I purchased a GM windscreen for my '07 vert and installed it today and wanted to let everyone know about some of the installation issues that I had and my general impressions of the windscreen.

I purchased it from forum sponsor Fred Beans Chevrolet (best price of all the forum vendors). I ordered it on Saturday, and got my shipping tracking number via e-mail when it was shipped on Tuesday afternoon . It was sent UPS ground and I received it on Wednesday. (FB is outside Philly and I had it shipped to Baltimore.)


I've ordered other GM accessories from other vendors and I am disappointed with how GM packages them. Not very much packing material (if any at all) and the cardboard used in the boxes is not very sturdy. The problem is that GM does not package them with the notion that these items will be shipped around via UPS or FEDEX. With the money that we’re paying for these items, GM should spend a few extra dollars and package them appropriately. How does GM think they are going to get from the distributors to the dealers?


Anyway the windscreen box wasn't in the greatest shape when I got it, but it was undamaged.

After unpacking everything and looking it over, the GM windscreen is very well made. The windscreen is very light weight and looks like it’s a black powder-coated aluminum frame, with a nylon fabric. The brackets are made very well too. They have a neoprene material on the bottom of them where they attach to the car.

I read over the instructions (a few times) before attempting the installation and then gathered the tools and got started.

The first step is to remove the speaker panel. No instructions on how to do this are included, and it says to refer to the service manual. Well I don't have a service manual, but it's pretty simple. Open the top but leave the tonneau cover fully open. Behind the speaker panel there are two screws that hold down the trunk panel. Remove these screws and lift it out of the way. There are two plastic wing nuts under it that hold down the speaker panel remove them. Remove two plastic rivets that attach the panel to the back of the waterfall and then lift the speaker panel straight up a couple inches. Next undo the speaker connections and remove the panel. There are two fir tree buttons on the top corners of the speaker panel that fit into a slot in the seatbelt retractor bezel. You don't need to remove them to take it out, but remove them before you re-install it to make it easier to get it back in.

To install the windscreen brackets you need to make a small cut in the carpet to install them. There are several issues with this. First, an acetate template is included so that you cut the carpet in the right place, but the template is not correct!!! (Does somebody at GM actually try to do an install with the instructions that they supply on any of their accessories?) You put down the template and align it with seatbelt retractor trim bezel. You need to make two cuts, one parallel with the trim bezel and one perpendicular. On the template, the parallel cut is about 3/8" from the bezel edge, but it should only be 1/8".

The second issue with this process is that on my car the trim bezels on both sides were not properly installed at the factory, which makes the cuts on the template further off the mark. The instructions state that there is a Torx screw that holds the trim bezel in place, but mine had "fir tree" button. No biggy. Now the bracket that the trim bezel attaches to has two horizontal holes in it. The top one is where the Torx screw/fir tree button goes, and the lower one is for a plastic extension that is on the trim bezel. On mine, the plastic extension was not in the hole and it was bent in. I took off the bezel first; because I noticed that the bezel didn't seem secure. I attached it correctly and made the cuts according to the template and thought I dodged a bullet, but since the template is wrong anyway I didn't. Getting that plastic extension in the hole was kinda difficult and I can see why it wasn’t done correctly at the factory. After getting the bracket installed (which is pretty simple) I noticed that the parallel cut was too far out. I re-cut the carpet about a 1/4" further in. reattached the bezel and everything fit great. On the passenger side, the bezel was also not attached properly, so I attached it correctly, put down the template, and aligned it so that the cut line was only about 1/8" from the bezel edge, cut the carpet, removed the bezel, installed the bracket, re-installed the trim bezel, perfect!

