So I want a street car without a windshield

The weight will come out of all the well-documented places too. I just haven't seen too many cars without windshields rolling around, so I created the thread.

skruffy wrote:

kb58 wrote: How does it feel to be hit in the face by a June bug at 70 mph? How about a rock large enough to crack a windshield?

I'd be very tempted to wear a full face helmet all the time, taking rock in the chest/arm on a motorbike hurts, I can't imagine getting hit in the face. Also, with your head being the only thing exposed, it's the only thing that will ever get hit by stuff.

+1

Plan on doing this to one of my cars. ALSO plan on the other weight removal options. TALL custom roll bar, possibly going up to the front shock mounts, like an EP car would have. Since I barely fit in my Miatas, height wise, I want it as tall as possible. Yes, I would keep it street legal with a Brookland Aeroscreen, and a wiper, to meet VA regulations. Likely just remove it at the track, but got to keep it street legal for when I want to have lots of fun on four wheels instead of two.

@white_fly. Did you ever end up doing this? I've had the urge for a car without a windshield lately to use up in the NC mountains.

kb58 wrote: How does it feel to be hit in the face by a June bug at 70 mph? How about a rock large enough to crack a windshield? I don't know, but I have 5 cracks in my windshield and, as cool as a car might look, don't want a face messed up even more than it already is. All this aside, it doesn't matter how much you want it if local cops give you a ticket every time they see the car...

My Dad got hit in face with a June Bug at 65 mph when he was on his motorcycle. It split his lip open and he was bleeding all over the place. He said that was the last time he rode with an open face helmet.

I think a closed faced helmet would be a must.

I mean, this is pretty awesome

What about rain?

On the Mk I through Mk III Spitfires, two nuts and the windshield comes off. I drove mine for a while with no windshield. I felt very fast, but the bugs to the face don't feel good.

Palatov DP4 - Not a street car, but it would be hard for me not to make a few laps around the neighborhood.

Matt Huffman wrote: What about rain?

Frog Toggs and a closed face helmet works fairly well on a bike. I'd imagine it would work fine in a car too.

stuart in mn wrote: It's not going to be street legal, plus at anything above about 20mph your face is gonna get beat up pretty good from the wind as well as all the junk thrown up from other cars.

But... but... but... motorcycles?

I always wonder about these tools I see riding without helmets on goofy bikes with ape hangers wearing only little fashionista sunglasses. They look like a debris scoop going down the road. My helmet has real damage from rocks and things hitting me at speed and my last bike had a wind screen. How do they do it? Why would it be legal for a bike and not for a car? Jeeps drive around with the window folded flat too.

My whole reason for Miata ownership was a bad experience on a murdercycle. Getting off at 55 and landing on ones face (with full face helmet thank the FSM) makes me enjoy as much structure around me as possible.

I wouldn't drive such a thing without a full-face helmet...once the novelty wears off, your face doesn't feel good at that speed anyway.

More inspiration:

I drove the model A for a year with no windshield on the freeway. Some good safety glasses and your fine. Car was noticeably faster but the stock windshield on a model A roadster is like a brick in the wind.

Bee's to the face suck though and if it was lightly raining or the bugs were out I would wear a scarf to keep the damage to a minimum.

Lotus M200

This is nothing new for the Jeep guys. It's fun for the first mile, then you realize how much crap hits you in the face. Seemed worse than being on the motorcycle somehow.

Johnboyjjb wrote: I believe in Washington you are required to have wipers - not a windshield.

Same thing in NYS.

In at least one of the states I lived in (may have been Virginia, but not sure) it was against the law to drive a car on the road while wearing a helmet. Not sure about the reasoning, but I think it was supposedly for visibility. Same state had a mandatory helmet law for motorcycles though.

Astock looking miata without a windshield will look wierd, like you are trying to hard.

Another 4 year old thread brought back from the dead...

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

stuart in mn wrote: It's not going to be street legal, plus at anything above about 20mph your face is gonna get beat up pretty good from the wind as well as all the junk thrown up from other cars.

But... but... but... motorcycles? I always wonder about these tools I see riding without helmets on goofy bikes with ape hangers wearing only little fashionista sunglasses. They look like a debris scoop going down the road. My helmet has real damage from rocks and things hitting me at speed and my last bike had a wind screen. How do they do it? Why would it be legal for a bike and not for a car? Jeeps drive around with the window folded flat too.

When I was younger and not as smart I rode my motorcycle with an open faced helmet. Light rain was hard enough on the face, june bugs were worse, and being anywhere close to a gravel truck was painful.

I also once had a bee fly into my mouth and sting me on the inner cheek. I wear full face helmets these days.

Having spent decades riding motorcycles wearing nothing more than eyeglasses for face protection, I can promise you guys that the fear of bugs and such in the face is much worse than the actual event. Yep, they can sting, but all in all, it's not a big deal.

And no one has posted this yet???

foxtrapper wrote: Having spent decades riding motorcycles wearing nothing more than eyeglasses for face protection, I can promise you guys that the fear of bugs and such in the face is much worse than the actual event. Yep, they can sting, but all in all, it's not a big deal.

June bugs suck when traveling "at speed". I got one in the arm that left a good welt. I can not imagine one in the face. Then there are the birds that I have hit when on my bike but that is another thread.

EDIT. I am not talking those wimpy small ones either we get the ones the size of a quarter

Know a guy that used to have a Westfield (Lotus 7). He drove it wearing goggles and a canvas/leather pilots-type helmet.

Typically (i.e. in sane states) its legal if you wear eye protection.