Thanks for the input all.
Some really good points I made not of..
Keep the old Vac wipers,
The Rain-X is a good idea

I like the spud trick. did that years ago in a series 1 Land Rover.
As to Tony's question. How often will you drive in the rain? (Good Point)
TBH not often on purpose. However in SE Gippsland we get a fair bit of rain and not always forecast.
Cheers