I've got an 08 Impala with a Setina Bodyguard partition-the kind that is plexi on one side and wire mesh on the other. I've been off for a few months with an injury and just got my car back and found some turd spit through at the deputy that was using my car.

My wife is picking up some plexiglass for me today at Lowes that I'm going to cut to use temporarily, but I need some ideas as to how to seal off the sides between the doors and partition and the mesh side. I've done the plexi thing in my old Explorer, but found that you can only clean one side of it and that there isn't a really good way to mount it without taking the partition apart, which I shouldn't be doing.

When I got the car from the installer, it had real flimsy side wings that were attached with velcro. I went and figured they weren't going to last long. They didn't. I like to roll with my windows down, even in a hurry, and it didn't take long before they were flapping like bird wings. One even tore off.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Is the screen on the drivers side or passengers side? If on the passenger side, try securing some mesh (like on screendoors) so that you can still see them, but it's much harder to spit through.
If the screen is on the drivers side, (which I have a hard time imagining due to security reasons) then I would suggest the Lexan glass route.  Plexi is a no-go IMHO for reasons already stated.

Awaiting pictures of the interior to think of other ideas.

If all youre trying to stop is spit and you already have the wire grate cage in place why dont you try some double sided tape and saran wrap over the cage. When it gets dirty just tear it down and put some more up.

A lifetime supply via my method should cost you less than 10 bucks and take less than 10 minutes to install.
And its not permanent so your supervisors cant yell at you.

I always wanted to get a foam boxing helmet and glue a plastic riot faceshield to it so they cant effectively spit or bang their head into the sidewindow. I had a hobble and leg irons that i used but i never found a good way to keep them from banging their head into shit .

Also, they do make cheap disposable anti spit face masks that look like the paper dustmasks people wear in china during bird flu outbreaks. Galls.com sells them dirt cheap, but i think what youre getting at is that you never know if somebodies going to randomly spit on you until AFTER the first time theyve done it.

Also, i cant help you with the sides of the cage

There's the pics. I am going to get some of the spit hoods. I think they're around $6 or so each.

It's hard enough to see out the back so I need to stick to something like lexan or plexiglass so I can see through it. I would get nailed for making it look rigged up. Saran wrap would blow off the first time I rolled with my windows down (I work in the county, so we're constantly rolling hot and I love to keep my windows down).

Lexan, cut to fit (use a jigsaw, clamp the lexan to a sheet of ply while you cut), and drill a couple holes for zip ties?

Yeah, spit hoods are cool but only if the turd says, " hey pig, i hate you and will be spitting on the back of your head as soon as i work up this lugy"

For the spontaneously spitting turds, you probably need the lexan idea with zip ties. Zip ties are cheap and easily removable and since its not a "permanent modification" and it doesnt interfere with vehicle operation, i dont see how the brass can ding you for having it.

That's right. 50/50 shot of them starting that crap before they are put in the car and it usually is some asshole who is already bleeding from getting socked by the guy he started a fight with. Hoods will come in handy when you know it's coming. I transport with them behind me but they can slide over and spit through the mesh side. I'm just as worried about all my crap between and on the passenger seat. That's a lot harder to clean up that I am.

I've got a couple of hours before I have to get ready for work, so I'm going to see what I can get accomplished with this and will put a picture up when it is done. (Wish me luck, I haven't worked in five months due to an injury and another surgery and it is going to be 16 degrees tonight...welcome back. )

I am a full-time LEO and own an upfitting business specializing in sale and installation of emergency vehicle equipment.  I know a thing or two about this topic.

The reason your Setina partition has "flimsy" lexan upper side filler panels is because the cage was ordered for a side-curtain airbag car, which your's probably is.  They are designed to give way in the event of an airbag deployment.  That's also why the roll-bar has such a shallow angle from the door to the roof...to allow deployment room.  The tradeoff is that the upper fillers are not as stout as the older 1/4" thick plexiglass fillers.  Setina instructions call for the use of velcro to anchor the fillers while allowing them to break-away.  It doesn't hold up.  The solution to securing the upper fillers is to use a step-bit to drill two 1/4" holes through the filler into the upper-B-pillar trim.  Then use 1/4" diameter trim fasteners (fir tree fasteners) to pin it down.  This will work way better, be more secure, never come loose, and pop if needed in the event of an airbag deployment.  If you do this when the cage is first installed, you can still use the velcro and then add the fir tree fasteners too for best results.

If you need new side fillers, I have a set for the Impala here, just IM me with your info and cover shipping.  Or call Setina.  Either way, DO NOT install a rigid substitute.  The airbag could shatter a rigid plexiglass piece and send shrapnel your way.