The last issue I had with the install is that I wanted to attach the wire that is on the passenger bracket. The wire is used to connect to the trunk panel interlock so the power top won't go up if the windscreen is on. The instructions call this connection the "trunk panel harness". I had no idea what this was or where it was, and spent about 30 minutes trying to find it. (The pictures in the instructions are worthless!) This is the wire that connects to the switch on the panel cover locking connector in the trunk. If the panel is not on, the switch is open and the power top won't go up. Well the wire on the bracket isn’t really long enough. It should be about 12" longer. The connection is under the carpet on the trunk side just to the left of the trunk panel attachment point. To get wire from the bracket to reach, you need to disconnect the switch and pull both the wires so that the meet in the tonneau area instead of the trunk area. If the wire on the bracket were 6" or 12" longer this would be easier to install because then you wouldn’t need to pull the wires from the trunk area to the tonneau area. Even when you pull them to the tonneau area the wire still should be a little longer. Getting the wire connected took quite a while. I ended up pulling the panel cover off and the top won't go up or down if this isn't connected (or the wire disconnected). Trying to connect it from the tonneau area is very awkward. Since I didn't know what I was doing I had to put the top up and down a few times because you can't run the wire in the tonneau area with the top down, and you can't open the trunk when the tonneau cover is open. Sheshhhh!

The install took me about an hour and half, but if I did it a second time I could probably do it in about 30 or 40 minutes since now I know what I'm doing.

After getting it installed I went for a drive with the top down and the windscreen up (and windows down). My first impression is that I'm not very impressed. . (Please read the update below!!) At low speeds it doesn't reduce the amount of swirling air; it just makes it swirl differently and you have more wind noise. I got a vert because on my C5 coupe with the top off, the wind noise coming from behind you was very bad and there was a lot of swirling air in the cabin. Without the windscreen, the noise and swirling air on the 07 vert is less than my ’99 coupe, so buying the vert was a With the windscreen, at low speeds (less than 50 MPH) there is a lot more wind noise and more swirling air. So at low speeds the windscreen is definitely . At high speeds (around 70 MPH) with the windscreen, there is definitely less air moving from behind you to your front, but there is more swirling air around the cabin. The overall affect is a little bit less air movement and the wind noise is about the same. I would give this slight at high speeds. Between 50 MPH and 70MPH noise and air movement are about the same with or without the windscreen.

The other issue is that when driving at night with the windscreen on you need to turn off the auto-dimming mirrors in order to see out the rear-view. With the windscreen on, you are looking through it and the overall effect is like having a dimmed view. When auto-dimming is on plus looking through the windscreen, you don't see much in rear-view except for headlights. When you turn off auto-dimming on the rear view, the driver's side mirror dimming is also turned off . I also found out that to turn auto-dimming on and off, you need to hold the button in for about 2 or 3 seconds, you can't just do a quick button push to turn auto-dimming on/off, another minor annoyance.

I was expecting to have noticeably less air movement, and no additional wind noise with the windscreen, so it was not $350 well spent . If I were going on a long trip, I would probably use the windscreen but I think that it’s either going to stay in the garage most of the time or it’s going on E-Bay.

UPDATE!!!

After reading some of the posts about using the windscreen with the windows UP, I gave it a try tonight. WOW this thing really works!!!

With the windows up, there is little or no wind noise in the cabin at any speed. In fact its very, very quiet, almost as quiet as with the top up. I was very surprised and very impressed. There is also virtually no swirling air in the cabin. The only air you feel is a "breeze" that flows along the console lid. The faster you go, the faster the "breeze".

All in all, I am very happy with the windscreen now that I understand that it should only be used with the windows up.

 

Hey thanks for the very useful info. I've been thinking of ordering one for my new vert, but to be honest, I didn't think the wind was that bad in my '01 vert and hope the '07 is better. I think it would be great to elliminate the wind and noise , but I was having difficulty understanding how effective the wind screen could actually be.

Your experience confirmed my concerns and I'm not going to pick one up now. Sorry to hear you dropped that much cash for it since it didn't really do what you wanted it to do.

Again, thanks for the write up.

 

I considered ordering one a couple months back, but after receiving feedback from other guys who already had one, I changed my mind. Even the guys who liked it, did not claim it would make much difference. The swirl in my convertible seems less than what it was in my C5 coupe. I am glad I did not spend the 350. This is how the forum can be very useful.

 

Thanks for posting this Thrill6!

 

Very useful info, thanks.

