Each MOT I have to remove my sunvisor, as it's too deep to pass the test.
This time when replacing it - AndyM and Jam were around, so we decided to do a little guide..................
1. Thoroughly clean your windscreen using Meguiars quality glass cleaner, then decide on the desired depth for your visor:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/1-5.jpg[/img]
2. Open your sunroof (if pos), remove your shoes, and get a Jon Bon-Jovi look alike (this stage can vary the outcome) to pass you the roll of self adhesive vinyl film:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/2-5.jpg[/img]
3. Lay your film onto the screen, hold in place with masking tape then get a pair of closed scissors:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/3-5.jpg[/img]
4. Using the closed scissors, make a crease along the top curved edge of the screen, then cut this crease with a stanley knife. Then use your thumb to crease the film along the vertical edges of the screen:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/4-4.jpg[/img]
5. Lift the film (now with a shaped top edged) into the house and find a large flat area. Lay the film face down and use a marker pen to mark the verticle creases - whilst your Jon Bon-Jovi look-a-like drinks tea. Then, using your desired depth, make some marks measuring down from the top curve. Maisey used to have a 300mm depth visor, but traffic lights were a bit of a problem so we went for 280mm this time:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/5-5.jpg[/img]
6. Join the dots (if you number them with numbers in stage 5, this bit is easier
), then cut out your marked shape using scissors:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/6-3.jpg[/img]
7. Here's how it sould now look (shaped to give you that 'flat bottom' look). Line it up on the car, then go get some Febreze......... Empty the febreze and put some water in it. Needless to say, any spray bottle will do:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/7-1.jpg[/img]
8. Get your spray bottle with your water, then get your safety gear on - you really don't know how serious this stuff could be:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/rad.jpg[/img]
9. You might choose to make it safe by adding a little fairy to the mixture - it helps you position the film. Then liberally spray your windscreen and the back of the film whilst removing the backing:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/8-1.jpg[/img]
10. Lay the film onto the car, then spray the outside of the film with your water/fairy mixture before squeegeeing the airbubbles out to the edges:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/9.jpg[/img]
11. Concentrate on getting all the air bubbles out around the edges, then use some kitchen roll to dry the film (water will come out of the edges when you remove the air) then admire your new sunvisor:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/10.jpg[/img]
Now - if you've just done your sunvisor and your Jon Bon Jovi Lookalike friend has a Sparkle Green F with a sunroof thats not so easy to stand through - here's an alternative method:
1. Remove existing sunvisor before cleaning the glass with whatever you can find. Here we used some tar remover to get rid of all the sticky gunk left by the previous vinyl:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/A1.jpg[/img]
2. Continue cleaning using any old tat (At this stage your Jon Bon-Jovi look-a-like may be a little tired from all the standing around) - before utilising your previous backing paper as a template. At this stage your Jon Bon-Jovi look-a-like friend may not have balls quite so big as yours, so you may need to reduce the depth for him. Here - we show a 210mm depth template:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/A2.jpg[/img]
3. Use the template to mark your vinyl, before placing on the car. Then spray the window and film backing as before:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/A3.jpg[/img]
4. At this point, it can be quite humourous to spray your Jon Bon-Jovi look-a-like friend with the said solution. Once he has dried off, you can sqeegee all the air and water out from the film. Then - you could attempt a single wiper conversion by simply eating one of your wipers
:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/A4.jpg[/img]
5. Once you've finished the wiper conversion you can compair the different depth sunvisors and cars:
[img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i188/Richardestys/A5.jpg[/img]
.........................This time last year, just before the Scarborough meet - Rich arrived at my gaff nice and early to fit my sun strip too. I took eager mental notes of the procedure - knowing they would come in handy when I had to replace it this year.
