Topic: plastic windshield, how to?

how do you go about cutting the Lexan to the shape of the old windshield?
And then how to you get it to bend? Heat it up and lay it on the old one?

The windshield in the 200sx has lots of cracks, and I'm sure one of these times we'll get rejected for it. I'm going to fix it before the Dec race.

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?Everyone who has ever built anywhere a 'new heaven' first found the power thereto in his own hell- Frederick Nietzsche

Re: plastic windshield, how to?

Our OEM windshield was absolutely destroyed during removal, so I made a template out of cardboard first.  It will help determine how much flat material you'll need to fill your windshield opening.  I then traced it onto the Lexan sheet and cut it out with a jigsaw with a fine-cutting bit set to a slower speed (too fast and the Lexan will heat up and become gummy).

We don't have A-pillars or a roof, so we only had to worry about the bottom sill and then attaching to the halo of the cage.  Good luck with the heating/bending; it can be a challenge.  I'm sure others will have some advice on that.

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3 (edited by tr6driver 2015-10-09 12:52 PM)

Re: plastic windshield, how to?

Ditto Mike98036 above, with a few adds:

1) Keep the template, you'll end up making more than one eventually.
2) The lexan will flex enough, you won't have to heat it for a typical windshield (50's wraparounds not included)
3) Use metal tabs and padding to mount if you can.  See our install here: https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10420392_781394368617451_8090697797005637402_n.jpg?oh=6785ba3579bacb94f7b5ff7829f9febd&oe=5696B636
4) If you have to mount with holes, be very careful drilling to avoid cracks and make the holes much larger (like 2X) fastener diameter to allow expansion/shrinkage of the plastic vs. the metal body.
5) We had to add two square metal tubes w/padding to both keep lexan aligned and add to impact resistance.  You can see them in the picture as well.  We offset them a little for best visibility.

All the above being said, if I could have gotten a Marina windshield for any reasonable $ figure, I would have put glass back in.

Jamie Palmer  tr6driver@yahoo.com
Austin Powerless Racing  '75 Austin Marina, 44th/IOE Summit Point '13, 35th/1st Class C CMP Fall '13, 23rd/3rd Class C CMP Spring '14, 83rd/14th Class C CMP Fall '14 (blown engine/swapped mid-race to finish), 3rd Class C CMP Spring '15, 2nd Class C CMP Fall '15
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Re: plastic windshield, how to?

If this car is going to be used in more then a couple races you WILL benefit from spending 3x the $$ for scratch resistant stuff, (marguard?)

Ignore every negative word about the benefit or not, we have tried it both ways, "regular" would scratch if  someone thought about cleaning it\, (lasted 3 events)twenty races on ours with margard, we run wipers!

Homestead Chump 5th-Sebring 6th-PBIR Lemons 9th - Charlotte Chump  CrashnBurn 9th
Sebring 6th again -NOLA Chump 1st -PBIR Chump Trans Fail 16th
Daytona 11th - Sebring 6th - Atlanta Motor Speedway 2nd - Road Atlanta Trans Fail 61st-Road Atlanta 5th
Daytona 13th - Charlotte 9th - Sebring 2nd-Charlotte 25th broken brakes - Road Atlanta 14 10th-Daytona 14  58th- Humid TT 19th Judges' Choice!

Re: plastic windshield, how to?

Why plastic?  Lemons is an all weather endurance racing series.  If the a-pillars and roof line are still intact, search for a local auto glass installer that comes to your home for the install.  They are usually about as cheap as buying the glass yourself. 

Glass will last a lot longer.  Especially if you are using wipers.  Take advantage of the opportunity to install a rear window defogger and never have to worry about visibility again.

2012 North Dallas Hooptie Judge's Choice Winners
If life gives you Lemons, install racing brakes!
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Re: plastic windshield, how to?

racerxr wrote:

Why plastic?  Lemons is an all weather endurance racing series.  If the a-pillars and roof line are still intact, search for a local auto glass installer that comes to your home for the install.  They are usually about as cheap as buying the glass yourself. 

Glass will last a lot longer.  Especially if you are using wipers.  Take advantage of the opportunity to install a rear window defogger and never have to worry about visibility again.

The plastic is lighter, but I agree about the durability and price of a factory windshield.  The defog fan in the front is a great idea too.  Rain-X is the way to go, wipers or not.  For those that have never tried it, you should.  I also like glass because it lets you run some duck tape on the top of your windshield as a visor late in the day, and then remove it.  Just clean the rainx off where you want to put the tape.

I recently bought a solid clean low mile 86 Mercury Cougar XR7 5spd with clean title for $100.. not running and with a windshield that looked like the Lemons tech drawing of what is not allowed.  It was about $165. including tax to buy AND have them come to my home, remove the old one and take it away, clean the frame, and install the new one. The best price on a used one was almost 100 bucks and a few hour round trip to get, then I would have needed to buy the glue. 
BTW: If the past owner put the spark plug wires in the correct places after he did the timing belt I doubt I would have gotten it that cheap.  As soon as I got the plug wires in the right places she fired right up and runs great.  The car is just too nice to gut for here, but who knows.....