 

I can understand your frustation with this product and the installation instructions. I have always felt that I would buy my after market parts from GM, with the thinking that they (GM) tested the installation besides the design and workmanship of the item. Well after a few accessories that I've purchased from GM I'm rethinking where I will be purchasing items in the future. I was at BG this past April and met the engineer in charge of GM's after market parts program. I told her in no uncertain terms that I felt the installation instruction that I used for severial parts I purchased from GM left a lot to be desired and I didn't know how much more of their parts I was willing to buy. She assured me that GM was making an effort to correct these problems and that future parts would have better quality and installation instructions. I hope so for their sake, but only time will tell. Great write up. Post a picture of your car with or without your wind screen.

 

Thanks for the very useful review of the installation and usefulness of the windscreen. I have had numerous convertibles before and the wind/noise effect in my 'vette is not bad compared to other cars. I was hoping (but not believing) the windscreen would give further improvement but I can see from your review, it is marginal or worse. it seems like the windscreen is a 'me too' accessory. Everyone else offers one so, effective or not, they feel compelled to offer one too ... and, of course, people will buy them even if they don't really work since they have no way of knowing about whether or not they are useful (unless they are a Forum member, of course!). I'd bet there is a huge margin in these things. Even at the very good price of $350, the cost is probably less than $15-20 (plenty of profit for the dealer and GM) so the incentive to offer the windscreen, useful or not, is quite high especially given the guaranteed demand.

By the way, I would not be surprsied if GM engineers don't actually design the accessories and have much interest in writing the instructions. I am thinking they probably spec then outsource a lot of the accessories (i.e. somebody else's engineers create them) and probably pay minimal attention to the instructions they get back. They likely inspect the first few then just have their supplier deliver the stuff already branded for GM (they get directed to attach the GM brand to the device and other materials). Even if GM engineers do design these things, I would bet the best talent is working on the mainstream activities of the basic vehicles. Design of the accessories is probably not where the best talent wants to be. (I have been an engineering manager for more than 20 years).

 

Now, my experience with the windscreen is just a tade different. With it at slow speeds, I think that it reduces the turbulence. At highway speeds, I find the wind reduced as compared to without it.

My wife does not like the wind so on longer trips, we will put the windows up and still enjoy the sun and "open feeling". The noise and wind is reduced and we can speak in virtually normal tones.

For us, it was worth the money. I agree the installation is a dog.

 

I bought the "other" brand after reading the GM installation instructions. It doesn't (IMHO) work any better or worse than yours. My wife likes it but I don't.

 

Thanks for saving me the time and money.......

 

To be honest, if the wife likes it, the trip is so much nicer.

 

I have found that just raising the windows 2-3 inches significantly cuts down the wind turbulence and noise. IMHO, windscreens are not worth it.

 

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback! I will have to give the windscreen a try with the windows up to see if it helps. I know on my coupe, having the windows all the way up with top off created pressure changes in the cabin as you were driving. You had to have the windows down about 4 inches for this to go away but then you had all the swirling air problems. It is interesting to note that if you pushed up on both the sun visors so that they stuck up above the front edge of the windshield the pressure changes went away. You could actually enjoy driving the car with the top off in cool weather except that you and your passenger's arms got tired

 

Never bother to put on unless my wife wants it. What a waste of $$$.

 

Well, this saves me time and money. I was curious but this assuaged my curiosity.

No screen for me.

Elmer

 

I find the same thing. Now I just leave it installed.

My installation was a piece of cake, but I already had the entire interior out for installation of insulation......

 

Well, Thrill, that was what I'd call a "money-saving" post from you! I just talked with a guy about buying one, new, 350 or so. Now, I'm on the fence. Doesn't sound like it's worth the money or the time to put it in. Thanks!!!

 

I just installed my GM windscreen last week and had a few issues just like Thrill had. The worst one, like he said, were the very poor instructions. I finally got it installed and all wired up(I have a power top), although I did not remove the speaker panel nor did I have any trouble finding the power connector, nor did I find the supplied wiring harness too short.

After saying all that, I could not be happier with the windscreen. This past weekend my wife and I drove around 200 miles with the top down at various speeds. My finding and my wifes also, is that it made a huge difference. I found that we could carry on a conversation without shouting at each other. I also was able to keep the volume on my stereo at a much lower level. All in all, I am very happy with my purchase!

 

Thanks for your post. You just saved me 350 bucks!

Tom

 

I have a vette net and am happy with it... http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ghlight=vetnet