ecraigsmit

Fotomoto, just a suggestion, use some liquid electrical tape to brush over the wire nuts to keep water out. The steel springs inside the nuts will eventually rust out allowing the "hot" leads to be free, especially if you live in the NE where salt on roads accelerates the process. Craig

Just got the quote, it's a little more that I had hoped but still within reason, not much cost savings on a bulk order. How's it compare to a dealership installed block heater or the dual stick-on oil pan heaters? Tempco PN: FTF20009 HEATED TAPE 1-9 $211.80 each Heating Tape - Silicone Rubber 10-up $200.05 each Size = 0.50" W x 216.0" L With optional 120 V plug Extruded Silicone Rubber 468 watts, 120 volts Standard Lead Time: Three weeks - ARO.

Agree that rubber is a bad thermal conductor but when over-wrapped with the reflective foil the heat would more readily go in than out. Could put a probe in there at first to see how how hot the rubber is getting. I've requested a quote from them. Will post when I have more info. If anyone is under there, would they please measure hose #22 diameter and rough length. Thanks

Anyone ever think of using this instead of a block heater? http://www.tempco.com/Surface%20Heaters/HeatingTape_hub.htm Just wrap it around hose #22. Ptjones' issues lead me to believe that it's not worth the effort to install block heater myself. I like the idea of the adhesive faced, reflective foil backed version. Get the 25w/ft FTP-0001 version and wrap it as tight (just over-lapping) or loose (non-overlapping) as needed to get the desired heating. I haven't measured hose #22 but if it is like 18" in length and 2" in diameter you could conceivably get 1357W into your coolant using the 1/6" wide stuff. 2*pi*1"*18"*6wraps/"*2W/". Thoughts? Not that I recommend that, just nice to know what the max would be.

Sorry guys, got busy and haven't been back to the site in some time. Still have no pictures but can tell you the front shades work and fit great. Keep the rain out as expected with windows rolled down 2" or so. Same when driving, no more drops blowing in if the windows are cracked. A little wind noise but not as bad as expected, no vibration. They are very shallow unlike the stick ons and look great, in fact hard to tell they are on, blend in with black rubber moulding and interior door components well. Now the bad news. I followed the install directions to the T. Scrubbed the bonding area with the smallest piece of brillo pad they could possibly give you. Cleaned the area with the smallest alchol wipe I've ever seen. Peeled the cover off the adhesive and installed into window channel. The fronts fit like a charm into the channel. Next step is to close the window and leave it closed for 3 days or so. The problem I encountered is that the window can sometime hit the ventshade and then it retracts. I had to hold the ventshade towards the outside, close the window most of the way until it entered the channel and then tweak it up a little at a time. One ventshade was so tight that if you let the window go all the way up Max thinks the window is obstructed and drives it back down. I left that one 99% of the way up. The other was similar tight fit and holding it out so window would go up but didn't cause the stall condition. Great fronts done. Rears were worse. Didn't fit well, too long, and wanted to bow out because of it. After massaging the window seals on the sides I eventaully got them in and the windows up following the correct install procesure. After 3 days I opened the windows again. Fronts are ok but the window still hits and retracts on occation. The rears almost fell out during my drive home. I have tried a few times to hold them in better with some double sided tape but they always do the same thing. They are just too tight. I have since left them off. Using just the fronts is working well with me, I may have to take a sander or dremmel to the rears to get a better fit if I really feel like installing them. However it doesn't look too bad without the rears as the fronts blend in so well. My recommendation is not to buy them if you don't want to fiddle with them on a sander to make them fit right. I'll attach picts one of these days.

Well I broke down and bought them anyway. They look very nice, I'll post pictures when it is not raining here. Install is very easy, scuff inside of window retainer felt with supplied brillo pad, clean with alcohol pad, peal off retaining tape, install and close window. They barely stick out beyond the edge of the car, much better than the Ford stick-ons. No rattling or such, in fact my windows rattled slightly before and now there is nothing when rolled up. The tape needs 72 hrs with the windows up so I haven't used them with windows down yet. The window bumped them when installing and then auto-retracts so during install I needed to hold them out slightly to get window closed. I'll see if this continues once the 72 hrs are up, they might take shape in that time otherwise I'll shave down the edges. C

Anyone out there purchase and install the AVS 194530 in-channel ventshades and care to post a picture? I'd specifically like to know if the protrude less than the Ford stick-on's. Thanks, Craig