Window Louvers

[T-Handle]

I was in the garage the other day, looking at the rear window trim on my B1. Kind of bent in places and lifting up. This was from the louvers i bought back in early 80's. Still have them. If ever a Mustang needed factory louvers, the 71-3 was it. As to why Ford did not offer them is a mystery to me.  I was wondering if someone offered a high quality item complete with all the chrome latches and hardware, would you put one on your Boss? Would there be a market for the 71-3 guys? I am surprised that no one has produced this item yet. This would be an exact copy of the original but to fit the different window.  They do look good with the rear spoiler.

[trossol]

I would not put them on my Boss, because they are not original and were not available.  However, I would think there would be demand for them from other 71-3 owners.

Tim

[71bossmd]

I had a 71 Mach I for 28 years before purchasing my Boss in 2008.  I put a set of aluminum louvers on my Mach I.  The car was blue with silver stripes and I had the louvers painted silver also.  In my opinion, it looked fantastic.

[SDA]

IMO, Ford really dropped the ball on this one as the 71-73 Mustangs cried out for louvers.  I have 2 sets which I had custom made and think they look fantastic!  They also act as interior protection from the sun when you have your car sitting for a while with no shade available (Car shows, etc.).  A minor drawback is that the trunk lid cannot be opened fully but you can still access the trunk with little care.

[MOTORCITYBADBOY]

I have a period set of 71 Louvers. They are in perfect condition. There is no chrome on them. The upper hinges tuck under the molding as well as the lower latches, so there is no drilling to mount them. These have hard bends at the end of each one opposed to the curved bends on 69-70.

No- they are not for sale...

[MOTORCITYBADBOY]

As i said in my previous post, I have a beautiful set of period 71 louvers. I did find one set of repop louvers online. See them at http://www.sfxperformance.com/parts/AST10556.htm .
They are fat and ugly, kind of like the cheapo rear spoiler that was shown on the car- mounted backward!

Question: If I could manufacture exact dupilcates of what I have, would anyone be interested? No photos at this time, but they are sleek and beautiful, just like they should be. Price would be about $300-$350, about what I paid for the high quality repos for my 69.

I also have ideas for some other high quality aftermarket parts. Thanks for any feedback.

[71bossmd]

Actually the ones in the link from SFX Performance are like the ones I had on my 71 Mach I.  They actually worked great.  Lightweight, aluminum with no warping, and attached under the molding do no drilling.  Had them for 28 years on the car when I sold it a year ago.  I guess everyone has their own taste.

[T-Handle]

We all seem to have the same style of louver. Fit under the moulding. That's why my trim is in the shape they are in. Plus the sharp edges do not look close to the rounded edges as the Ford items. If someone manufactures this item someday, make it correct looking. Plus the proper latches are a must.

[MOTORCITYBADBOY]

We all seem to have the same style of louver. Fit under the moulding. That's why my trim is in the shape they are in. Plus the sharp edges do not look close to the rounded edges as the Ford items. If someone manufactures this item someday, make it correct looking. Plus the proper latches are a must.

Mine are not like the SFX louvers. Ford never made a louver for the 71-73 cars. Mine are much lower and sleeker looking. They fit closer to the window and are not so fat looking.

By the way, here is a little trick I learned for those who have a hard time seeing out back. Remove your windshield mounted mirror and mount it 1/2-1" higher. Everyone talks about how hard it is to see out the fastback rear window, but if you look at the vertical rise, it is about the same as the near vertical coupe rear window.

[cobrajeff]

The louvers I had on my BOSS 351 were injection-molded plastic.   They did a great job of cutting down the interior temperature of
the BOSS  during the Summer months.   IMHO, I like the looks much better than the aluminium ones with the sharp corners.



These were made by a company called "Norsemen".   I saw a set on a black Mach 1 at the Ford Design Center in Dearborn,
and left a note for the owner to contact me with info on where they got them (which they did).

regards,

Jeff

[T-Handle]

After viewing the examples shown, i never thought there were so many types. We have louvers with 4 slats, six slats, and mine have 7 slats. I remember Cragar had their version as well back in the late 70's. Hey Jeff, the rounded edges do look better.

[RealBoss]

Just thinking out loud, but I think I would like a rear louver better if each louver was simply a smaller shape of the rear spoiler.   That way the louvers and the spoiler would compliment each other.  Things would flow better.  I'd build it so that the louvers just drooped down on the sides, but not touch the glass.  Then, build it with a couple center brackets spaced say 1/3 of the way off each side.