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Where Can I Find Aluminum Rear Window Louvers? 1981
I am looking for a rear window louver assembly for my 1981 Corvette. I am only interested in the one piece wrap around aluminum louvers. I don't care for plastic or the three piece design with the flat pieces on either side of the louvers. Does anyone have one with hardware, know of a source for one, or know a manufacturer/model for the ones out there? I know that this design isn't made anymore, so any help in locating a set is appreciated.
I'm probably wrong, but I don't remember anyone making a wrap around aluminum louver or I would have had them on my 80 back in 1980. Back than your choice was wrap around plastic or aluminum with flat sides. If what you are looking for exists they are going to be kind of rare. Good luck in your search.
Some people mean well and are mistaken and others are just full of it but you can't always believe what some seller on ebay says...get pictures and proof...then we have something to go with.
I had the imho the best looking louvers offered for the bubblebutts on my 2 81's I also installed them on several other bubblebutt cars..
There was confusion then in the 80's and more so now,
But there were several companies offering louvers,
There were the molded plastic ones they were gross, bulky and ratty.
There were several 3 piece ones out there, the side designs would change, but they are 3 piece so they look tacky to me.
Then the best are the cragars, they were a mix of aluminum and plastic sides the fit and look was stunning, they are what is on the white car and here they are on one of my 81's, note that granted the car is dirty you really can not see the seam the louvers fit together that nicely and you can see where the logo should be.
I was very into the corvette aftermarket and never saw 100% wrap around aluminum, sometimes the 3 piece are all aluminum but..
I also saw a few homemade fiberglass louvers, they made molds off the bulky plastic ones so you can guess how those looked and the ones made from a set of cragars looked better than the plastic but thicker than the real cragers.
The ebay auction calling the 3 piece cragars is a mistake cragar made the nice looking ones and the wrap around side pieces even had a recess with the cragar logo.
That's the 64 dollar question...cragar stopped making them a few decades ago...someone had some listed on the for sale section here, do not know which types, and ebay and craigslist are good places to look, the good thing is lots of people hate them, even non purists ( I love them ) but the few people who do dig them look at them like the holy grail of aftermarket parts, if you find nice ones jump do not wait.
I have always loved window louvers. I had them on my 08 Mustang and it just makes the car look mean. I'll keep an eye out for a set. What's the usual going rate for them?
The cragars average around $400 now when you find one. They are made of plastic and aluminum, the sides are plastic and the middle slats are aluminum. The louvers are rare and the mounting hardware even harder to find. They are out there though, just have to keep looking.
As already noted the louvers you posted are Cragers and were a combination of plastic and aluminum. I always thought they were some of the better looking Corvette louvers, but be warned they are kind of famous for the plastic breaking with age. Also be aware that the louvers will scratch your rear window at the numerous support points. It's not a big deal so long as you have louvers, but if you ever remove them the glass scratches are very noticeable.
I took a look at the ebay louvers while they are cragars they sure are not the nice wrap around's, the sides are the uber cheap flat style. they have a cheesy cragar decal the wrap around's had a cragar badge, I would bet the 3 piece ones were sold by others not just cragars where cragar made the wrap arounds, cragar sold or reformed or something which killed the louvers according to a call I made many years ago,
I also ran the wrap arounds on my 82 camaro and c4, and installed them on many others.
Originally Posted by Iceaxe
As already noted the louvers you posted are Cragers and were a combination of plastic and aluminum. I always thought they were some of the better looking Corvette louvers, but be warned they are kind of famous for the plastic breaking with age. Also be aware that the louvers will scratch your rear window at the numerous support points. It's not a big deal so long as you have louvers, but if you ever remove them the glass scratches are very noticeable.
This is very true they do make a mark on the glass I wouldn't call it a scratch but a dot that looks sandblasted, the aluminum can dent.
I helped a buddy who had a set mailed for a c4, they took them apart and the plastic was sun parched and was very brittle and I had to rework how they go together, the hidden parts that held the plastic sides together had broken.
Never liked the bubblebutt glass I thought it should have opened like the ce, so the louvers helped, I thought the cragars wrap a round looked the most like a factory option or a revamped vision of the 65 mako showcar...
What's the view out the back look like w/ louvered windows? I've never experienced it.
One of my 81's was a daily driver, I didnt see them after a day or two, some people it bugs the hell out of....I also had limo black on my back glass...
Had some on an 84 Mustang GT. You get used to the view. They were all aluminum and had rubber pips to hold the slats off the glass. Eventually split short pieces of rubber hose to go over the edges of the slats as the pips broke off. Never got any scratches. Keep checking Ebay, etc. I think it took over a year to find a V54 roof panel carrier and the bag from
different sources. If you don't find one before and you are or know someone
who is going to Carlisle that may be
the best bet. Persevere and good luck!
I used some of those black rubber door edge protectors on the plastic part that touches the window in hopes that it won't scratch my glass. I also had a few cracks and one of my slats was bent but I used some strong plastic weld from the body shop and straightened out the slat. I repainted everything satin black and they look great. Not bad for a $50 craigslist score.
One of these days I may try to make a set of the mounting hardware, to see if it would be something I could sell online. Lots of louvers with no hardware.
02-27-2015, 08:06 AM
Where Can I Find Aluminum Rear Window Louvers? 1981
