OPINION: Lexan in a Chopped Car

all I can say is we had to replace lexan in our pro mod twice a season. ALL OF IT! we used the special cleaners, waxes, polishes, whatever. STILL TWICE A SEASON. it was a general pain in the balls. I especially like the distortion you get in the curved areas, kinda like an acid flashback. it dosen't distort evenly like gl*** so it really screws with you. add to that scratches, stains, yellowing,stress cracks,fogging (especially fun at a night race near the coast where the humidity is about 200% and you are gonna send your driver down the track at 200+m.p.h.)
anyway, custom or not, this stuff just ****s unless the car is a full blown race car that never moves, or it is in your storm windows.
my.02

 

i never said i know it all. how about i bust your teeth in? "bobs bleeding"

 

Don't let your pride get in the way of possibly learning something.

This thread had a lot of good, opinions/facts and if you feel hurt because they aren't the same as your own it could be a chance to step up your skills.

 

internet bad***! i think i'm in love <333

 

you didnt see the first thing i said.

 

OK fine bust my teeth in...... Your lexan will still be ****ing gay....

I was kidding around with you dude, but if you want to make it personal be my guest. I'm easy to find.

Is this a rumble? haha

Like I said I have respect for the fact you have the balls to chop a car.... I really liked your story about staying up all night wiring it and the one week thrash..... It was neat. I never judged that car at all.... Or you personally...
I really don't understand why you are taking this so personally?

I just stated my opinion on plastic windows...... I think they are stupid.
If you like them, good for you...... really.

I actually think lexan can be really cool if used properly, in hot rods and race cars.....

It ****s you have this greaser *** at***ude........It really does.

 

well i might have been a bit more forgiving about the "***GIN ***" part if i wasnt in such a bad mood and stressed the **** out because i got people freeking out about the 53 chevy parts that ned to be sent. sorry i guess.

 

well if it makes anyone happy i really would rather go with gl*** instead of lexan in this car if i do decide to build it... but this is getting fun haha everyone relax this thread is about opinions and remember opinions are like ***holes everyone has one and they all stink... well some of them anyway i however like to hear opinions on my work the good ones make me feel like ive accomplisged somehting and the bad ones make me feel like i can and need to do mroe with my work so take that into consideration too

 

lexan... ha, it looks like lexan

 

well i got sand in my *******.

really, you gotta be one stupid mother****er to be goin around here promising to knock peoples teeth in.

 

the drama is over.

 

.........sorry, I didn't take the time to read all the *****ing back and forth.
When we bought the Stude in 1984, it had been chopped and had no gl*** in it. I got tired of waiting to find someone to cut the stock windshield down, so..................



............ran it like this for about 6 months with no problems. Two pieces of Lexan and aluminum tape!

 

Billy, I'd take Chris' advice if I were you, he seems to know the car, and what's wrong with it.
If I were you, I would rather start with a fresh car, and chop it "right" than try to fix a butcher job. It's actually a LOT less work, not as much aggravation, and you'll learn a lot, and can tell everyone you did it yourself.
I've seen your work on your car, and you are learning a lot fast. Maybe just a bit of guidance, and more experience, and you can pull it off.
If you want some hints on chopping a top, why not come down to the shop this weekend. We're having a top-choppin party. Jim Laga's 41 Caddy. You can learn a lot.....I have a bit of experience doing this, and don't mind p***ing it on.
If the car's roof is totally ****ed, and you still want it, I also have a sedan delivery roof in the shed, "conversion time"????? Could look especially cool if the car isn't a Chevy..a phantom delivery would be ***s!

 

If Germ was reading this, he HAS to have the shakes...

If this doesn't bring the guy out of moth balls, nothing will...

 

What is MFS III?

 

Skate,
I hear ya man. I posted up earlier concerning my '56 F100 chop. What I didn't post was the part of the story about my learning curve of cutting that windshield. The going rate for having someone cut a curved windshield was about $100 a pop. You supply the gl*** and if it brakes you pay and bring another one and they can try again. I heard stories of folks going through a few windshields before they got one that worked. That would be the cost of each windshield pluss another C note. The cost was very prohibitive so I thought hell, I could break windshields myself and save a lot of money. So I decided to try it myself. I cut my trashed, windshield wiper-s****ed original windshield the first time without making a template. The top corners were cut way too round. I threw the gl*** in with the weatherstrip and drove around for about six months until I got the balls to try another one. I really got tired of people shoving a finger through the openings at the corners when I went to shows but it sure helped me to get down to business and learn a little about what I had to do. The second one broke at the sandblaster. I swear they kicked it or dropped it. The third was the charm. The best part about the third was that it was a brand new windshield that had been installed and removed because the customer didn't want the green fade at the top of the gl***. So I bought it as used for a way better price and the gl*** was clear...bonus. All went well and I had a great learning experience.

 

Mad Fabricators Society volume III.

 

We are going thru the same learning process. I masked off the old windshield and took my sandblaster to it, and was amazed how easy it was and proably would not have cracked if I had supported it better. We found someone that had a new tinted windshield and took it to a guy with a water jet cutter. He cut that one prefect, but 10 minutes after he finished a small crack started. He really felt bad and did'nt charge me. He said that alot of Old Car windshields being sold today are coming out of Mexico, and when the two layers of gl*** and the plastic in between are ***embled, there are stress areas. So, we are looking for a deal on another windshield, and when we find one I think I'm going to try sandblasting again but I going to use expandable foam insulation and wood strips to support it better.

Another tip, for the rough edges or to fit tight spots, I used 80 grit disks on a DA sander at fairly low speed and stopping often to avoid too much heat. It is slow, but does work. I got more time than money, but do wear a good respirator. If it was easy, nobody would want one.

If anybodys had success, I'd like to hear it>

buflochp

 

Moonglow has lexan windows.

 

..sure you dont mean plexi..?
creepy

 

that's probably why it got crushed!

 

I just sandblasted a 56 ford truck windshield. it was time consuming but it came out with out a crack. I used 70 grit silica sand in a pressure blaster at 95 psi. I blast all the way to the laminate on one side and flip the gl*** and do the other side. I have not had a problem doing it that way.

Brick

 

I've been told (but I don't know if its true) to "stay away" from a chopped car that makes use of plastic for windows, b/c that means the chop wasn't done correctly. NOt to say that's what you did, but I think that's the conventional wisdom . . . I mention it 'cause you refer to "resale." If the chop was done right, get some gl*** . . . it shows it was done correctly.

 

In the case of a 50's chevy car chop, i'd rather see somebody keep the stock style wrap around back window layed down and use lexan than see somebody piece in a flat piece of gl*** from a merc or some other car.

I see all these 54 chevy chops at shows and everybody welds in a merc frame and that small round piece of gl***. That is half ***ed.

For a back window, I think whatever you use, lexan or gl***, it will look good if it was done right. As for windshields or side windows, use gl***.

 

Damn, i gotta start lookin at the dates of these posts before i reply. Who brings up 3 year old posts?

 

Well, if thats the case, and you convince them to change that window, Ill take the Merc one!

 

New rule: Any thread in which Draggin *** posted on can no longer be brought to the top. What a tool.

I'm glad I didn't buy that car. I was lookin to turn a buck real quick cuz I was broke.