I'm looking for some advise on modifying an exterior sun visor I had purchased for my 48. It is from an early 50's car and needs to be narrowed by about 8". I already have a plan worked out to support the center but need to be sure when cutting the visor that I have the correct measurements & method before I cut. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Nick

 

Hi Nick,

Been there- done that.

Is your visor a Fulton? If so, the early 50s visors are more of a chevron shape than flat. I had a Deluxe Fulton from the middle fifties which is flatter across the front.

Here's what you want to do to get that to fit. Figure out where you want to mount the side brackets and do that. The center is adjustable but even at the closest settings, will still be too wide. Take the center section top and bottom pieces (along with the center retaining bracket) apart and set them aside. You will now have the two main panels separate. Install each one in its side bracket which you have installed on the truck. Overlap the panels in the center and wrap a piece of masking tape around them in close to the center. Then GENTLY (it's aluminum) clampthem together with 2 spring clamps (looks like a big clothes pin).

Now step to the front of the truck and find the center line of the hood and windshield. Best way I've found to do this is tape a piece of string on the hood at the very front in the center. Throw the string up over the cab and visor and move it left or right until it follows the center pleat of the hood. Tape the string in place on the back window. The string should be laying across the center of the visor as it's sitting there. Mark a center line on the tape holding the visor panels together, next to the string with a sharpie.

Carefully remove the visor from the truck while keeping the panels from moving. Cut through both panels at the same time using a metal cutting blade on an angle grinder. File the edges smooth.

Remount the panels and put the upper and lower center plates on the panels. Mark where the four bolt holes go on the panels. Drill and bolt it back together.

Be sure to get everything on the visor put snuggly back together or it will fly off the truck.

Here are a couple pictures of mine when finished, and th ecenter bracket I made (just in case you wanted an alternative idea for that).







My side mounts are probably different than yours (probably the "grass hopper leg" type) and mine is flatter across the front (yours will be more "V"ed in the center) But this works for yours too.

J!

PS Do NOT use your rear view mirror as a centering reference point. Mine is not centered - your's may not be either.

 

Thanks Julies,

Mine is a little different than yours. there is a flange and holes where it appears the visor would be riveted to the drip rails. I suppose the first step would be to mount the 2 halves and then get an accurate measurement on the overlap, then split the lap in half to make the cut. I'll try to get some pictures of the visor up as soon as I can.

 

Exactly!

I've seen that type of side mount. It doesn't make a lot of difference. As a matter of fact, the holes and mounting method would probably be the same as mine except I can detach the visor - and adjust the angle it sits at when placed at the desired height on the rail.

Nice thing about the string methode is it not only tells you where to cut (length wise) it also gives you the correct angle to cut for the panels to mathc up!

Send pictures!
J!

PS after reading a few other problems with the visors, I wouldn't rivet it on, I'd use stainless steel sheet metal screws and grease or caulk them to prevent your rail from rusting out.

 

So why would the rivets not work? I was either going to use steel rivets or permanently mount it by welding it to the drip rails? What other problems are you referring to?

 

Mine also looks like it will mount tighter to the cab and looks like it may have less than half the space that yours does. Is there any concern with this creating too much pressure on the visor at highway speeds?

 

Ah the double whammy of questions!

First, with the way the rain gutter is constructed, and with the way it functions, most visor manufactures don't recommend that you mount the brackets to the gutter but rather the inside of the windshield stanchion. But for the life of me I sure couldn't figure outhow to do that with the kind of brackets we have. I think that's for the "grass hopper leg" type I mentioned earlier. So you pretty much have to attach to the rail.

The only problem with the rivets is they are hard to seal up - and the gutter is a rust magnet anyway. And if you rivet through your rain gutter I can guarantee you it will start to rust out. And that rust will stain the paint in the gutter and on the front of the stancheon - possibly even into the stancheon. With screws, you can put sealer on them before they are all the way in. Plus, I am much more comfortable knowing I can take the visor off when I want to- for repairs, painting, windshield replacement, etc. Just a matter of personal preference I think.

On the matter of aerodynamics, having less space between the windshield/cab top and visor isn't a driving factor unless you restrict it to less than an inch or two. Remember the air clinging to the top of the visor will help suck that under it out.

BUT, you have to be absolutely certain that you use a strong center bracket that is secured to the center of the visor in multiple places as close to the width of the visor as you can get. Distribute the forces and strenghts over as long a distance as possible.

Notice in the picture I sent that the center bracket goes the whole length of the visor bracket and is anchored in four places. Notice that it also follows the entire curve of the visor and is anchored to the truck in widely space points that are at different points of tangent to the cab roof.

Reason is these things are Aluminum are thus fairly flexible and more subject to metal fatigue. In the airstream if it is allowed to flutter or buffet AT ALL (even vibrate), it will eventually tear loose from it's mountings and rip itself off the truck. So it needs to be solid as a rock on all three axis - up and down - forward to back - and to a lesser extent side to side. Remember also that it needs to be well anchored on the truck as well. A bent piece of flat iron anchored in one spot on the truck and visor isn't going to cut it over 40 mph.

There are quite a few articles online on these visors and most of them contain the words "ripped itself off the car and became airborne." And when that happens, it usually takes chunks of truck with it - either yours or the one behind you.
J!

 

Very good points, I will try to get photos up this evening and maybe you will have some additional ideas regarding mounting options. I look forward to any insight you may be able to provide.

 

Still no pics, got in too late this evening and too much paperwork to do. Will put up some pics as soon as I can.

 

Julie,

You are an absolute wealth of information. You get my vote for FTE member of the year!

 

THANK YOU!

J!

PS I cheat, I have a photographic memory!