I was thinking about replacing my stock hatch with a carbon fiber one but i was wondering what happens to the rear defrosters and the rear window wiper? can you still connect them somehow or are they gone for good with a carbon fiber hatch?

 

you "could" connect them.... but why? Do you really look out that back window enough to need a wiper and defrost?

BTW you would have to drill a hole in order to install the wiper +motor. Plus the whole reason for CF hatch is to save weight. That motor is HEAVY.

 

Many people do the wiper delete just for this reason. You may miss the defrost in the winter if it is your daily driver, but I doubt you will ever miss the wiper. If it bothers you that much just put rainx on it every month

 

depending on which carbon trunk you use the provision to reuse the wiper assy is catered for. i.e VIS have holes bored, mastergrade if you can find one doesn't, rear defrost is just simple routing of oem harness and retention of oem glass...
Hope this answers your question

 

yes you can retain the defrosters when you swap to a CF hatch. don't worry about the rear wiper. the Z looks better without it.

 

Wiper delete

+1



This


I would add if you are driving the Z in the snow you need to just spend the money from that hatch on a winter car.

 

the defroster in the window would need to be grounded thru a wire to chassis (near the hinge and run the wire up along the sides) and you should be ok.

 

skip the wiper and retain your oem glass. for true weigh savings id suggest lexan/plexiglass, but it scratches easy and the weigh savings are minimal for street use w/ full interior, stereo etc

 

thanks everyone this really helped out

 

Any thoughts on a full rear window delete on a cf hatch painted
To match car?

 

I'm not sure that is even legal?...

 

why not? if you got at least one side mirror, then you can legally have no rear window.. think of what utility vans or what Pedobear drives.. no rear windows...

 

I was gonna add a rear view camera later...

I just bought a vis hatch cheap and am planning this.

 

What are you going to use to get rid of the rear window? CF or FG panel then smooth out the seams? Doing lexan would be approx. same weight. If you were to paint it to match it would look pretty good. Paint chips off of it pretty easy if it isn't painted properly though.

Driving won't be too bad since you can barely see out of the rear window anyways. :P

 

whatever is the lightest... prob fiberglass.

 

unless you use woven FRP and bag it, it'll prob weigh more than the thin 0.25" lexan.. 0.25" Lexan is ~ 1.56 lbs/ft^2

 

Actually most state laws require you to have driver and pass side mirrors if there is no rear window. Cali especially.

 

I'm into the hatch for nothing and just wanted the quickest solution.

I felt like we'd have to glass it either way... whatya think?

 

actually not too bad...

 

I was thinking completely shaved