Topic: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

We are keeping the windshield, but what about the rest of the glass? Do you guys replace with lexan, shower curtains, plastic wrap? What do you use if you pull the glass from your car?

Team Safety 3rd Racing.
1985 Dodge Daytona Turbo-currently being lemonized.
https://www.facebook.com/TeamSafety3rdRacing/

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

We just have a windshield.  We took out the side glass and worked out a deal with the guy that replaced our windshield where he removed the back glass from the rear hatch as well.

Skip "Mongo" L.
Team DadBod

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

Keep the windshield, ditch the side glass and leave open, keep the rear hatch in place.

#33 Ford Festiva - We Are Not Really From Iran (Retired)
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Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

We wedge our side glass into the window frames with 2X4s and remove it for the race.  Quick and easy to do once all the door guts are removed and keeps your expensive seat and harness dry if your're not privileged enough to have an enclosed trailer.

Also suggest keeping the rear glass for fire protection. Can't find links right now but I've seen several onboard race videos showing fires at the rear of the car getting sucked back into the cabin because the rear window had been removed.

Electric Mayhem Racing

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

I keep every piece of glass because my cars live outside and i prefer my interior to not flood.


Keep the rear glass. do lexan if you want, but the rear glass on most cars helps with aero and keeps fumes being sucked in. Sides, do what you want. The front side windows need to be down or missing either way.

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

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

The minivan has all the glass but we remove everything aft of the driver most races for weight savings, visibility and a nice breeze.  Since we store all the spares and a large part of the paddock furnishings in the van, outside having the glass is important.

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

We replaced the rear hatch (heavy) glass with Lexan, and had enough leftover to do the small quarter windows.  Keeping the rear hatch helps with aero and fumes as has already been stated.

Captain
Team Super Westerfield Bros.
'93 Acura Integra - No VTEC Yo!

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

My cars sometimes need to live outside so I keep the glass.  We roll down the side windows to race.

--Rob Leone Schumacher Taxi Service
We won the IOE at Southern Discomfort.
We got screwed at The Real Hoopties of New Jersey  and we took cars down with us.
We got the curse at Capitol Offense but they wouldn't let us destroy the car.

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

mgavro wrote:

Also suggest keeping the rear glass for fire protection.

It's in the rules (3.K.1) for some cars and probably a good idea in general:

...rear- and mid-engined cars must have a sturdy rear window or other complete upper barrier for driver protection against fire, hot oil, angry villagers, etc.

My car lives outside so I'm also in the "keep all the glass" camp anyway.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

10 (edited by Hanger 18 Customs 2018-02-21 06:11 PM)

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

I am leaving all the windows in mine except for the driver and passenger door. I gutted the doors.

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

We kept our glass, and just got used to removing the side door glass from the regulator with 2 screws before racing. but we didn't have to gut the doors to fit the cage.

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

I just want the weight savings...we will lexan the side and rear windows. Anyone have a good lead on where to get lexan? No one makes anything for our car so it will have to be cut to fit on our end.

Team Safety 3rd Racing.
1985 Dodge Daytona Turbo-currently being lemonized.
https://www.facebook.com/TeamSafety3rdRacing/

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

If your only concern is the extra weight of your windows, you are either a really REALLY good team of drivers, or you have not yet even begun to comprehend the manifold of problems Lemons teams have with being quick that doesn't involve their car.

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

Safety3rdRacing wrote:

I just want the weight savings...we will lexan the side and rear windows. Anyone have a good lead on where to get lexan? No one makes anything for our car so it will have to be cut to fit on our end.



We got a 4x8 sheet at Home Depot

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

We will undoubtedly have a handful of problems, but a light car is easier on equipment than a heavy car. We are trying our best to stack the deck in our favor so we can finish. That's the goal, finish the race.
New team, all unknowns, new car, first for most of us (one guy was a go kart endurance racer) and our first race is a true 24hr event. I want every advantage I can get. We want to have fun and drive till the finish.

Team Safety 3rd Racing.
1985 Dodge Daytona Turbo-currently being lemonized.
https://www.facebook.com/TeamSafety3rdRacing/

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

Safety3rdRacing wrote:

We will undoubtedly have a handful of problems, but a light car is easier on equipment than a heavy car. We are trying our best to stack the deck in our favor so we can finish. That's the goal, finish the race.
New team, all unknowns, new car, first for most of us (one guy was a go kart endurance racer) and our first race is a true 24hr event. I want every advantage I can get. We want to have fun and drive till the finish.

So you are new and spending way too much time on windows.  Keep em, leave em, won't make much of a difference either way.  Spend you time/money on making the car safe and reliable.  If you already checked all those boxes and still have extra time/money then spend it on HPDE or similar track time.  Learning to drive will be the single most effective way to drop time on the track, have more fun on it, and improve safety for you and others around you.

Team Glue Sticks
00 Firebird, 02 X-Type, 93 NX2000, 00 Mazda 626 (Sold)
2016 NJMP Heroic Fix, 2017 NJMP Near Heroic Fix except we can't drive, 2017 Thompson I Got Screwed, 2019 Pitt Heroic Fix

17 (edited by OnkelUdo 2018-03-27 09:30 AM)

Re: What does everyone do for windows in the car?

I kind of agree with my Glue Sticks buddy here.  This comment, though accurate, is mostly irrelevant unless you have addressed all the weaknesses of your specific car "a light car is easier on equipment than a heavy car".  Problem is, unless you find a team that has endurance raced one and they pass on all those common failure points (most are more than happy to), you will only know the things that commonly fail on the street (about every car has an enthusiast forum).  Maybe tell us what it is and we can connect you with a team that does or has campaigned one?

So spend your time as mentioned on safety and reliability.  Make sure all the wheel bearings are good and bring spares.  Check every single front end/steering component and if not available at Autozone, stock, in BFE...acquire spares.  In fact, any sensor, ignition or fuel injection component that cannot be had at said Autozone...acquire spares.  Hey, if it is a BMW, acquire two spare ECU's.  Make sure the cooling system is in perfect condition.

The point is you will have problems on the first race (and likely many others) but try to mitigate downtime when you do.  Then consider replacing glass with lexan. 100-150#'s of lightness is not the difference between that ball joint letting go or that tire not making the full race.