For blocking your mesh window, a thin plexi sheet will work well.  They used to be called hocker-stoppers.  Put it on the prisoner side for easiest cleaning.  Use 1/4x20 carriage bolts and large diameter (1.5" or so) fender washers and locknuts to secure it through the mesh.  Make sure no sharp edges are facing the prisoner or you.

Picture for reference...

This is impressive. He's given me more information on here than when I asked about a few things when I took the car to the original upfitter when I first got it. As soon as I got my list out and tried to show it to them to let them know where I wanted stuff put-nothing special-they balled up and pretty much ignored me. They did good work, but we're using a total amateur hour radio repair shop now that does some shitty work. Example: they took a brand new car in last week for upfit and refused to put a jotto desk console in it and used an old mesh rack from the olden days, with wires showing and routed down the hump, saying it is easier to work on things that way. I wish we had an installer like C2 around here.

Pop the trim panel off to do the drilling just to be safe.

Be aware, to "pop" the trim panel off on an Impala with a Setina cage installed you will have to unbolt the cage from it's upper brackets and most likely unseat it from it's mounting feet depending on what install kit it has.  Then you can and must remove the lower B-pillar trim panel.  Now you will need to remove the seatbelt's upper hanger by removing the trim cover and unbolting it with a large (t-50) torx-head socket.  Then remove the small trim cover located on the upper B-Pillar trim panel with a small pick or flathead screwdriver, exposing a 7mm bolt (some of these are combo 7mm & phillips head) that needs to be removed.  Then, yep, it "pops" right off...after you pry it loose from around the door seal and pull it away from the B=pillar to release the press-in body spring clips that hold it in place.

Easy.  I have two Impalas in the shop now...

Trust me, go slow with a drill and use a depth stop (which can be a stack of taped-together washers or a piece of wood block you drilled through first) and you'll be fine.

OP, it's in the mail and you'll be pleased, I found everything you need.

Um, you are missing some pieces.

Take it back to the installer and tell them to put the rest of it on. Those partitions ship with those plexi side guards.

lol





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He had the thin covers and they were not properly secured.  They were the older Setina SCA style that secured with velcro.  Except they wouldn't stay in place.

If you have the hard plexi-fillers in your car, I hope the car doesn't have airbags or they have been properly and legally disabled with a NHTSA waiver and an AOI switch.  Shady upfitters and in-house operations run by inmates or the city garage often don't order proper equipment and just go with what they have regardless of what is proper.  As far as I know, SCA has been standard on Chevy Impalas since 2008.  But the new Impala body style started in 2006.  Therefore it is possible that a non-SCA cage can make its way into a SCA car.

Matt-I had a question before I get started on the plexi. How should to make sure the edges aren't sharp? Can I just knock any burrs off with some fine sandpaper?

Yeah, shouldn't take much to take the edge off.  Don't go crazy.  Do make sure to use carriage bolts.  Be very careful drilling holes, as the plexiglass can crack if your bit catches.  I prefer step bits for this as well.  If using 1/4x20 bolts, you will need to drill a 5/16" hole for the carriage bolt to seat in properly.

A friend's son lost his job for cold cocking a welfare queen who spit in his face.

Mission accomplished. I'll feel a lot more secure now. Thanks to C2Installs for all the professional guidance. Although my work isn't professionally-done, it'll do the job. BTW, how do you keep the plexi/polycarbonate stuff clean? That stuff is the biggest source of static electricity in the world. Any wood or plastic shavings I got near stuck right to it and stayed.

Sorry I missed your last post about the carriage bolts, as you can see from the picture. I only had a handful of 1/4" bolts but was careful with them. The plastic bolts in the front of the partition installed a lot easier than I thought they would.

Yeah. Bad idea. I'm sure he felt better until he realized what he did.

Get a can of Plexus at your nearest motorcycle shop.  It was designed to clean aircraft windows and is the freaking absolute BOMB.  Not cheap, but lasts a long time.  Use it with a microfiber towel and you can clean your partition windows, lightbar lenses, headlights, taillights, computer screen, instrument cluster, etc.  It can be used to touch your exterior or on any automotive surface, AFIK.  I mostly love it for cleaning my windows...I just clean the big crap and scuzz off with standard window cleaner and let it dry.  Then I hit it with the Plexus and a microfiber towel.  It will clean them and polish them like nothing you've ever seen.  I am OCD about my windows and tried every cleaner and trick in the book before I though to try Plexus.  I will never go back.  Plus, it gives the exterior windows the "rain-X effect."

Seriously, best money you can spend on your workspace.  Trust me on this.

Canned Awesome!

We used to have that at my old PD for cleaning lightbars and headlights. That's been several years ago but I may have to go see if they still use it.