Removable / opening GT40 side Windows

[Jon Briggs]

You need something like this:
Customisable Vehicle Lifting and Car Storage Solutions - Load Bearing Car Parking System - Car Lifting Systems

 

[Scott Calabro]

Ian,

How about our removable door top conversion?

You will be able to reach in and turn your steering wheel for your parking situation, plus you will have an open top for hot summer days.

Its not cheap but its less expensive than a new house or trip to the attorney's office! :shocked:

Best regards,
Scott

 

[Ian Anderson]

Thanks guys Door top option is probably the best possibility I have seen - just amazing that nobody other than DRB has done an opening side window.

Perhaps 10 minutes with the screwdriver at the start and end of each trop is the way to go - just thought it would be possible to have something more permanent!

Time to get hold of some track and see if I can make a sliding window

Ian

 

[Jono]

Rather than start a new thread, how wide is a typical GT40? Presume some kits vary slightly? More importantly, how much clearance is needed to open the door AND get out. I remember seeing Clarkson trying to get out of the new GT and looks like you have to swing the door wide open due to the roof panel?
(Oh yes, am now reconsidering building the GT Corty, as when I add up what I want to do, I could buy a '40 for not much more)

 

[Ian Anderson]

Jono

GT40 is about 6 foot wide

See
Introduction
Near bottom of page Width 70 inches


My garage is 7 foot between the pillars - probably 7 foot 3 to single brick.
I have tried crawling through the gap but not a hope in hell - even after loosing weight this year.

I would think 8 foot 6 minimum required to have the passenger side tight against one wall and open the door to the other wall to enable me to get out.


Ian

 

[Peter Delaney]

Ian, the DRB MK3 windows are great - not only openable, but totally removeable (just unlatch, swing out & lift up & off). But the cost is scary, & that's only the start - heaps of hours are required to get the outer f/glass frames filled/sanded/shaped, & then you get to cut & shape the perspex, fit them to the aly frames & install the hinges & latches !

If it is a straight run from the garage out to the "open space", maybe a set of 4"x2"s could be bolted to the garage floor to guide the front wheels ?

On the home front, maybe its time to float a few alternative potential "hobbies" : "Seeing that I can't really easily use the '40, I might look at a bit of golf / sailing / drinking with mates / footy games / sky diving, etc". From time to time, my wife has a go at me about the amount of time I spend in the garage - but backs off when I start talking about the alternatives ! Its a "woman thing" - I think that they are pre-programmed to harrass us up to the point where the consequences of further harrassment are not in their self-interest. It is therefore up to us to define that point !!

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

 

[Ian Anderson]

Peter

thanks for the info on the DRB windows - They seem to be the only manufacturer doing them

Nope not a straight push in - if it was I'd not be unscrewing the window - could even do small adjustments by kicking the front wheels - this is almost a full turn on the steering wheel to get the car in - it's really tight.

The wife is so good in all sorts of areas so is "a keeper" but I do think this is unreasonable! I cannot even just open a "hatch" to allow the drivers door to open as the neighbour's garage is right there!

Thinking out loud here
If I have a garage 7 foot between pillars
The "outside of Garage" is
7 foot plus 9 inches each side = 8 foot 6

Time to demolish the brick garage and construct a metal one with a frame on the outside. That would give a usable garage but it would be COLD in winter and an oven in summer - even in the IK

Lots to consider and all I saw at first was a pain having to screw / unscrew a window


Ian

 

[RichardH]

going back to getting in - the door doesn't have to open fully. I quite often (have to) get into mine by opening the door half way and climbing in from the front. Foot over door hinge point and onto fuel tank, step over door and onto seat, rotate and slide down. the top of the door has to open enough to be able to do that, but far from fully open.

 

Ian Jethro Anderson,

I HAVE the solution to your problem!

The problem from the very beginning has to do with being "ENGLISH".

Change from right hand drive to (NORMAL) left hand drive. So then shifter would not be in an idiotic location, the sill pads,,,,,and everyone in UK will think you have exported a real MKIII from US of A. All you will then need is a cowboy hat and some country music. You will become a celebrity in your neighborhood and people would marvel at your lovely accent.

There, problem solved.

 

[Frank Catt]

NO NO NO Ian, the real solution is to move to California ( next PRESIDENT will be GT40 owner Faili F ) and as with everything American you will have a garage big enough even for your oversize GT.

 

[Julian]

Here's what the previous owner did with my KVA windows. They would be more functional (for both steering from outside and ventilation) if the cut out was forward and the slider moved rearward to open.

