Why does lexan have such a bad rap?

the point is this guy built a car that can not have any type of gl*** windshield installed no matter what he trys

 

http://www.optigl***pc.com/***ets/docs/OptiMar DATA SHEET 2009.pdf

The link above is for a Polycarbonate sheet that has UV resistance to keep the yellowing down, and mar resistance to protect against scratching.

Lexan is the GE trade name for polycarbonate.
If you look around you can find different Polycabonates (P.C.), but with different trade names.

P.C. is the toughest plastic around for impact, but when it breaks the edges and points are like spears.

Two of the worse enemies of P.C. are hydrocarbons, and anerobic thread locker..so keep your lock***e and WD-40 away from it.

 

Some of you guys may be thinking of Plexiglas.

That said, I prefer gl*** in the windshield and side windows.
Been thinking of swapping the roadsters cloth top rear gl*** for Lexan to get a little weight off the canvas.

Keep in mind the OP has a widened car and I don't have a clue where he could get gl*** for the front and rear.

That said, here's a pic of the Lexan - which is a trade name, common name is polycarbonate - windwings in my 32.
Still very clear after 10-12 years.


Only scratch is where some clown ran a sharp object over it at a car show to show that they weren't gl***.


Most polycarbonate's come with an Ultra-violet resistant film permanently affixed to the gl***.
All you gotta do there is orient it towards the sun.

 

Since the car is unpainted, meaning it's not too late, a lawful setup would be to revamp the windshield mount and run V-****ed flat gl***....

 

Y'all sure you're really talking about Lexan? That stuff is tough. We had a break-in through a window at our animal hospital and replaced it with Lexan. You can bounce a baseball bat off it. Lots of racers use Lexan windshields-here's a link:

http://woundedwarriortravel.com/safer_at_any_speed.htm

I'm not a windshield guy but if it works, could be a temporary fix. Not sure if it's legal in PA, though.

 

my question is why would you widen a roof when you chop it? i have chopped a few cars and havent had to widen any of them. chopped 53 chevy sedan delivery, 48 plymouth, 49 chevy 5 window truck, 50 chevy sedan and 94 suburban and the roof stayed the same width on all those... if the B pillars dont match up cut the corners of the windshield opening and bend to fit..

 

Also, if you get abrasion resistant lexan, it's pretty hard to scratch. I have a small windscreen on my speedster made out of lexan. It's 1/4" thick and cost me a whole $60. Plus I had a bit left over for various side projects (polycarb has sooo many uses)

(BTW, the windshield on the speedster is mainly there due to a section of the NYS safety inspection checklist that requires a windshield and a windshield wiper being "present" in the car)

 

Looks good from here! Drive it and if the Lexan gl*** needs replaced you have a template!

 

You really should take a minute to catch yourself up with the original thread. You are totally clueless as to what the builder has done with the car and your 2 posts mumbling BS shows it. Really, do yourself a favor and read his build thread.

 

Lexan has it's place but not in a windshield car application. It works well on my bike buti've had to relplace it a couple times because of yellowing, scratches and just getting an unclear look to it. Works well when you hit birds doing 85 on the highway but not if i had to look through it..especially at night. My suggestion is do it right with a good gl*** company which someone has already given you one that is tried and true.

 

Don't, it's 2 or 3 times as much as a similar product at an independent shop.

big difference between the sides and the windshield.

 

I work with lexan on the race cars and there are 2 types, one you get from lowes or home depot for cheap. I might last a street car a few weeks, it'll scratch easily and whenthe sun hits it it'll turn into a white billboard. there's a marguard high quality that'll warp your wallett and it isn't all that much better either. It'll just take a little longer. The other bad thing is how the sun makes it stretch, it'll grow like crazy in direct sunlight. Also there is a direction that it has to face, ie: left or right. It has to do with the ripple effect, the sheet will have an arrow or some identifier to tell you the cutting direction. There is also one side that has UV protection and that has to face outward. Other than those problems its' fine to use.

 

ok sorry guess i did my cars all wrong then... next time ill add a foot to make the body fit the frame instead of using a tape measure the first time...

 

i used 3/16 inch lexan. same as in race cars. 140.00 for a 4' by 8'. and i only used about half, hence the 80.00 remark.

 

Oh is that what i forgot to do? measure.

ill remember that for the next one, thanks.

 

hahahahahaha .....

 

Seems to me that it would be fine for the short term and if nothing else it makes great templates. It is easy to cut up and trim away till you get the shape right.

Run it till it scratches all up then take it out and send it to the gl*** shop.

 

If you are buying Lexan, the one to buy is from GE. Both side of the Lexan is hard coated, which is the one that is recommended by most racing sanctions, it is also used in the aerospace industry (F-16 Canopy for one). It is alot cheaper to have front & rear curved pieces made than having Custom gl*** made from a company like Metalcrafters. Also must be okay if Rad Rides by Troy is also using it on some of his high dollar cars.

Remember he said he add 2" in the middle of the roof and I also don't know of any company that is williaming to make curved gl*** without mortgaging your house. I have looked into it because I was going to do a 2" chop on my 2005 Dodge crew cab dually.

 

You know any gl*** shops that can make a compound curve windshield?

 

right on...

There's a guy within 100 miles of here that can do it if you send him the templates, not cheap, but good stuff...

 

Ajmopar,

I don't know of any shops around here and in fact I've run into the same problems as this guy. You build something a little out of the box and something like curved gl*** can be a nightmare. Ya sure there are ways to do it right but how much are you willing to spend? Gl*** may cost you more than your entire budget.

 

A solution better than Lexan is Acrylic plastic, aircraft quality. This is what they windshields for small aircraft out of and it is crystal clear, resists scratches and is tough like Lexan. I had the rear corner gl*** of my '51 Chev BelAir made of this and 10 years later they still look like new.

 

Real gl***?

 

I don't think rocks would be an issue as some have mentioned, it is after all used as shielding in a lot of applications and as "bullet proof" gl***. However it does scratch easily. Next time you are in a ****ty part of town where either the quickie mart or the drive threw window has really thick "gl***" used to prevent robberies look at how scratched up and almost non transparent it is from weathering. That'll be your windshield before to long, just give it some time.

 

Yep the bullet proof stuff is really thick.

 

Acrylic WILL shatter!

 

even the thin stuff wont shatter though.
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yeah, most aircraft actually use some sort of lexan as far as I am aware.

 

Weld the greenhouse back to its original specs. Would sorta look like a bubble top car and would really make the car look even wider.

 

Or you could hunt for some factory windshield opening that looks good on your car and implant the entire windsheild frame and gl*** from the donor car.

Kind of like what this guy did from what I can tell.