. It is actually possible to have a conversation while driving.
I was just thinking about this. Actually, the thought was... "I guess roadster owners don't worry about wind noise." I sure do learn stuff from you guys. Stuff that can't be known by anyone except those who have actually built and driven these cars. And I've stored every bit of it away so I'll be able to call upon it when I need it. Thank you. Note to self: Vertical windshields cause wind noise. Vertical windshields reflect light into the interior. Might be two more reasons to drive a roadster. And to have a swept-back windshield.
Slow down What's a little wind...... and the rat a tat tat of bugs on their final trip on that flat windshield. Low - slow and cool is what I say.
Agree that holes in the visor would probably just be another source of noisy turbulence. I seem to recall some research in the '80s or '90s into car interior noise-cancelling technology. IIRC it was part of the stuff GM, Lotus, and Bose were doing at the time, including the Bose electromagnetic active suspension which had every geek starry-eyed for years after. Unfortunately it seems a lot more complex than making a big pair of noise-cancelling headphones and putting them over the side windows! Perhaps combined with vents just below the visor, to use negative pressure behind the car to reduce the pressure in front of the windscreen? I think that might result in too much airflow inside the car, though: but ducts above the headlining? Come to think of it, there is probably so much turbulence behind the car that there's no telling if the pressure is going to be positive or negative — but using the windscreen to pump high-pressure air into that turbulence might help to smooth it out.
My DD is my '26 T coupe. My avatar. I have worked diligently on reducing interior wind noise in my model T. I have got it down to a liveable level. But the Model T has to be the worst in terms of trying to get it sealed up. The light reflections in a T coupe are absolutely horrendous. I get into a brightly lighted area at night with headlights coming and going. Then reflections are not only front to back, but also side to side. It can really get confusing trying to drive. I have found that a curtain in the rear window helps lot.
I hope all you " tough it out " , " what's a little wind" , " there supposed to be that way" guys never loose your hearing & develop tinnitus ! You'll find all that machismo doesn't help one bit !
One year on the way to the SK500 I hit a swarm of honey bees at 80 mph with the front windshield out. I had bug guts all over the back wall of my 35 pickup.
I had a 30 coupe ,not chopped, with a steel panel in the roof hole. It had a headliner inside. One day on a short trip and at about 60mph,the headliner came down on my head. The air was coming through between thew outer steel header panel and the roof. I'm having trouble remembering ,but I think I split a piece of rubber seal and worked it in between the header panel and the visor. I didn't build the car and the visor appeared to be molded to the steel top insert. With the windows rolled up and the windshield closed I didn't think it was particularly noisy. It did have a nice windl*** around the doors.
Go faster! I've found that the wind noise does reduce considerably beyond a certain speed, but thoughts of jail time (and other consequences) quickly bring the volume back to unacceptable levels! Chris
The Jalopy Journal
