joe_afternoon

Here I'm adding my two cents on the subject. Personally, I think the look of them
depend on the color of the car. Here is my 1986 basic model (nevermind the SE
sticker-- fender off an '88) in charcoal grey with the factory louvers on the back. I
think there's a big difference between those and white ones.

KingCobraV9

iTrader: (2)

sorry dude but yuck ill just keep my tinted glass thanks

uRizen

iTrader: (2)

I never liked those things on any car at any time. They just look kinda odd. That and most of the cars I see with them on there have busted vanes or the whole assembly is held together by magic (or lots of black gaffer's tape).

emac

pure 80's

Flip_FC_Drifter

I would never put louvers on mine but that's just my opinion.

Syonyk

Only if I get a Mr. Fusion to go with it...

-=Russ=-

joe_afternoon

Ah, I've posted on this before. I wasn't a big fan, but it does give it a very 80's look. Personally, I find most of the tinted windows to be really ghetto and tacky. I always see them pealing, and the two cars I've had with them had faded hatch areas and cracked speakers-- at least compared to the pristine back of the louver car.



By the way, my first reaction was similar when I bought the car, but factory louvers in that condition were and are pretty rare. And it creates a much more 80s feel.

fastrotaries

where's the flux capacitor Doc Brown? I'd stick with tinted glass. it's lighter and doesn't make me ill.

uRizen

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, alot of guys like to do their own tint and it doesn't last long. Mine is already flaking a bit at the lower edge of my window and the hatch has visible seams. I'm tempted to redo the door windows and paying someone to do the hatch so I can get it done with a warranty.

KompressorLOgic

iTrader: (6)

my opinion is i dont like louvers on a 2nd gen,
i think they look good on a 1st gen the louvers,and go well with a 1st gen in its time period,
2nd gen is a bit to modern looking for louvers!

Turbo7MN

Hey, I like them.

Seriously, where can I get a set for myself?

-Darren

WonkoTheSane

iTrader: (2)

I'm honestly not a fan. In my opinion, it brings the rear end out a bit too far, making it look like a 944. Of course, those wheels go a long way towards that too

Tournapart

iTrader: (4)

Fc944

joe_afternoon

I think what most people probably find offensive about the car is exactly what was said. It changes the overall look and "bone structure" of the car.

I've actually always liked 944's. Liked the 928's too.


Some pics for comparison:














That last one is my parts car. I'm selling on craigslist now. Only the fender and bumper cover were removed. Engine is in bad shape, but everything else is good. Any needs parts let me know-- brand new transmission.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

yuck

MidwestTurboII

makes the back window looks like it stick out all weird. Those louvres only work on fieros', but those are crap already.

WonkoTheSane

iTrader: (2)

When I said that it makes it look like a 944, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I like the 944s, but I like the 928s even better The thing is, the 2nd gens have a pretty distinct body line, and I think the louvers break that up.

Cybaster

well the FC was supposed to be an alternative to the more expensive 944 at the time. so it makes sense that they sort of "copied" the design. not exactly, but if u look at the FC's overall shape, well, even rim design it looks like the 944...

those louvers make it look much older.... and the rims (even though stock) makes it look like the 944...

in my opinion, the FC should stay away from louvers... =) too much for me...
and might as well just get it tinted

KingCobraV9

iTrader: (2)

[QUOTE=joe_afternoon]Ah, I've posted on this before. I wasn't a big fan, but it does give it a very 80's look. Personally, I find most of the tinted windows to be really ghetto and tacky. I always see them pealing, and the two cars I've had with them had faded hatch areas and cracked speakers-- at least compared to the pristine back of the louver car.

well the tinting you see that is peeling and cracking is usually done by people who dont know what they are doing. and the thing about the interior crackingis bs. tinting will block out more light then the louvers will. if you get professional tinting done is is covered under a waranty usually so if if does mess up you can just take it back w/ a reciept and they do it again for free. un like louvers where if a fin breaks then you are sol and il will look like crap.

introVert

^^ sums it up for me ^^

Thank God you can't get louvers for 'verts...

joe_afternoon

That's actually not true about the louvers not blocking as much light as tinted windows. Speaking as someone who's owned two nearly identical RX7s-- one with louvers and one with tinted windows both of the same color-- for several years and many of them in Phoeniz AZ, I can say that the louvers most definitely do a better job at two things-- blocking out rays and maintaining the tempurature inside the car.

There is also a noticeable difference in the handling at high speeds. Noticeable, yet really only slight and they tend to make so much noise at really high speeds-- 100 or more-- that I'd say they're more of a drawback in this area.

But obviously there are several drawbacks. The louvers don't widely look as good-- 8 years of them have obviously skewed my opinion on the look--, they're much harder fix and maybe more prone to wear (I wouldn't say that since mine are fine, but they weren't exactly made by nasa), and they change the look of the car.


That being said, I still don't like tinted windows. I prefer to drive with the rearview matching the front view while I'm driving. And I've never liked the spoilers on the 2nd generations. I'f I were looking for another car I'd get nothing.

introVert

Here is an option for you- (this is what I did, anyhow)

Dark as is legal (in your area) on the side windows, with 6" matching strip at top of windshield, and only uv blocking (clear) tint on the rear. Cuts down on heat, and you can actually back at night without sticking your head out of the window

Turbo7MN

I've had kind of a bad experience with tinting. My hatch has been tinted blue since I bought the car, but whoever did it did such a horrible job you can barely see out the back. It doesn't block a whole lot of light (I park my car outside and inside the car it's 100 degrees. No fun with no A/C) , it just blurs everything. I keep telling myself I'll get rid of it but I never do, it could probably be considered a safety hazard.

I guess I like the old-school look of the louvers, and I'd actually consider putting them on my car. More than likely I'll end up getting the tint redone though.

DemonicPupil

My hatches tint is peeling too... didn't start till it got hot around here... i don't like the louvers on the 2nd Gen.. it does make the back look too big... maybe if the louvers weren't so long? it just really makes the back look big..

now i love louvers on fox bodied stangs (80's) and I was planning to put one on my 77 Cobra II when I had it. They are definitely very 80's which is what I love most about them, but the RX-7 ones are ugly... just need to be a little smaller

btw... I love those gullwings... huge 80's fan so.. love Back to the Future and Deloreans... love gullwings... I definitely would love to do my 7 up with a set of those puppies... get a pro to do em so they look really good... put some bad *** shocks on em that go pshhhh like in BttF =)

1owner79

Hmm,
I was just looking at the louvers in the attic yesterday wondering if they would help with the Texas heat. I took them off 20 years ago, but just couldn't part with them. I just converted my A/C and its not as strong as it used to be.