Thinking about adding an outside sun visor

[Jeff Balazs]

Hey guys;

I have been thinking about adding an out side sun visor or shade to my truck for a while now. I have two concerns which I would like to get feed back on from those of you who have one of these.

 

the first concern I have is a visibility question. I am a bit over 6 foot tall and I wonder it fitting this is going to have a negative impact on my vision out of the windshield? Any comments from guys who have one on this?

 

My second question is how much an effect this might have on wind noise? I am not as concerned about this as a potential loss of visibility......but I don't want to ruin a pretty quiet ride either.

 

The visor I am thinking about is a reproduction item made for Pilothouse trucks and is listed on Ebay :http://www.ebay.com/itm/1950-52-Dodge-truck-outside-sunvisor-/221522330893?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3393c2850d&vxp=mtr

 

Any feedback on this will be most welcome.

Thanks, Jeff

Edited September 10, 2014 by Jeff Balazs

[BobB]

Jeff -

I have one.

I'm only 5'10" and I have to duck to see a traffic light if I'm the first one stopped at a red light. There were actually reflectors for the dash to handle that. I figured out that a decently shiny hood is reflection enough to tell when the light turns green.

the other thing only applies if you've changed the differential and can go more than 45. At highway speeds you can get a bit of flutter. don't know about the noise. the shipper had to reduce speed when he trailered across country. At 70, the flapping concerned him too much.

On the plus side, it really does cut the sun in your eyes problem. It also keeps the snow and ice from accumulating on your windshield overnight.

Hope that helps -

- Bob

[wallytoo]

i don't have one, and i'm not tall - 5-6 - but i'd hate to try to drive mine with a visor. it's hard enough to see the few traffic lights i run into out here without something blocking my view even more. and my truck's higher than yours, so i don't have to look up as far to see the lights.

[pflaming]

they were a very short lived novelty. I like the 'looks' but not the reality as is stated above. I think they were gone in 1955, maybe in '54. Not certain about either. Their demise may have been caused by (1) one piece windshields and (2) lower car heights.

[MBF]

Whatever you decide to do with a visor, make sure that when you mount it that you can get both hood sides fully extended w/o hitting the visor.  I had one that I sold.  I figured that Dodge spent a bunch of money with their engineering department to design these new cabs that provide much more visibility than the previous design, and I'm not going to reduce that with an accessory.

[NiftyFifty]

I have an original visor from a 50's car I was looking at using as its adjustable to a point, but I think its likely more trouble then its worth and likely easier to just sell it

[Jeff Balazs]

Thanks for your input guy's. I appreciate it......and alas you confirmed my concerns and brought up a couple more. The truck has a 3.55 diff and is easily capable of cruising at 70. Guess I will just try some tint film instead. I like the way those visors look.....but not that much.

 

Jeff

[48Dodger]

Maybe a modified "quick release" for the freeway ride home after the truck show or parade...... 

 

best of both worlds.

 

48D

[pflaming]

I had a 6" wide band of tint film on mine and that really worked nicely. It cut the top glare but did not reduce my vision. When I put in new glass, will put film on again. I also got windows with some tint in them, much darker on the doors than on the windshield.

[Don Coatney]

Forum member Norms Coupe who passed on a few years back was the Fulton GURU. He initially had one on his car and posted all the install instructions on his personal webpage. Then one day as he was driving to a car show the hold down brackets failed and the visor flipped up damaging the roof of his car and acting like an air brake. He promptly removed it and thus ending his love affair with Fulton. He posted a picture of the flipped Fulton here on the forum and on his webpage. I should have saved the photo but I did not. I have searched the old forum archives that I have on discs, and his web page but I cannot locate the photo.

 

I sure miss Norm as we had a lot of fun. Pictured is Norm, Bob Toft, and I.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

while some visors look right at home on vehicles...the Fulton is NOT my favorite..the large dog bones that are the side mounts are so huge and out of place looking that I consider them detractors to the overall fit and finish of a car

Edited September 11, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams

[ggdad1951]

hmmm all this talk makes me rethink my desire to mount one on TODD.....

[Jeff Balazs]

hmmm all this talk makes me rethink my desire to mount one on TODD.....

Yes Mark I really like the way they look if the shape is right....although many are just too large & clunky for my taste. If I still had a bare cab and access to someone with metal working skills I feel like the correct shape and mounting system could be designed to eliminate the detractors. The idea behind this is sound but it needs to be executed very carefully. Definitely not as a one size fits all item.

As it is I think I will try some less obtrusive alternatives. Don't need any expensive mistakes and I absolutely don't want to reduce the good visibility.

 

Jeff

[Plymouthy Adams]

visibility is a concern even if you have a nice flush smooth style gutter mount..the forward center divider attachment point is the very heart of the unit that prevents the unit from flipping backeards..or in not flipping lifting and distorting with undue pressure felt at the gutter clips or dogbones....I had the flush unit on my '49 Club Coupe..attractive, clean and neat but visibility suffered at all time...most noticeably at traffic lights or maybe windows in the red light district should your community have one....

[ggdad1951]

Since TODD will be a big, um, larger, than the standard PH, I wasn't so worried about visibility to S&G lights, more worried about vibration and such at 70+mph.  I just like the idea of the shaded window...flat glass can be a PITA unlike modern curved glass that has less glare.

[Jeff Balazs]

Since TODD will be a big, um, larger, than the standard PH, I wasn't so worried about visibility to S&G lights, more worried about vibration and such at 70+mph.  I just like the idea of the shaded window...flat glass can be a PITA unlike modern curved glass that has less glare.

Yep......I like the idea of the shade too.

I think the trick is to have the correct aerodynamic shape that provides the shade but allows the air to flow out over the top of the cab. It wouldn't have to be as large as many I have seen......just positioned properly. Get the right shape, gauge and mounts and it should work nicely. Probably need a wind tunnel though..... There is probably modeling software out there that would get you close?

Jeff

[BobB]

I like the look and plan on putting mine back on now that I've gotten the windshield and rubber replaced.

Wasn't trying to talk anybody out of or into having one, just giving the info requested. Look, fit, and feel are personal choices so there's no "right" answer.

A visor dramatically changes the look in addition to the pros and the cons.

- Bob

[pflaming]

I like your white walls, lux rings and dog dish caps. Very nice! And also the chrome: grille, running boards, bumpers, mirrors, etc. Add to that the front fender fins. A very nice looking truck.

Edited September 11, 2014 by pflaming

[DJ194950]

Many chopped roof hotrods use one of these stop light prisms.

 

A web search  shows many types and methods of attachment. this was the cheapest.

 

$10 a speedway motors

 

 

DJ

[BobB]

So that's how those prisms work. I always thought they attached to the dash and couldn't see how that got the job done.

[1950 Special Deluxe]

So that's how those prisms work. I always thought they attached to the dash and couldn't see how that got the job done.

Me too.

That explains it.

I have 1 that I couldn't figure out.

[TrampSteer]

Jeff,

 

I have not driven my truck much but around the yard to work on it, but I really couldn't see well at all - and it is not adjustable. I'm 5'10".  I'm taking mine off mostly because the shipping company lost the right half (flew off in the wind) when delivering the truck. I suspect that was 70+ mph.

 

I went to a couple of part swap meets two months ago and there are a lot of "used" fulton visors. Seems there will always be lots of spares. I also found a company called Fetchup Pickup Parts that make replica (read new) visors pretty cheap.

 

They do look great though.  Still on my list, just further down.

 

Mike

Edited September 13, 2014 by TrampSteer

[gramps1951]

• another idear is to have shaded windshields made I did mine a long time ago looks  a lot more factory than a tint job a hate the line where the tint stops I like the gradual shade like a factory windshield. if you like this idear sit in your truck and mark with a wax crayon where you want the shade to end . shade too low cuts into your vison and too high will not help you much. any glass shop can get shaded laminated safety glass.. neil

[NiftyFifty]

Can anyone identify this visor? It was the one I considered using...its got a bunch of adjustment holes to extend it, but looks like it was on a car to me in its last use..

[The Oil Soup]

I've got a Fulton for my truck and hope to use it. Here is another option, brand new and reasonable. http://agapeautoparts.com/products/products.htm