I'm in the process of retrofitting to OEM style once I can get replacements for the damaged one's that got delivered.

 

[Jac Mac]

Ian, this might be a bit more than your thinking of doing. Its a type of door hinge that allows quick removal of the door yet retains the hinge accuracy reqd for normal operation.
The center portion of the 'pin' on the hinge arm has the full dia of the hollow/slotted body fitting while the top & bottom of the 'pin' have flats machined to allow simple removal at the extreme open position. A simple check strap with prevents the door from reaching this position during normal use. Most pics are worth a thousand words, not so sure about my sketch though. This would allow you to reverse up the driveway with much more confidence, or continue to push it at much less risk to your toes.
Might also be handy for some others who are at early stage of construction of a track type car, DIY only, so tough to all you credit card builders

 

[Dutton]

... Time to demolish the brick garage and construct a metal one with a frame on the outside. That would give a usable garage but it would be COLD in winter and an oven in summer...

Not so, my friend. Any reputable manufacturer of metal buildings offers or can point you towards a full insulation package with the end result showing no appreciable difference in temperature, winter or summer, versus that of a brick or stick build. Of course, an adequate heater AND air conditioner should be factored into the construction, to take care of extremes in temperatures.

Unfortunately, should you opt for the small heater and/or an air conditioner, your wife will then be all over you for not spending more time with her... it's just never ending!

T.

 

[Tim Kay]

Consider Vertical Doors Inc direct bolt-on kits

 

[John W]

Ian,
this thought might be a bit to simple, but why not simply put a decent sized side door in the garage so you can drive in, then open the car door into the gap created by the open side door on the garage. All you have to do is open this side door as well as the main door when you come home.

As for driving through the tight gap up the side of the house (I assume), use the wooden guide plank idea, or get some bendy tell-tales that you can stick on the front & rear wings with suckers to let you know if your straying, or getting to close to the wall, or maybe install a decent set of parking sensirs like the beemers & mercs, that give an indication of distance to the obstacle.

And if all that lot fails, why not speak to Roy, I'm sure h can do you some sliding windows if you need them.

Cheers,
John.

 

[Ian Anderson]

Hi John

Side door / hatch was consiered but I am on the left of the shared drive so the hatch would open directly onto the wall of my neighbour's garage- still I must look into this furher as possibly the exra 4.5 - 5 inches would allow me to get the door open.

I even looked at only extending the first say 50 inches height wise of the garage on the left side but that would entail serious RSJ etc to support the brickwork above it. Then turn the side of the garage into a bay window type of affair and the GT would "nose" into the bay. I could pobably get away with this and tyrn the outside into a big planter thing.

As to reversing I should just pluck up the courage ....... BUT - so should look into a turntable too.

Loads of work just for the need to open a window and steer the car in!

IAn

 

[Cliff Beer]

Perhaps something like this might just be the thing.....

YouTube - Ejection Seats - Historical collection of escape systems

 

[Lance]

I've been looking at removable side windows myself. One solution that I'm looking at the viability of is using the system used by the rear side windows on an Holden Frontera (Vauxhall Frontera to you chaps). It has lift off hinges at the front and a rear catch that enables the whole unit to lift off by undoing one hand screw.

Three point fixing, so the usual plastic side windows may not be strong enough at speed, but thicker plastic would fix that (or glass?). Has anyone looked at this solution before?

Lance

 

[Frank Catt]

Lance, an idea, but what about lifting off the whole door ? It should be possible, and without the door roof section in place it should be possible to exit the car in a very small space ( I will have to experiment with this ! ) Frank

 

[Lance]

Frank,

My interest in removable side windows stems from the desire to be able to drive "with the window down". It just happened that something I was looking at may be the answer to the problem being discussed. Certainly, it's simpler than divorcing the wife which, according to my friends who have tried it, doesn't leave you with enough for the car anyway!

Removing the door is certainly a possibility. My doors have been on and off the car dozens of times during my build. One drawback with it is that, as in my case, there may be a significant wiring loom to be unplugged as well. Possible, but messy. My concern is more to do with the fact that, one day, you're going to drop the door.

If I can get the Frontera clips, etc to work, it will do me nicely. Maybe the answer here is to install Lamborghini style hinges. Although they're a bit kitsch, access to steer and push the car is there with NO removal of components. I gather the kits are a bit expensive too. There will be a certain amount of derision from the "classic" GT40 people but hey, we're big people, we can live with that.

On that note, I'll leave you.

Very Best Regards,

Lance