Back hatch defrost grid replacement

[Mikes Z car]

Hi all,

As information I want to replace the over cleaned and thereby worn off defrost grid on my back hatch but don't want to put in new glass to fix the grid due to expense. Examination of the grid with aluminum foil as a probe and an ohmmeter (I also used a wire tracer) revealed far more damage than could be repaired using the permatex bottle of conductive repair paint. I wrote to customer service at

www.frostfighter.com

who make replacement defrost grid kits and they told me this:

my strong suggestion is to wait until we release our new grid sizes. Check the website as this is where these new sizes will show up first. I have no ETA from engineering other than "soon".

When I wrote to them I asked this:

My 240Z back grid is 22.5" X 27" as shown on the attached drawing and won't work with your $33.95 defrost grid repair kit number 2616 with 16 grid wires because your kit is too wide. However what if I got your kit 2616 and used it in a different way than intended by turning it 90 degrees to run top to bottom instead of side to side? This would run the grid top to bottom as my original grid is but I would cut the top conductor in half and run 8 grids from each top conductor to the bottom conductor with the bottom conductor being kept intact. That would give the total length of each grid line to be 54" well within the 40" to 61.5" width limit you list on your website for the 2616 kit. I assume the width limit you list is to keep the current level within acceptable limits for each grid wire. I realize one of the top conductors would have no connection tab as I would have cut an original conductor with one tab in half. A new connection tab could be made by cutting out a tab on one end of the top conductor that has none or by narrowing one end to work like a tab. A slit would be put in the grid conductor cover for the newly made connection tab to stick through. I am wondering if it is possible to solder the conductors to the grid wires to make the connection more secure.

FWIW

Mike

Edited November 17, 2010 by Mikes Z car
clarification

[Mikes Z car]

Update:

Just got a call from John at http://www.frostfighter.com/.

He said they are working on new technology that will give them about 100 different grid sizes. He didn't say this but this will make it much more likely they will have one that will work for the Z. He said they keep getting calls on this as to when this new technology will be available and he said his engineers keep telling him soon but no date is given. He says to keep checking their website. He mentioned a cost of $57.

Mike

[JimmyZ]

I wonder how the factory applied the original stuff. It looks kind of lumpy to me much like a powder mixed with some sort of adhesive.

I'd love to get my rear defrost back. Mine fizzled out 18 years ago.

[cbudvet]

I wonder if we could get a group buy for a set that would fit the 240z? I agree with JimmyZ, the defroster wires have never been intact since I have had the car. If there was enough interest, maybe the engineers would work a little faster?

carl

[psdenno]

Perhaps a forum survey to measure interest would be appropriate. It would be great to have a set engineered for the Z to minimize user improvisation. Mine have been DOA for decades.

Dennis

[TomoHawk]

Yeah. With enough interest or a group buy, maybe they would make one to the proper dimensions.

[cygnusx1]

There is a factory around here that used to bake auto glass for application of the defroster grids. I am not sure how it's applied, but one of the steps in the factory process is to bake the glass with defroster element in place. It's probably a screen printed ceramic "paint" with conductive materials in suspension. I would imagine that the new technology DIY system would involve a peel-n-stick sort of application with a possible curing agent as a final step. Just surmising.

Edited November 20, 2010 by cygnusx1