Aluminum Hatch Glass Replacement?

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

I've been asked about this many times in the past and just never had the time to put anything together. I finally sat down over the past 2 days and put some time into designing something.....prompted by a customer request. Attached photo is what we came up with. The louvers will bend down into the engine bay and end up about level with the ground in order to draw heat out of the engine bay. For the 2 openings in the center my customer wanted to just install his own mesh in that area.....but I can do whatever you guys want with that area.....add another one or 2 columns of louvers?....add some NACA ducts (not sure if a NACA duct would be effective in that area to push air into the engine bay or if that would be a low enough pressure area for a NACA duct to not work properly?)?

I will be able to offer the panel in both "Original Glass Size" that will be the same size and shape as the original FFR hatch glass for those who have already modified their body to accept the hatch glass. I will also be able to offer a modified perimeter "Original Body Size" version that should more closely match the actual size needed to install on a GTM where the body has never been altered to accept the FFR hatch glass. My customer will hopefully be able to provide some actual photos of the panel installed on his car in the next few weeks so we can all get a better idea of how it looks.

Thoughts?





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[beeman]

Thoughts?

I was actually thinking about this earlier this morning. Specifically, I don't want to use the rear glass. At all. I did buy some ABS louvers for ventilation and appearance, but haven't modified the hatch yet. I was also considering lexan with drilled ventilation holes. I'm looking forward to how yours turns out!

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Here is version #2 with a section of larger louvers right down the center. Again, the louvers will be open so that the louver blades are roughly level with the ground, so you should actually have some decent visibility out the back.

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[jamesfr58]

Shane,

I would be interested in the one with a modified perimeter "Original Body Size" version that should more closely match the actual size needed to install on a GTM where the body has never been altered to accept the FFR hatch glass. I have not started the body work yet and have been trying to decide what to do with the back hatch and glass. Not wanting mesh on the back hatch. I would be more interested in your version 2 design. I look forward to seeing how it looks.

In this version since no body work has been started would the new aluminum piece take the place of the back hatch in its entirety. Only modifications to body to match up to hatch would be required. I am all for a better looking back hatch that will to match up with the body better than the one I have now.

[claybags]

Great minds think alike LOL. My solution- I used the front wheel vents and basically made a FG "glass" insert + a few other design mods. Getting ready to flow coat the cover, thus the matt finish.
Cheers, Jeff

[beeman]

I think this is the one I bought, it is a little big for the GTM hatch but I like the styling and ventilation. Will see if I can find the pic I took of it on my car.

https://www.americanmuscle.com/mp-co...ck-406682.html




I also liked this design

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Shane,

I would be interested in the one with a modified perimeter "Original Body Size" version that should more closely match the actual size needed to install on a GTM where the body has never been altered to accept the FFR hatch glass. I have not started the body work yet and have been trying to decide what to do with the back hatch and glass. Not wanting mesh on the back hatch. I would be more interested in your version 2 design. I look forward to seeing how it looks.

In this version since no body work has been started would the new aluminum piece take the place of the back hatch in its entirety. Only modifications to body to match up to hatch would be required. I am all for a better looking back hatch that will to match up with the body better than the one I have now.

Hi James,

The aluminum would just be a replacement for the glass itself and the alum would mount to the GTM hatch much the same as the glass.....I would assume you'd want to install some spacers between the hatch and alum to space it up since the alum is about half the thickness of the glass. One of the other good things about going with the aluminum is that if the aluminum panel doesn't fit exactly like you want, you can trim it to size (unlike the glass). You could also bond/epoxy the alum panel right to the hatch and then blend it to the hatch to make it appear as all one piece like the photo Jeff posted above (which looks fantastic BTW!)

[jamesfr58]

Got it, I sure would be willing to give that a try and believe it will look great. Let me know when you have one that is ready to go and I will order it. It does look good and will to hear for you when you have it ready.

[jgtm]

Recently purchased a used GTM and also thinking at some point getting rid of the glass to reduce glare, heat, weight... Has anyone come up with a rear deck open behind the rear interior glass, similar to a Ferrari Testarossa or Pantera? Seems it would help with heat and still see some of the engine. As with most of these changes not sure about aerodynamics. Or just single louvers side to side similar to the curve at the bottom of the rear glass.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

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Ok....I gotta admit that these look way better than I had imagined they would....and wish I would have developed these about 12 years ago. Visibility out the back from inside the car is really not much different then with the glass.

[David Hodgkins]

Wow, that does look good! I think you've got something there Shane!

[jamesfr58]

Ok sold me, how do I get one!!!

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Just added it to my website.....top item on the page. Shoot me an email....also listed at the top of the page here:

http://vraptorspeedworks.com/custom-gtm-parts/

BTW, I went back to the original glass size perimeter for all of these. You can trim the aluminum to the size you want to fit your car. I tried coming up with a modified glass profile that would fit better, but there's just too much variation between cars to make it work as I hoped.

[beeman]

Looks great, Shane! Will there just be one style produced?
How much does the part weigh? I'm guessing quite a bit less than the glass...
How would you finish it? Paint or powdercoat? At what point in the installation process would you paint or powdercoat it?

[Fraser D]

I think that it looks great!
This is what I slapped together out of a sheet of ally and some mesh.
2 hours of my life and a six pack later...…..
I am currently making a different layout out of Carbon Fiber, mesh and a poly window.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

LOL!!!....looks like great minds think alike?!....very similar layout....just louvers vs mesh.

The whole assembly weighs in at 10 lbs. The glass is about 18.5 lbs. As for paint or powdercoat, I would say that depends on what you're doing with it and what color your car is and if you're installing it during the build or on an already completed car. If installed during the build, I would probably bond the alum right to the hatch with epoxy and then blend the bottom edge right into the hatch to look like all one piece and then paint the whole thing as one unit. You will have to have the braces assembled onto the louvers and have the curve formed into the part before you paint or powdercoat. If you were putting it on an already painted car, or were going with a paint scheme like this:

http://vraptorspeedworks.com/2010/vrsw-gtm-6/

I would be tempted to just have the whole panel powdercoated black and then install it onto the hatch just like the glass. Now, if that car didn't have the black roof, I would have to re-think that....a big black panel surrounded by all orange might not work so well. On a bright color, painting the whole thing body color might also be too much? On a dark color like the example Dave posted just above, I would probably paint it body color.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Looks great, Shane! Will there just be one style produced?

I can do other styles (like the one in the OP with just a large opening for mesh) by request, but I will have to charge a bit extra to cover my design time.

[T4Twins]

Wonder how much more that would help me with the dual Edelbrock manifold clearance?

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Since the louvers bend down into the engine bay, there is going to be slightly less clearance with the aluminum piece than with the factory glass. If the throttle bodies hit the factory glass, the only thing we could do is leave the top 1/2 - 2/3'rds of louvers and cut some clearance openings in the bottom section to clear your throttle bodies/intakes?

[MultumInParvo]

Only $340? I have been trying to avoid changing (spending ) much more, but this looks much better than the glass! Has me tempted...

Nice work Shane!

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Thanks!!

[Shoeless]

I like the way you think Shane!!! Great looking product here, I’m betting I could carbon fiber skin it for a very killer accent piece.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Yes, you could also pretty easily CF vinyl wrap it while it was still flat.....

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

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[beeman]

Looks great, Shane. Definitely on my short list for hatch options...
What are you going to do with the center section? Smoked lexan?

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

He's just leaving that open....as-is.

Just to clarify....that is a custom piece and not the "standard" Aluminum Hatch Glass Replacement. The standard one still has louvers in that center section like in post #10 above and as shown on my website.