Rear air deflector

Hi!
I want your opinion on how good/bad the rear air deflectors on wagons are.
Does it work as promised in ads and brochures?
Will it keep dust, rain and snow away from the tailgate window?

I don't have one myself but often I drive my wagon on dirt roads and the window gets dirty quite fast.

Does it also keeps exhaust fumes from entering the car, when driving around with the window open?

Any differences when driving fast or slow?

 

Mine definitely keeps the grime off the rear window, which helps out a lot as I don't have a rear wiper. As for exhaust fumes... I'm not sure. I have leaking valve cover gaskets, so I was definitely getting more "oil burning off the exhaust manifold" smell with the rear window down, but I don't think I have actual exhaust from the tail pipe coming in.

 

It does help alot with dust etc not going on the rear glass. But as for exhaust fumes I learned the hard way that you exhaust tips location has everything to do with fumes coming in the rear window even if you have a deflector.

 

As long as your exhaust exits on the side of the wagon, behind the wheel opening, you should be OK. You might get a whiff of exhaust smell with the back glass down, but not enough to be dangerous. If you're running with some people in the third seat, just ask them to give you a heads-up if it gets bad.

I find that my deflector keeps the glass relatively clean, but if you are driving on dirt roads a lot, I doubt if the deflector will do too much. Same for snow....

 

I never drive my wagon in the rain or snow and keep away from dirt roads so no data on that. I had a factory deflector on an Astro van I had and it did sort-of keep the snow and dust off the rear window, not when it was parked though.

Who cares how well deflectors work?
They look cool...and that's the most important thing.

 

Thank you for the replies. It seems that a deflector work after all.
Now comes the hard part. How to get one for my car.
Got to start looking around for one

 

I agree that it helps some with the window, but mostly I like them because I think they look cool.

And I might have a spare.... My '66 Bonneville has one on it already, and I know I've got at least two, maybe three in the attic. I'm pretty sure that I have one from a Vista Cruiser (70?) and one from a '66 Tempest back when I had my '67 Tempest. I'll have to pull them down and see if either are the same as the one on my '66. And/or if they are close enough that you would be interested. I'll try to remember to do that this weekend...

 

Yes! Of course I'm interrested.
And if you want, please take some photos of the mounting brackets on your Bonneville, so I know how to attach the deflector.

Anders

 

Not to hijack your thread but I picked this up with thought,s of putting it on the 64 880 seems to match the roof curve ok but does not fit well with the roof rack and grab handles and could not bring myself to drill holes in the roof. Looks to be aftermarket I see no Pt#s on it. Anyone have any idea what it might be? OEM ? Aftermarket? Thanks

 

So glad I found this post thanks much! After putting in a new set of tail pipes and running them out the back just under the rear bumper, I was practically asphyxiated with exhaust fumes - could not figure it out. they were brand new and no leaks. Didn't even know there was a thing like "station wagon effect". After reading about it on the net, I guess its a very big deal in the boat hobby and a real hazard if you're not paying attention. By the way, I finally got the new wheels and tires on and finished the rest of the work. Also got factory A/C installed (new compressor etc.) and found the missing parts to my roof rack!

 

That sure is a beautiful wagon EJ. Nice work

 

Thanks ! Its been fun chasing everything down, getting acquainted with old school junk yards I didn't even know existed in my area etc. Basically finishing a project that the previous owners started.

 

When I was a kid, every time we would get picked up from this one event where this lady and her kids rode with my mom and I, I always rode in the 3rd row of this old (I think '65) Ford wagon. Every time I got home, no fail, I was nauseated. Back then, I was too young to think about looking for where the tailpipe ended. In any event, it seems that the tailgate (by the way, this was in Winter. So, a rolled down tailgate window was out of the question, even if this wagon happened to be equipped with one. It somehow didn't properly seal, due to sloppy assembly of either the door or rubber gaskets, maybe?
If you watch wind tunnel videos of such wagons, you'll notice that the wind turbulence revolves air like a small slow-moving tornado, directly behind the vehicle

 

It's a proven fact that breathing too many exhaust fumes causes brain damage in lab rats and humans.

Case closed!

Just yesterday my son was asking about rear deflectors for his Dodge minivan to deflect dust and snow from the rear hatch.

 

I just bought a 68 Ford country sedan that has the deflectors. The previous owner was "oh yah, they help keep the fumes out with the window down" : So, I drove it home with the rear window down : Not the case... quickly started smelling the exhaust. Rolled up the rear window, and no problems. FYI, I (currently) have a single exhaust just under the right rear bumper. I plan on getting custom exhaust for it, so I like the recommendation that @Krash Kadillak gave for running them out the sides: I plan on getting custom dual exhaust for it, so I'll look at that route as an option.