Side Window Chekerboard/Rainbow Effect?

[Scott Drolet]

This may seem like a stupid question . . but I have a rather severe checkerboard or sometimes rainbow pattern I see when looking forward out the drivers side door window. I've seen it before on cars from the 60's, but not so much on newer cars. I'm wondering if this is common to all Prowlers s because of the shape and contour of the glass, or if I have just have a poor quality window. I don't see it nearly as much on the passenger side, but since I never sit over there, the viewing angles are different.

Anyone else have this problem?

Scott

[TOOLHEAD]

I know what you are talking about, but I do not have this on my 2001 Prowler.

[silver_2000]

Are your sunglasses polarized ??

[blackcat]

I don't have that on mine......

[mopardave]

Not a problem on my 99 either

[BLEW BUYOU]

Could be a partial de-lamination of the safety glass. Very rare, but it can happen. Polaroid lenses could cause some internal distortion or the closeness to the window. Is your seat all the way back? I sure haven't heard of this problem on other Prowlers. Did soap dry on the window? Is there any oil or grease base product on the window that the window cleaner won't get off? Try using some GOO GONE on the window. Did convertable top water repellant get on the window? How about rain-X applied and not dry buffed off? I'm reaching here but trying to use whats left of the brain!

[Scott Drolet]

Thanks for the input guys. I, too, fear it might be delamination. I do wear polarized sunglasses, but I can see it pretty well even with them off. I also have really cleaned the window and don't think there's anything greasey on it. I'll see what the dealer thinks about it. It really isn't that big a deal, just something I notice now and then.

Scott

[silver_2000]

Polarized glasses will show the tempering artifacts in most safety glass

If you catch the right angle

Doug

[Dreamcast18]

Hey Scott,

Swing by anytime this weekend and see if you see the same thing in the Orange and Black.

[blackcat]

Sounds to me like it could be good drugs..............:rll: :rll: :rll:

[Kevs Kat]

Polarized glasses are the first thing I thought of. Some windows I look through have the pattern you describe and some don't. Do you see the pattern without polaraized glasses on?

[TCP 79]

Could be a partial de-lamination of the safety glass....

I've seen this effect too but disagree with the de-lamination theory. To my knowledge, the side windows aren't laminated, they're tempered. Only the windshield is laminated.
I would like to know what causes the checker effect.

[Scott Drolet]

Sounds to me like it could be good drugs..............:rll: :rll: :rll:
HA! I KNOW! That's what I thought at first . . .Maybe the seventies were catching up with me!
:burnout


Polarized glasses are the first thing I thought of. Some windows I look through have the pattern you describe and some don't. Do you see the pattern without polaraized glasses on?


It's much more pronounced with the glasses, but it's still there without them. Honestly, it's very slight. In fact, I kind of like it. It reminds me of a '56 VW van I had a few years back. Makes the Prowler seem more "vintage rod" then retro modern.
:tu:

Hey Scott,
Swing by anytime this weekend and see if you see the same thing in the Orange and Black.

Thanks DC. I'll call you and see if you're around. I'd like to take you up on your offer to test the black hardtop on my silver. Just can't decide what color top to buy!
:beer:

And, thanks to everyone else for their comments. It's probably just one of those things I'll never figure out!
:bows

Scott

[Kevs Kat]

Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarization

The photograph at the right was taken through polarizing sunglasses and through the rear window of a car. Light from the sky is reflected by the windshield of the other car at an angle, making it mostly horizontally polarized. The rear window is made of tempered glass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempered_glass). Stress in the glass, left from its heat treatment, causes it to alter the polarization of light passing through it, like a wave plate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_plate). Without this effect, the sunglasses would block the horizontally polarized light reflected from the other car's window. The stress in the rear window, however, changes some of the horizontally polarized light into vertically polarized light that can pass through the glasses. As a result, the regular pattern of the heat treatment becomes visible.

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