Hi folx. Wanted to share this installation "how-to" for anyone that was thinking about doing this mod(highly recommended). This was the most appropriate place I could find to post it. If I'm out of line, let me know and I will take care of it. My photo gallery has descriptions of the process as well, so a link would probably suffice. Anyway, hope this helps, and thanks to Sean for a kick ass mod, as well as xterran01 for some great tips.

Installation of Sean's see-thru wind deflector:



Tools and materials used:

1 Jigsaw with 14tpi plastic blade (for cutting lines)
1 3/16" brad point drill bit (for mounting screw holes)
1 1/2" brad point drill bit (for clean corners)
Painter's masking tape (for layout and clean jigsaw cuts)
Marking Pen (to mark lines)
Awl (for clean starting of drill bits)
Small half-round file and sandpaper (for touch-up)
Phillips screwdriver and 9mm socket/wrench (for mounting bolts)
12 Home Depot Black "Hinged Screw Cover"s (see below)
1 shop vac (this is messy! do it outside)

Some before pics:






Here's what came in the box(plus a few things). We have the smoked Lexan, and 12 stainless screws. Also included is a very detailed instruction sheet(not pictured). The small bags on the Lexan are the Home Depot screw caps. More on those later.


These little screw caps make this mod look even better than it already is. Find them in the Home Depot(no affiliation, etc...) fastener aisle, in the "odds and ends" drawers, where you would find the cotter pins, plastic shelf supports, nylon wing nuts...etc. At ~50 cents for 3, these are a highly recommended addition to installation.


I have masked the rough outline of the Lexan sheet(generously) and have laid out the sheet for tracing the outline and the screwholes. I measured 1/2" from the top edge(roughly, since the edge is curved) on both sides as specified in the instructions. This helps to give the right amount of stock plastic at the top and measuring on both sides helps ensure a straight line. That measurement gives you your top/bottom position. To center the piece from left to right, I used the stock deflector mounting screw hole(pictured below on the right) as a reference point, as the piece is symmetrical and there is a matching screw hold on the left side. Making sure the the left and right screw holes are the same distance from the Lexan sheet ensures that the piece is centered. At that point I had an assistant firmly hold the piece in place while I traced the outline AND marked the 12 pre-drilled screwholes. Do all your markings without moving the Lexan if possible.


This is the marked outline of the Lexan sheet, with 12 marked screwholes.


After marking the outline of the Lexan sheet, the "Cut" line is marked 1" INSIDE the outline. To make this cut line, I marked 4 lines. The first, the top, was marked by measuring 1" inside the top line of the initial outline in both corners. These two marks were then connected using the Lexan piece as a "straight" edge, giving a cut line with the exact curve of the Lexan sheet. The bottom edge of the cut line was done in an identical manner. The left and right edges are much simpler, as there is very little/no curve to them, so any stright edge will suffice. This picture illustrates the orientation of the 2 lines.


Continue to Part 2 of Installation
Skip to Part 3 of Installation