We plan on installing a good factory windshield in our new Lemons car, and use the butyl tape to install, but add metal tabs to hold it in as well.



Bill

2020 I.O.E. CT #36 The Rootes Of All Evil,1958 Sunbeam Rapier Convertible (YES 1958!!) & 2019 Judges Choice NJMP
2016 Thompson Speedway #36 Sabrina Duncan's Revenge, IOE Trophy, 5th Place 'C' Class 1977 Ford Pinto
2009 Stafford Motor Speedway #16 Team Teflon, 11th Place (overall) 1997 Saturn SL2

Re: plastic windshield, how to?

This is the update for the tape

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/1916183358 … mp;lpid=82

Homestead Chump 5th-Sebring 6th-PBIR Lemons 9th - Charlotte Chump  CrashnBurn 9th
Sebring 6th again -NOLA Chump 1st -PBIR Chump Trans Fail 16th
Daytona 11th - Sebring 6th - Atlanta Motor Speedway 2nd - Road Atlanta Trans Fail 61st-Road Atlanta 5th
Daytona 13th - Charlotte 9th - Sebring 2nd-Charlotte 25th broken brakes - Road Atlanta 14 10th-Daytona 14  58th- Humid TT 19th Judges' Choice!

Re: plastic windshield, how to?

I agree that its better than tape, however the tape is by far, much easier to use. (at least for me)



Bill

2020 I.O.E. CT #36 The Rootes Of All Evil,1958 Sunbeam Rapier Convertible (YES 1958!!) & 2019 Judges Choice NJMP
2016 Thompson Speedway #36 Sabrina Duncan's Revenge, IOE Trophy, 5th Place 'C' Class 1977 Ford Pinto
2009 Stafford Motor Speedway #16 Team Teflon, 11th Place (overall) 1997 Saturn SL2

Re: plastic windshield, how to?

http://www.harborfreight.com/profession … 96339.html

Use this tool to remove the old windshield, makes it a lot easier than any other method.

Captain- PDank Pedal Pushers
Popped my LeMon at Chubba Cheddar 2013
'96 Camo Cavalier
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Re: plastic windshield, how to?

Pdank Pete wrote:

Use this tool to remove the old windshield, makes it a lot easier than any other method.

We tried one of those.  I think our windshield was an aftermarket install and they went a bit overboard with the sealant.  The bead was about a half inch wide and the wire was only getting bound up.  We ended up having to break it into pieces to get it out. Good times...

Perennial Losers
Mazda 787b aka '75 914 - Org Choice @ The Ridge, 2015; IGS @ TH, 2018
BMW M1 Procar aka '80 RX-7 (retired) - Zero awards sad

Re: plastic windshield, how to?

I like this one.
http://www.harborfreight.com/windshield … 60298.html

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This car....Is said to have a will of it's Own. Twisting its own body in rage...It accelerates on.
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Re: plastic windshield, how to?

This  http://www.harborfreight.com/profession … 96339.html can be achieved with some Mig wire and two pair of long nose pliers, you basicaly saw through the glue, the sawing action generates heat and cuts nicely when you get the correct angle.

Apocalyptic Racing - Occupy Pit Lane racing
Racing the "Toylet" Toyota Celica powered by Chevrolet Ecotec.
24x Loser with the Celica. 16x loser in other fine machines
Overall winner Gingerman 2019

Re: plastic windshield, how to?

Way to high tech for Lemons, just cut out a hood release inner cable from pull a part that has a nice T handle on it take your pocket knife and make a small hole through the urethane around the bottom of the windshield corner. push the cable through then have your drunken accomplice clamp some vice grips to it. Start doing the sawsall thing to it . That's how I got the last one out at PAP .

2010, 26th @ CMP, 2011, 10th & 5th at CMP, 2012? (MIA), 2013 Spring CMP, 53rd, 2013 Fall CMP 44th, 2014 Barber 14th, 2014 CMP 46th, 2015 CMP 57th, 2015 CMP 80th, 2016 CMP 16th, 3rd in B class, Winner Judges choice, and First car under 2.0 liter Alex's lemon aide stand winner. 2017 WRL, Road Atlanta 43rd, 2017 NCM 9th O/A , 1st in B class, 2018 CMP 13th O/A 3rd in Class B

Re: plastic windshield, how to?

kakarot1232001 wrote:

I like this one.
http://www.harborfreight.com/windshield … 60298.html

The guy that replaced the glass in the daytona had one of those. Worked great. He wasn't supposed to have it though, said it can cause a lot of damage to newer cars. Obviously I didn't care on the lemon. Guy was awesome, let me help rip the old one out and put the new one in and the whole time was talking cars with me.


was crazy cheap to put in real glass too.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice