Rear defrost alternatives to working rear defrost grid.

[plape]

11 hours ago, tech71 said:

Plape did you use the frost fighter timer and switch as well or the stock switch?

Going to try an install on a non heated rear glass.

I used the stock switch (activated by pulling out the fan knob), but plan eventually to use the timer that came with the Frost Fighter kit with an E21 push button switch in the green dummy switch location on the console.

[plape]

9 hours ago, Teelinger said:

@plape, are you planning on going to the 020202 event? I'd like to see your set up and talk about the install. I also have a dead grid that's been driving me crazy lately, mostly for the fog on the inside of the glass, not ice on the outside. 

 

Also, I believe replacement rear glass from BMW is running about $450 now. Ugh.

 

James

Hi James, I'm hoping to come to the 020202 event, agreed that fog is the main problem around here in winter.

[jgerock]

3 hours ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

 

FWIW, '69 was the year the rear defroster was introduced on the VW beetle.

 

A fan back there makes some sense, but I'd not be pulling trunk air into the cabin on purpose.  I assume the ducting would have to recirculate cabin air, no?

 

Like James said, fog is more of a problem around here than frost.  I keep a spare wiper blade in the car as standard equipment.  One quick swipe of the windshield/windows and I can see clearly again.  I learned that trick driving foggy old VWs, whose windshield defroster had to blow air up from the back of the car, where it was sucked across the exhaust pipes to be heated, inside heater-box covers that usually got oil soaked.  (If you think these cars smell funny, try driving a vintage VW).

 

This style wiper blade makes the best defogger, imho.

 

I used a shower squeegee for the inside windows on my 66 Beetle. There were so many holes in that car. I propped the driver's seat up with 2x4's.

[Dudeland]

18 hours ago, Preyupy said:

I have a heated rear glass that has a single scratch on the outside.  The heating grid checked out OK.  I was going to put it back in my car after the restoration but after the serious mission creep I just could not use the scratched glass with a clear conscience.  If you want to come down to Seattle I'll make you a hell of a deal.   

Very, Very generous. Thank you.  I am interested, but won't be able to do anything for the next three months.  I am in a boot camp for Data Science, and it is not just full-time, it is all time.

 

 

[TobyB]

13 hours ago, Jimmy said:

Is a functioning rear window defogger an anomaly? Mine works ok, not poorly enough to have me considering alternatives. I would like to hook up a timer relay so I don't power it unnecessarily when I forget to switch it off.

You may have the only functioning one in the world... (/clarkson)

 

 

I have pulled 3 or 4 out of cars, and NONE have had any resistance whatsoever.  

 

Does yours have a maker's mark in the lower corner?

 

t

 

[Jimmy]

Isn't low resistance a good thing? I would expect infinite resistance be more problematic than none. What's the spec? Maybe mine doesn't really work and it's just the draft that clears it.

 

Mmm. Maker's Mark. 

 

What were we talking about again?

 

Right. I'll look when I get home, I didn't drive it today.

 

Cheers.

[Son of Marty]

Not sure what the resistance should be but your right if it's open or shows no conductivity it's toast. If it.s on and working the first thing you'd see is clearing around the line spreading to the whole window after a couple of minutes

[KFunk]

There are tons of cheapo chinese backup cameras on Amazon now.  Not quite the same, and certainly not for purists, but can give you a rear view in a pinch.  You can get camera and a little monitor screen for like $25.  I have one of the $15 cameras on my Land Cruiser's license plate bolts, and they threw in a second camera for free!  I wired it to my double din Kenwood head unit and to only be kicked on if in reverse, but you can use the cheapie standalone monitor or rearview mirror type monitor, and make it come on whenever you want.

[Conserv]

2 hours ago, TobyB said:

You may have the only functioning one in the world... (/clarkson)

 

 

I have pulled 3 or 4 out of cars, and NONE have had any resistance whatsoever.  

 

Does yours have a maker's mark in the lower corner?

 

t

 

 

Toby,

 

I replaced the original rear glass of the ‘76 at the recent Big Re-Paint, with a new OEM unit, which appears to work. I replaced the original rear glass because of many fine scratches, but it, too, was working. It wasn’t fast, but once it built up a head of steam, there was no stopping it.... ?  Great for long trips!  ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[Preyupy]

4 hours ago, Dudeland said:

Very, Very generous. Thank you.  I am interested, but won't be able to do anything for the next three months.  I am in a boot camp for Data Science, and it is not just full-time, it is all time.

 

 

I'm not in any hurry, it has been sitting in a box upstairs for over 8 years now.  It's not going anywhere soon.  I had completely forgotten about it.

[jimk]

6 hours ago, TobyB said:

I have pulled 3 or 4 out of cars, and NONE have had any resistance whatsoever.  

If you powered one of those wouldn't the amps be kinda high?

[Simeon]

12 minutes ago, jimk said:

If you powered one of those wouldn't the amps be kinda high?

 

For maybe a second. Then the smoke would be let out if a fuse didn’t go. 

[Dudeland]

Got the quote back. 149 euro for shipping. So all in delivered to my door probably between $500 and $600 cdn.  Not as bad as I thought it would be. 

 

I would still have to put a new rear seal in it . Along with the chrome trim.  

 

Because my car is a faux Turbo. I may just replace both the front and back with the plain black seal ala era correct and avoid the headache of dealing with the chrome trim. 

[Mike Self]

16 hours ago, jgerock said:

IIRC, rear defroster was an option on the early cars.  My 69 2002 doesn't have one (nor a radio or antenna).  

When I ordered my '02 in January '69, the sales catalog and order sheet listed a heated rear window as one of the options.  However when I tried to order it, I was told that it would be at least six months before they would be available for the US market.  

 

I don't think I've seen more than one or two pre-modell 71 cars (those with clear glass) with a heated backlight.  After years of looking I finally found a clear, heated backlight on a Euro 1600 parts car down in Georgia, and installed it on the '69 when I repainted it in 2000.  Took me 31 years, but I finally got what I wanted to order; best of all it actually works. 

 

mike

 

PS--radios were always a dealer installed option on 2002s, or you bought the car without one and installed it yourself.  

Edited January 18, 2019 by mike

[Einspritz]

I repaired the tinted '72 where I cut the elements with my ring while cleaning it...with one of those "kits" where you have a thin line template and brush on conductive copper. You'd never know.......maybe that would work.