FC: Lexan windshield/hatch. Fibreglass hood/hatch.
 

Looking for lexan windshield and hatch glass. And fibreglass hood and hatch. 2nd gen. Who's got them and how much? Please and thank you.

Yes, this does mean my "just make it run" car is looking for some upgrades along the way...

jgrewe on this forum sells a fiberglass hatch.

As far as Lexan, make your own. I just did. You need 1/4 for the front, 1/8 for the rear. I found 1/4 polycarbonate (same as Lexan without the brand name) 4x8 for $120 at a local plastics supplier. I got the 1/8 off CL for $100 and it was Lexan MR10. You need a 4x8 for each and can get one window out of a 4x8. Sell the scrap on CL, or that's my plan.

Get some builders paper and use it to make a template of the current windows. Remove the current windows - this is a bitch. I just broke the back and then spent hours cleaning the old adhesive off, I also stripped the hatch to bare metal and painted while I was at it. The hatch is light, didn't weigh, but it's light. For the front, I found someone on CL to remove my windshield for $40, then spent an hour cleaning off the rest of the old adhesive.

Cut the Lexan with a fine tooth jigsaw blade, I forget the TPI I used but get one very fine. Clean up the edges with a sander. Get some black vinyl at the local sign shop and cover the inside edge, I did a 2" strip. Figure out your holes, I went with 5" spacing and drill them out. Put the Lexan on the car and drill a hole, rivet, repeat. I used some large head aluminum rivets, the front required 3 different length rivets, the back one length. Don't forget the straps/clip if running SCCA.


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Any magic to bending the lexan for the curved rear window?

Its only curved in one plane so its no big deal. Just start in the middle of the top and bottom and bend it as you go. Clecos help out a lot if you want to make sure it fits well first. Make a pattern out of paper from the outside of the glass. It will give you a piece that is just a little too big(like1/4"+-). As you attach it you can sand the edge with a high speed air sander, not an orbital but one that spins WFO, with a 100-120 grit disc. The stuff will disappear quick so be careful! Just hold it so it doesn't try to flap around, give it a little bend as you sand.

I take a 2" or so strip of the protective coating off the edge all the way around and paint the exposed area. Install the plastic paint side down and it looks factory. You can get black rivets or just paint some before you install.

I bolt my windsheild in so it can be removed easily when in the shop. I use some stainless 1" dia flat head carriage bolts. Some weather strip on the cars flange and it stays snug. Straps and tabs go on with the same hardware.

Oh yea 18TPI for the blade to cut it. and its best to use a drill bit designed for polycarbonate.

Mark will kick himself at least once but you can get 5' wide pieces of polycarbonate so you can get more than one piece out of a sheet. I've been buying 5x10's

Thanks guys.

Any idea who has the fibreglass hoods? and maybe the hatch frame? Although I plan to run ITE or ST1/2 so maybe I don't need the hatch frame at all...

I make both. The stock hatch frame weighs 17lbs IIRC. All the weight is up top by the hinges. My complete f'glass hatch and lexan weigh in about 15lbs, stock unit is 57lbs complete. My hoods are about 15lbs. PM me for info and pics.

Good idea.

jgrewe has them, AWR has them, or you can make your own out of an aluminum hood and come in under 15lbs...use the stock headlight skins to fill in the corners. It took some trial and error, but I got it done.


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AWR doesn't have the hoods any longer. DesignTech has the molds? Unfortunately I only have a TII aluminum hood with the scoop... I mostly just want rid of the scoop, honestly. :-) I'd actually like a hood that incorporated venting to extract the air that came in through the intercooler/oil cooler/radiator...

I once had these 2 sites which had preformed (thick) lexan side windows, which are a 1 on 1 replscement of factory pieces. I wanna keep functionality of windows for now, front and rear I can make myself... I can't find the sites anymore though.

Anyone know?

Riz.

I can vouch for JGrewes lexan/fiberglass hatch. Its a great part that saves a TON of weight. In my car I simply sourced a sheet of lexan from a local supplier and cut it to shape for the windshield, however it doesnt save much weight at all if you use the thick stuff. If I were to do it all again, when you consider the added rigidity of the glass windshield I wouldnt go to the lexan.

We're redoing some of the cage, so the windshield is getting R&R'd, anyway. I'm sure the cage will add more rigidity than the windshield could. I think we're required to run 1/4" thick windshields... is that what you found not to offer much weight savings? I believe the rear window can be 1/8"...

I think he meant "soft windshield flapping in your face at speed" rigidity, not chassis rigidity..

Yeah im talking about the thickness in terms of it being able to take an impact decently well and not flapping to death on a long straight. Im not sure what thickness I used but in the end it came in just a few pounds under the stock glass, and the glass was way easier to keep clean, and it was stronger. For the 2-3 pounds I saved I wouldn't do it again.