Anybody installed a rear hatch wiper?

[rossiz]

yes, this is tiptoeing out into hybridz territory, but i just thought i'd ask...

i've been toying w/the idea for some time now, since my z is a DD and i live in the pacNW where the hatch glass is obscured due to rain more often than i'd like. nothing worse than trying to back out of a parking spot completely blind. at first i started looking around at other cars to see what might be transferrable and then noticed that the zx actually has one, although it is on a different hatch design. i've thought about drilling the glass and using one that goes through a hole in the glass to mount it in the bottom/middle giving a 180 sweep, vs the 90 sweep on the zx where it's mounted off to one side. this would also minimize bodywork and i could always replace the hatch glass to bring it back to stock.

anyone gone down this path?

[Patcon]

I don't believe drilling the glass is an option. The rear glass is tempered and drilling it will release the tension and explode the glass. I kept the rear wiper assembly from the 280zx turbo I parted out. I think it could be adapted in the earlier hatch fairly easily. You would need to add a switch somewhere...

[rossiz]

bummer about the glass situation - it certainly would have made for a more tidy install. i've looked at a few boat wiper motor setups (bigger, but powerful) and a hot-rod unit called "mighty wiper" that looks pretty small http://www.raingearwipers.com/mighty-wiper/ but i'm not sure if it will drive an arm long enough to do the job on the large hatch glass. not sure if the zx motor will fit in the area covered by the vinyl panel on the inside of the hatch - i could always fab a new panel with a bump in it to clear the motor. any pics of the zx setup you have, preferably w/dimensions?

thanks!

[Bonzi Lon]

Have you tried a regular application of the 'Rain-X' type products for a while to see if that would help, before major modifications? 

 

Bonzi Lon

[rossiz]

it's a long, wet winter in seattle. rain-x is a help, but not a solution.

[S30Driver]

To give you inspiration.     Apparently it has been done.

[Patcon]

17 hours ago, rossiz said:

any pics of the zx setup you have, preferably w/dimensions?

Wow, Lord help me. I own one, I know I do, I just don't know if I can lay my hands on it.  I will try to look around this weekend for it. I sorta know where to start. I believe on the 280zx the interior panel is molded with a bump out to accommodate the wiper motor

[rossiz]

10 hours ago, S30Driver said:

Apparently it has been done.

awesome! now to ensure i do a better job w/alignment for the "park" function. btw - is this a car you have access to for measurements? or if not, where did you find the pic?

 

2 hours ago, Patcon said:

I will try to look around this weekend for it.

thanks charles, i appreciate the help (and i can definitely sympathize w/a search of this kind...)

[S30Driver]

14 minutes ago, rossiz said:

awesome! now to ensure i do a better job w/alignment for the "park" function. btw - is this a car you have access to for measurements? or if not, where did you find the pic?

Luckily, it's for sale in the Seattle area.  I saw it on craigslist and remembered the rear wiper because it is so unusual.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/5455708891.html

[Mark Maras]

Just 45 min. away from Geoff. I'll bet he's already on his way.  Good eye, Jim.

[rossiz]

funny... i looked at that ad but never made it past the first pic.

been looking at a few pics and think the simplest will be to use the zx assembly.  shoot some studs to the inside of the hatch to bolt it up, drill a hole for the shaft, not so tricky but i need to make sure the sweep is correct and the wipe pattern fits before attacking my hatch.

[S30Driver]

Once that project is complete, you can move on to the headlight washers that the turbo cars have ...