Forums/Z31P/z31-performance-upgrade-forums cosmetic-interior-exterior/louvres from MSA
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84z4Me: (2012-10-24 21:23:24)
Anyone have pics of the MSA louvres on their car?
FlyingT: (2012-10-25 14:31:57)
Any idea why they are advertising 2 different hatch louvers? One says 84-86 aluminum, the other says 87-89 ABS with rear wiper??? All Z31's have rear wipers. I think they mean 87-89 with high 3rd brake light.
RXGhost: (2012-10-25 15:17:44)
87-89 has the 3rd brake light so you have these two i am pretty sure
84-86
[archived image: 025.jpg]
87-89
Greasedmonkey: (2012-10-25 16:23:31)
the ones I have dont look like either of those. Mine are aluminum.
84Zed31: (2012-10-25 17:11:27)
Because you have the Chastain brand like inqui-z-tor.
Z_Karma: (2012-10-25 17:49:58)
[quote]84Zed31 wrote:
the ones I have dont look like either of those. Mine are aluminum.Because you have the Chastain brand like inqui-z-tor.
Do a google image search for Chastain Louver and quiz's car is the 3rd image, from the website of the son
of the guy who designed that style of louver. I've got them on my AE.
inqui-Z-tor: (2012-10-25 18:34:03)
I'm guessing the "wiper" information is provided is because back in the 80s .. there were louvers made for cars with and without wipers. The one's without wipers were lower (slightly) profile. It's just a carry over from marketing in those days.
edit: OR? Could be that when the ABS' were made .. it turned out that the final product interfered with the wipers (especially in HOT CA weather) .. so to use the ABS's .. it was advised to remove the wiper?? (Again .. this is back in the 80s .. marketing was different back then)
FlyingT: (2012-10-25 19:02:13)
[quote]inqui-Z-tor wrote:
And idea why they are advertising 2 different hatch louvers? One says 84-86 aluminum, the other says 87-89 ABS with rear wiper??? All Z31's have rear wipers. I think they mean 87-89 with high 3rd brake light.
I'm guessing the "wiper" information is provided is because back in the 80s .. there were louvers made for cars with and without wipers. The one's without wipers were lower (slightly) profile. It's just a carry over from marketing in those days.
Yeah but the description is meaningless since there are wipers on all Z31s. It has to be the 3rd brake light that makes the 2 louvers different, that is the only difference between 84-86 and the 87-89 Z31 hatch.
inqui-Z-tor: (2012-10-25 19:34:25)
[quote]FlyingT wrote: [quote=inqui-Z-tor]
And idea why they are advertising 2 different hatch louvers? One says 84-86 aluminum, the other says 87-89 ABS with rear wiper??? All Z31's have rear wipers. I think they mean 87-89 with high 3rd brake light.
I'm guessing the "wiper" information is provided is because back in the 80s .. there were louvers made for cars with and without wipers. The one's without wipers were lower (slightly) profile. It's just a carry over from marketing in those days.
Yeah but the description is meaningless since there are wipers on all Z31s. It has to be the 3rd brake light that makes the 2 louvers different, that is the only difference between 84-86 and the 87-89 Z31 hatch.
I'm only guessing … MSA is just (perhaps) repeating the discriptions they were given by their supplier (source) of the louvers. We're talking a 20+ year old car (albeit a Z) and I doubt they have ready access to both models to do a test fit.
inqui-Z-tor: (2012-10-26 00:44:16)
Top one looks like the Interpart brand/style. Interpart had that "fin look" on the louver edges.
I've seen the bottom one (style) before, it appears to be Interpart ("fin look") but I can't recall with any accuracy (LOL .. too long ago)
84z4Me: (2012-10-26 21:13:02)
Seems to me, you need a funky rice spoiler to be able to pull the look off on a 87+ car. Those smooth lines are too de-80zed to pass
cdiver666: (2012-10-28 18:35:35)
Bottom car (blue) is mine. I think they were dealer installed since there is an instruction thing about them in the glove box along with the owner manual and warranty info. Someone said (can't remember who) dealers didn't do that so who knows.
