Visor Pics
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 954
Likes: 2
From: San Jose CA
Visor Pics
My original visors are comfort weave. I'm redoing my interior with leather seats so I bought Madrid visors manufactured by Corvette America. My original visors lasted 40 years and still look good. Very solid frame. Very high quality.
The first time I used one of my new Corvette America visors, it felt like something broke. It felt loose. So I cut the visor open and took photos. What I found is flimsy cardboard stapled to a cheap looking metal frame. Apparently one of the staples came loose. Yes the photos are correct. Staples through cardboard. Cheap, lazy, and poorly designed. Wasted another $85. Shame on you Corvette America. Beware everyone.
In the end, I reinstalled my old visors in my new interior. I suddenly appreciated their patina together with my new found respect for remaining functional after 40 years of use.
The first time I used one of my new Corvette America visors, it felt like something broke. It felt loose. So I cut the visor open and took photos. What I found is flimsy cardboard stapled to a cheap looking metal frame. Apparently one of the staples came loose. Yes the photos are correct. Staples through cardboard. Cheap, lazy, and poorly designed. Wasted another $85. Shame on you Corvette America. Beware everyone.
In the end, I reinstalled my old visors in my new interior. I suddenly appreciated their patina together with my new found respect for remaining functional after 40 years of use.
Last edited by Clubby99; Jun 8, 2011 at 04:11 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,207
Likes: 26
From: Ocean County NJ
Clubby, after a year of unsuccessfully searching for original replacements for my 73 coupe, I finally broke down and spent the $85 on not so medium saddle visors last month. I just bought a 68 vert and find myself again in the market for a set of black. This time around I will have more patience in shopping for originals and not go the CA route again - $170 for that - yikes - they must be making $82 profit on each set sold. Nice business model, but not in terms of quality. That being said, I'd like to see what's inside an original 68 & 73 visor. If the materials are relatively close, then I take it all back and chalk it up to a design and capitalism - and I like capitalism, but not when I'm being gouged.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,930
Likes: 11
From: AnyTown NJ
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
One of my visors needed replacement so while I was at the NCRS regional in Florida this year I picked up a pair from Al Knoch for about $70 (show price). I reused the mounting hardware and they are a perfect match to the originals.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,683
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
This was such a good picture that I had to ask a slightly off topic question. Is this essentially the type of sleave that the original visors had? (minus the staples of course 
). Is the pic that ED T shows original? When people talk about "crimping" their visors to keep them from falling down are they just flattening the tubes? Always wondered.
). Is the pic that ED T shows original? When people talk about "crimping" their visors to keep them from falling down are they just flattening the tubes? Always wondered.
Last edited by CA-Legal-Vette; Jun 8, 2011 at 11:31 AM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 954
Likes: 2
From: San Jose CA
This was such a good picture that I had to ask a slightly off topic question. Is this essentially the type of sleave that the original visors had? (minus the staples of course ). Is the pic that ED T shows original? When people talk about "crimping" their visors to keep them from falling down are they just flattening the tubes? Always wondered.
). Is the pic that ED T shows original? When people talk about "crimping" their visors to keep them from falling down are they just flattening the tubes? Always wondered.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 33
From: Lokeren, Belgium
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 954
Likes: 2
From: San Jose CA
Ed T.... Do you have a photo of the material used to support the visors below? Are the originals cardboard too? Heavy duty staples are fine. The problem was the cardboard. Very flimsy. Plus (as you can see in my photo) there was nothing (metal or even plastic) on the other side to keep the staple from pulling through the cardboard.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,930
Likes: 11
From: AnyTown NJ
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,698
Likes: 9
From: Johnson City TN
I've had a set of CA visors on mine for 5+ years, and they still look great and function perfectly. Initially they were a little tight on the pivot rods, but a thin layer of vaseline remedied that. 