Sun Shade.

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JoeS said:
For less than $10 at the local hardware store I picked up this silver foam-sandwich insulating material (comes in 48" width, any length) and a couple of minutes with a pair of scissors gave me a custom cover. The old lightweight bungie helps hold it down when it's windy. I prefer the external one vs. trying to stuff it into the window inside. ...

I know about that material. Wanted to use it. Perfect for this use IMO.
It's actually more effective to block the sun and heat OUTside the glass the way you're doing than inside with conventional shades.

Problem for me was Lowes only sells tha that stuff in something like 30 foot rolls and Home Depot desn't carry it.. At least not near me.
 
As some of you may have noticed, I merged these two identical topics. Reminder to everyone to search first before starting a new topic.

I purchased my reflective material at a local hardware store chain: Orchard Supply Hardware. They sell by the foot.
 
I like that external shield...how about stopping the wipers in mid-stroke, then insert the shield, and let them hold the it down.
 
fjpod said:
I like that external shield...how about stopping the wipers in mid-stroke, then insert the shield, and let them hold the it down.
fjpod, I thought it was a great idea and when we parked today I did just that. As I was taking the photo to document it, a gust of wind came by with the following result:

WindblownSunShade.jpg

I put my bungie back on... :|
 
JoeS said:
fjpod said:
I like that external shield...how about stopping the wipers in mid-stroke, then insert the shield, and let them hold the it down.
fjpod, I thought it was a great idea and when we parked today I did just that. As I was taking the photo to document it, a gust of wind came by with the following result:
(Photo)
I put my bungie back on... :|

Why not just trim it a bit and put it on the inside of the car? That material is flexible enough to fit inside the plastic fascias and dashboard, using the visor to secure the top. I use an extra large SUV sun shade I got from some place many years ago that I have used in several vehicles including a Mazda MPV minivan. I then used it in my Nissan Versa and found it still worked in my i-MiEV. It's made of that same silver foiled bubble wrap.
 
MLucas said:
...Why not just trim it a bit and put it on the inside of the car? ...
Thermally, it's perhaps a bit better to keep the sun out completely and not have the heat buildup in the gap between the shade and the glass. Also, for myself, I find it less trouble to put the shade on outside the car, even with the addition of the bungie - the loops in the end of the bungie are permanent, and one can open the door without disturbing its function.
 
It's hard to beat the cost, practicality and ease of use of the little $12 WalMart pair of shades. When we stop, she grabs the shades from behind the drivers seat while I roll down each window about an inch. When she flips them open, we each put our single shade on our respective side of the windshield and then exit the car - Total time elapsed is usually in the 10 to 15 second range. Stowing them away when we return and getting underway usually takes about the same

I'm sure there are probably other solutions which may keep the inside of the car a little cooler, but on an average day around town, we regularly run through this drill half a dozen times, so the ease of use just about trumps every other consideration for us

Don
 
Don said:
... on an average day around town, we regularly run through this drill half a dozen times, so the ease of use just about trumps every other consideration for us.
Actually, we rarely use ours as we go well out of our way to always park in the shade - even if it means a looong walk (wife claims that's to keep me in shape). ;)
 
Oh, we park in the shade whenever it's available too, Joe - With the sun nearly directly overhead and not a cloud in the Mississippi sky, even a ten foot tall tree in the Home Depot parking lot (which couldn't properly shade a pedal car) is 'taken' 99% of the time :lol:

Unfortunately, it seems we have about 100 times as many cars as we have shady spots near public parking places, which is why owning a white car is so very important down here - When you see someone driving a black car, you pretty much know they're from out of town . . . . very far out of town!

Don
 
Don said:
Unfortunately, it seems we have about 100 times as many cars as we have shady spots near public parking places, which is why owning a white car is so very important down here - When you see someone driving a black car, you pretty much know they're from out of town . . . . very far out of town!

Don

Like up north here. :lol:

We only get about three months of 'hot' weather if you call it that.
 
JoeS said:
As some of you may have noticed, I merged these two identical topics. Reminder to everyone to search first before starting a new topic..