Also that spoiler was just for mock-up purposes and nothing ever came of it.
I was thinking about selling my louvers actually since I don't use them.
Gem84Znt: (2012-10-28 19:49:20)
[quote=cdiver666]Bottom car (blue) is mine. I think they were dealer installed since there is an instruction thing about them in the glove box along with the owner manual and warranty info. Someone said (can't remember who) dealers didn't do that so who knows.
The dealer I bought my Z from did infact install louvers or had them installed November 1983. They are just like cdiver666 only an 84 without 3rd brake light :lol: . The dealer was Earl Hughes Datsun.
FlyingT: (2012-10-28 20:14:10)
Back in 1985, they were a dealer installed option.
85NA2T: (2012-10-29 00:20:39)
The black 86 is mine.Those are aluminum.I was going to take them off when I first purchased the car but the look kinda grew on me so I decided otherwise.
vegasZ31T: (2012-11-24 20:41:12)
Does anybody have a suggestion as to where I could buy a set of the aluminum louvers?
Any idea how much to they weight? Do you think I could remove my rear window glass and mount the louver in its place? Thereby reducing the weight of the car (for autocross)?
inqui-Z-tor: (2012-11-25 00:58:46)
eBay .. Or…
http://www.andysautosport.com/nissan/19 … a_hammond/
vegasZ31T: (2012-11-26 01:42:10)
Thanks for the rear louver link. Up until now I just haven't been able to find a brand name or a vendor.
Just added: Now I can find all kinds of louvers, thanks.
les_joey_paul: (2013-08-07 22:51:05)
Digging this up a bit ....
Trying to locate louvers for my 85 2+2
All I can seem to find is the 2 seater 84-86 or 2 seater 87-89
I also found for 2+2 from 84-89
Is that right? Is it the same for zenki and kouki 2+2 models?
Tempast: (2013-08-08 02:15:11)
The louvres are different for zenki and kouki as kouki has the third brake light. The kouki louvres look better imo. All year 2+2 hatches are the same, and all coupe hatches are the same except 86 as it has holes for the brake light.
http://www.300zxpartsforyou.com/ has louvres for 84-86 2+2 for $250 (want so bad… for my '86 2+2-T)
Greasedmonkey: (2013-08-08 05:52:09)
Here are a picture of mine, before I repainted them black.
slammedcoupe: (2013-08-08 21:06:10)
here are the louvers i picked up.
they came off an 87 2+0 na at picknpull. although i am sure they are for an 84-86
[archived image: 2013-07-24122943_zps723cf42c.jpg]
[archived image: 2013-07-24122918_zps4b116ae9.jpg]
[archived image: 2013-07-24113138_zpsfc2b4557.jpg]
someone on the FB z31p said they were interpart, but from what i have seen they dont look the same (the edge isnt one uniform flat peice)
Greasedmonkey: (2013-08-10 02:43:05)
I want you wheels....
inqui-Z-tor: (2013-08-10 13:42:01)
Those are "CHASTAIN" louvers … the "original" louvers .. It looks like the lower edge / locking pieces are missing or removed?
slammedcoupe: (2013-08-10 14:36:39)
I have the locking tabs, but they are in the shop for a rework.
is the lower edge supposed to have the locking tabs on it? as mine are on 2 separate pieces of aluminum
slammedcoupe: (2013-08-10 14:36:59)
mine?
inqui-Z-tor: (2013-08-10 15:36:24)
Yes, locking on the outer edges of the bottom louvers. It looks like they updated the design. Mine has a single support bar (down the middle) .. yours appears to have 2 support bars spaced equi-distant apart.
[archived image: DSC02859.jpg]
inqui-Z-tor: (2013-08-10 15:53:27)
This is the mounting tab for the lower edge .. one on each side.
