We acknowledge that laws governing automotive safety are for the most part a good idea. They are also typically written for the greater car community and often are at odds with specialty cars. We also acknowledge that most vehicle inspectors we’ve come across are rather ignorant when it comes to some things about our kit cars, no matter how much we argue. A case in point is windshield wipers. They are safety items and can be downright handy when it comes to sweeping away rainwater.
Most states require at least one windshield wiper, regardless of whether or not we roadster drivers will ever actually be driving in the rain. More than likely, we’ll be sitting under an overpass or the overhang of a service station if a cloudburst appears, waiting for a break in the weather. At the least we’ll have our windshields treated with Rain-X or some similar chemical that beads and repels water to provide a clear view. Explanations of those roadster facts tend to fall on deaf ears, however, and still our cars are required to be fitted with some sort of wiper.
We’ve found a cool, inexpensive remedy to the wiper dilemma that doesn’t require drilling any holes or attaching ugly blades to our cowlings. Ron Francis Wire Works offers several configurations of a neat windshield mounting bracket ($26) designed to mount either a manual Model T–style arm and blade ($30) or an electric wiper motor to the top of a windshield. We discovered one that not only fits on our ’32 Ford roadster frame, but also fits on a Cobra replica windshield. Attaching either the bracket or motor couldn’t be simpler. And if you think it looks goofy, you can quickly remove it.