I often want to do a presearch before starting a topic, but as you well know, the search function here sucks. :(
I remembered someone here .....you IIRR.... Posted how to use google to effectively search this forum.... But I could've remember the syntax :oops: , and of course when I tried to use the forum's search to find THAT tip it failed to find it ;)
 
The site search is useful for any site, just add the term "site:", so your search string would be "Shade site:myimiev.com" [you don't need the quotes when searching].
 
Don said:
When you see someone driving a black car, you pretty much know they're from out of town . . . . very far out of town!
Don

Indeed Don, but now that this Mississippi native is very far out of town, I'm guesstimating that the winter heat gain of a black car will outweigh the short summer penalty, and given how nicely our batteries wake up when warm, A/C may exact a smaller penalty than the heater.
 
I lived in the Seattle Tacoma area for 15 years or so (before being permanently transplanted to Mississippi) and agree that black is probably an advantageous color up there . . . . if you can find some way to keep it clean without washing it every other day

Everyone should own a black car once in their lifetime - There is nothing prettier than a freshly washed and waxed black car. Mine was an '80's Toyota Supra . . . . which I had repainted white 4 or 5 years after I bought it

Don
 
MLucas said:
Why not just trim it a bit and put it on the inside of the car? That material is flexible enough to fit inside the plastic fascias and dashboard, ......
She could, but INSIDE the window it is not as efficient as keeping the car cool as outside.
Reasons(with heatshield inside): First, once that sun hits the glass itself (which has a slight tint and does absorb some energy) it warms the glass itself. Once the glass is hot it is transmitting heat into the car by convention, conduction, and radiation. While most of the heat it reradiates toward the inside of the car is then reflected back out by the heatshield, the hot air and adjacent metal and plastic heated by the hot glass does get inside the cabin. In short, with it INside a nice layer of hot air between the shield and the window is created and that does leak, significantly I'm sure if you're parked for hours in direct sun, into the cabin.

With the shield OUTSIDE the light/radiant energy is never allowed to even hit the glass, let alone go past it. Cooler windshield, cooler air layer behind it, etc.
With it outside it is also blocking/insulating the surface of the windshield from conductive heating by the hot air itself (consider a 100 degree day).

In terms of the difference between having it inside vs outside if just parking in the sun for an hour I don't it's significant. Bet it is if parked for many hours...particularly if the air temperature itself, not just the sunlight, is high.

Since in terms of easy of use with that material of inside vs outside being about equal, I'd say her method is better.

That said, ANY windsheild sunshade is going to be radically better at keeping the inside from becoming suitable for baking bread than having none. I like the idea (see earlier in this thread) of a total cabin cover, and if in a really hot place and lifestyle had us parking in the sun would go for that. But not worth the bother as ours is parked in garage most of the time and our town has a half decent scattering of shady parking spots.
 
JoeS said:
fjpod, I thought it was a great idea and when we parked today I did just that. As I was taking the photo ..... :|
Hey, in you're photo you have that "100% electric" on your front bumper.

Was that stock? (My white with blue trim SE doesn't have that... just a decal below the doors).
 
acensor said:
...Hey, in you're photo you have that "100% electric" on your front bumper...
(sigh), that's off-topic, but here's the reference link:
http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=620&start=10
That lettering is actually a bit too high up the bumper, but I placed it to cover up the license-plate holes.

Back on-topic, had someone walking by yesterday complain about the glare off that cover. :evil:
 
BillThompsonMIEV said:
I went to the parts department at my dealer. They ordered one for me for $30.00. Delivery took one week.

Do you happen to have the part # the dealer ordered for you? I went to my dealer and the parts department said they show no such item in parts or accessories from Mitsubishi.
 
I found these to sites online. They don't show it on a MiEV but it clearly states that's what it fits.

http://www.carid.com/2012-mitsubishi-i-miev-sun-shades/

http://www.amazon.com/2012-2013-Mitsubishi-i-Miev-Custom-Shield/dp/B00C30H2OC
 
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