FJ40 Visor, aftermarket or homemade

[mwsaling]

Looking for anyone out there that has made their own visor or has bought an after market one. I have the frames but want to do something that will last and looks good. I know that the people that make the ICON have some pretty cool ones, I am sure they are an arm and at least half a leg (some kind of air craft plastic with a tint).

If you have made one or have bought one that is different than OEM please take a picture and post it here. just looking for some good ideas.

I have some aluminum and could mount it. I could buy some polycarbonate and put some dark tint on it. That would be great because I am tall and when the visor is down it does cut out a bit of my view. The poly could be seen through a bit (like the ICON one.

Thanks for your ideas, smart ass comments not need reply.

Mitch Saling

 

[SteveH]

I fabbed one out of plywood and used it for years - never got around to making a Lexan version. it's tough to come up with something that ultimately doesn't look redneck/homemade. I have no photos of my wooden one, but I simply cut it to truly fit the opening where the pint-sized OEM visor fits. I finally gave up and decided that OEM was fine, in the long run.

 

[mwsaling]

Found out that non USA visors are sturdy plastic, not flimsy

 

[Heirloom]

You can buy lexan or polycarbonate that is already tinted. I imagine the price discrepancy between materials reflects brittleness. My guess is that the Icon "aircraft windscreen" stuff is just a high grade lexan.

If you go this route, polish your cuts with a cotton wheel and use the correct rivets for a pro-looking finish.

 

[JohnnyC]

got this free when i picked up a windshild frame (thanks again Wally )

Hollywood Ummm it must be from a ferrari it works however

 

[mwsaling]

Thanks so much for your help. It may take a couple of tries but I will go with what Heirloom says, unless I can buy one that is lexan and I can bolt it in without looking like crap. It may take a couple of tries but it will be worth it. I will go to ICON's site and watch the video that they did with some comedian and look really close at the visors and how they put them together, if they show it up close at all. Oh well I could always go with the non USA ones but don't know how to get my hands on some.

 

[Bear]

Something to think about:

I was going to fab my own visors, thought about 1/4 inch thick aluminum sheet for a core with padded wrap and vinyl covers--no more flimsy wire rims covered with cardboard and cheesy vinyl wrap--something that wouldn't absorb moisture, warp with heat, crack from the cold, etc..

Then I started thinking about all that happens in a car crash.
With everything coming at you in a hurry, it seems the manufacturers of road vehicles decided NOT to have solid visors when, hanging down in-use or coming unlatched, the edge slices through your forehead or face as you and your passenger are propelled violently forward. Probably the same thinking behind adding padded covers on the later FJ upper and lower dash edges.

Hard plastic, wood, metal have no "give."

Not sure why airplane manufacturers think hard plastic/Lexan/polycarbonate, etc. is okay--maybe surviving a plane crash is so rare that visors wouldn't even matter.

Solid injected foam--1/2 inch-- with a vinyl covering was legislated into Australia for the later FJs' visors--seems like a safer choice. Have you thought of something like a dense stryofoam-type material?

Even the Germans get special mods to their imported vehicles to give a little extra protection against sharp edges and projections.

I realize you cannot protect against every eventuality in life, and I'm not necessarily a true-believer in all our nanny-protections, nor am I trying to preach--just some food for thought when designing stuff.

 

[mwsaling]

Dismemberment

I thought all about the dismemberment thing through. I would decapitate myself on my roll bar first before I even got to the visor. I actually almost knocked myself out once on a slippery road. I slid sideways and the vehicle caught on dry ground my head got thrown against the roll bar. I have thought about getting a taller roll cage, who has an extra thousand out there for my "do not get decapitated fund". I was going slow so it was only a little bump but it was jolting. I am going to put some kind of padding on that part of the roll bar soon.

Anyway I have the new 5 point harness now, no more going forward with that on.

I will do a write up in a couple of weeks when my makeover on the cruiser is done and then I will get some more good ideas from all of you.

Mitch