[archived image: 6876_zpsdf21604b.jpg]
slammedcoupe: (2013-08-12 18:24:07)
ahh ok, mine have a "key" and have a little tab that slides out to lock them. ill see if i can get a pic later today!
inqui-Z-tor: (2013-08-12 19:13:33)
Mine "had" a key as well. Instead of a tab that slides out .. mine used a SOUTHCO pushdown/qtr turn dzus-type fastner. I'll post a pic of the key later as well. Basically the locking mechanism wore out and I could not find replacements. Chastain is no longer in business. So I'm using a machine screw/bolt setup that I painted black to match the louvre.
I have a thread elsewhere "here" .. search SOUTHCO for a pic.
inqui-Z-tor: (2013-08-13 00:26:33)
My Chastain "key" ..
[archived image: PBchastainkey2_zpse5db32c0.jpg]
slammedcoupe: (2013-08-13 14:19:53)
i dont have the key. but my small flat head screwdriver does the trick haha!
heres a pic of my locks (disasembled)
[archived image: 2013-08-13081606_zpsa51a8334.jpg]
inqui-Z-tor: (2013-08-13 14:49:15)
I started using a flathead screwdriver as well .. when my key kept getting bent, LOL!
When the lock finally (?) broke apart .. I started using a 10mm bolt/nut.
slammedcoupe: (2013-08-13 16:38:45)
haha, i dont see much life left on this lock either.
im going to make new alum brackets and try and figure out a new lock
Dr. Pepper PhD.: (2013-08-13 17:31:03)
It never occurred to me how many different manufactures of louvers there were. I am very partial to the ones that came on my SS, which are the same as on that blue Z. I really like the cutout for the third brake light, and it ads rigidity to the cross bars to have the bends in them.
inqui-Z-tor: (2013-08-13 18:46:25)
Or that they evolved so much? My experiences back in the late 70's and early 80's (I had a '79 Honda Accord) there were only CHASTAIN and INTERPART louvres. Both very well made. I just preferred the CHASTAIN design (appearance).
One of the things that I noticed (to my dismay) of a change was the elimination of support bar(s). On my Honda, there were support bars integrated into the underside of the louvre that allowed one to swing the louver "up" and be "held in the up position" while the rear window was cleaned.
For my Z .. no such support bar exists. So I have to physically hold the louver "up" when I'm cleaning the glass. Hard to do? No, just takes a bit of extra effort to keep the louver from dropping down on the glass.
I have no idea what happened in the louvre market towards the late 80's or early 90's. I'm not sure exactly when CHASTAIN or INTERPART left the market (late 90s) ?? I don't know if either CHASTAIN or INTERPART ever got into the ABS-Plastic louvres??
If memory serves .. I recall seeing companies .. ASTRA and HAMMOND … I'm not sure if they make both ABS-Plastic and Aluminum applications?
slammedcoupe: (2013-08-13 20:17:59)
id kill for a set of inner louvers, they look hat and sleek!
Dr. Pepper PhD.: (2013-08-14 00:41:41)
You know, it has been about 3 years since I have pulled out those louvers. But I feel like they had that bar you describe.
inqui-Z-tor: (2013-08-14 03:26:23)
Example of the support bars (lower portion on each side) that were on my Honda louvre .. but not on my Z louvre.
Greasedmonkey: (2013-08-18 02:45:58)
yes.
RocklinMike300zx: (2013-08-18 02:59:14)
I'm really not a fan of the louvres with the "side fins" or whatever (mine have them), but I really like the one on Dr. Pepper's SS. That's a damn high quality accessory right there.
slammedcoupe: (2013-08-22 14:45:54)
if you were in canada i would think about selling them!
but i dunno about shipping haha
Dr. Pepper PhD.: (2013-08-22 16:28:46)
Finally dug out the louvers from my SS so I could get a pic. They do have the prop rods for window cleaning. Also have quick release latches on the bottom and hinges at the top in order to prop it up as such.
Back of the louvers:
Bad pic of the prop rod stored:
Prop rod extended:
There is one of these on each side of them. They are a quality piece that is for sure. I am not actually sure of the manufacture.