Who has "cheap fixes"

[SNOWDOZER]

So I broke the window on my leer camper shell about a year ago ( I hate tree limbs) and had let it go all this time. Can you believe the camper shell shop wants $250 for the replacement! The other morning I started my truck and a raccoon jumped out, something had to be done. I have a slight problem of being cheap when it comes to none mechanical parts or the unimportant. The window on my camper shell has fallen in the "unimportant" category. The fix was some old 1/4"x4" stained wood and license plates, yes I'm that cheap. Saved on the window and put that money toward the OME suspension which should be here tomorrow. Those are OME srprings in the rear, they look a little flat huh. Who else has a cheap fix?

 

[Narkhelek]

Ha! That's awesome especially how good looking your truck is.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[SNOWDOZER]

Thanks. I told my wife there was a reason I kept past license plates.

 

[rayra]

Get a piece of lexan, 1/8" thick, it'll have enough flex if the window has a curve to it. 1/4" thick if it's flat. $20-40. Easy to fit / install. Cuts easily with power saws and appropriate bits.

 

[SNOWDOZER]

Thanks. I looked in to using Lexan but it etches and the license plates are starting to grow on me.

 

[Black Dog]

Haha! When I was a kid my mom was way into martial arts and her sensei drove a rusted out VW bus with license plates wired on to it all over to cover up the rust holes.

 

[southpier]

our surfer kombi had aluminum baking pan scoops screwed over the air intake louvers to keep the engine "cooler"

 

[SC T100]

I just did the same to my shell over the weekend (my slider broke when it was sticky in the tracks, then flew back and shattered against the back. I went the 1/8" plexiglass route. I'm not concerned with the durability because it was $10 from my local Ace hardware and some elbow grease...I can replace it once a year for 20 years before I come close to the cost of a full replacement window (though I'm hoping to find a nasty shell on CL with the same size windows to pull and scrap the rest). It does cut easily, but it can be cracked as well (ask me how I know). It looks like a small scratch at the moment, but I will likely get another soon now that I have a very nice cardboard template. If going this route, keep the protective plastic on it until it's fully installed...it seems to help keep it from cracking when installing it. As for the etching, I think if you apply some RainX or cheap tint to it the etching should be delayed that for a while.

I do, however, like the license plate idea. The only reason I didn't go this, or a similar, route was because I need to see out those rear windows. My T100 feels pretty big in tight parking lots and in the woods. I want to make sure I don't break more than the sliding window.

Also, I laughed at the raccoon hopping out! That's awesome. It must've felt like it hit the lottery that night!

 

[4x4mike]

When I had a broken window in my shell I found a replacement was no longer available. One of my options would be to find a similar shell and remove the window and frame. That was way to costly and fit was going to be an issue. At 18 years old I made a cardboard template and took it to TAP plastics. They cut me a lexan piece that matched the tinting of the existing windows. I glued it in and it was still going strong a few years later when I sold the truck.

 

[Clutch]

I have glass insurance on the truck, insurance covered my broken windows on the shell...however with my older SnugTop, they quit making that particular window...so the insurance company cut me a check, and I had a tinted plexiglass one made at the local glass shop for much cheaper than the insurance check.

 

[Mo4130]

I did the same thing to my window literally the day before I did a 3500 miles xcountry trip, for which I bought the cap for......when I get home tommorow I'll post up what I did, it ended up making the trip much better and me and my wife now have a nice keepsake!

 

[SNOWDOZER]

I did the same thing to my window literally the day before I did a 3500 miles xcountry trip, for which I bought the cap for......when I get home tommorow I'll post up what I did, it ended up making the trip much better and me and my wife now have a nice keepsake!

Glad to see others also have unconventional means of repair. I am trying my best to repurpose things for use on or in the truck. Without making it look crappy. Your location says Port Angeles, are you in the military?

 

[Mo4130]

Glad to see others also have unconventional means of repair. I am trying my best to repurpose things for use on or in the truck. Without making it look crappy. Your location says Port Angeles, are you in the military?

Yea, stationed on an 87. I love it up here.

 

[peneumbra]

What have you got against raccoons, anyway? It could've been a wolverine - or a politician...

 

[HotrodSmurf]

I am about as cheap as it gets and a redneck to boot. On my Chevy I am using a 2" binder clip and a hair tie as a phone holder, air cleaner modified using a dog food dish and some jb weld, , intake resonator delete using some flex vent and a 4" rubber pvc coupler.
On the jeep I had before the Chevy I "fixed" the blend door using half a door hinge riveted to some 22ga sheet metal, cut the hvac box with my dremrl to get to it and sealed it back up with some fsk tape.
On my F150 before the jeep when the egr valve stuck and wd40 didn't do the trick I made a block off plate out of some scrap metal and some rtv, then to block the exhaust side I took apart the flare fitting under the upper intake and found that a penny fit perfect. To plug the vacuum lines controlling it. I had stubs of hose with 1/4" zip screw.

These all, despite being low brow, worked wonderfully and are hardly noticeable visually (you notice the intake goodies in the skinny pedal of the Chevy) I have many more less memorable things on the other 10 vehicles I've enjoyed the past ~7 years as well.