[DeTomaso] Driving in the rain/Decklid opening modification

[DtomasoCat at aol.com]

Stephen wrote:
OK - now for the more intersting question.  Has  anyone ever installed any
form of a partial window in the hole above the  engine?  Or a simple piece 
of
glass or plexi to fill the hole?  I  am thinking plexiglass contoured such
that it fits into a rubber gasket  around the opening but is belled out at
the lower edge to allow air flow and  perhaps keep rain from falling on the
back of the engine?  This would  have the added benefit of perhaps making it
a bit harder for someone to reach  in and remove things from the top of the
engine (dog-bone air cleaner for  instance) or the caps on the coolant 
tanks.
Given that plexiglass is not all  that hard to contour this would seem like 
a
possible improvement as long as  it did not overly restrict airflow around
the engine.  Making the  assumption that airflow around the engine is a good
thing.

Comments? 

Stephen,

Last year I had been re-reading some of my old Pantera International  
magazines
from the 1970's.  One of the articles in the magazine had to do with  
fitting a plexiglass cover over the rear decklid opening, thereby sealing it  
off.  As I recall, whoever came up with the idea was selling a "kit" to  
convert your Pantera as well.  I had never seen or heard of such a thing  until I 
read the article.  Sounds to me like everything old is new  again.  I will 
see if I can locate it and scan it for the group.
 
By the way, the last time I was reminded of this modification was when the  
new Kyosho Pantera 1/18 scale models came out last year and all of them had 
this  very modification installed in the decklid opening.  It works great 
on the  model so it must work great in real life :o)
 
Jim