Lexan Windshield and Windows?
 

Anyone have any experience with lexan windows yet? Fabbed your own? Gotten quotes for someone else to fab them? Purchased a kit?

This looks interesting:

http://www.lexan-windows.com/window-...html?brand=612

I emailed them to ask if the window kit includes the windshield or not and if they ship to the US. I also emailed these folks: http://www.proglasswindows.com/ to see how much it would cost to fab up an FR-S kit.



EDIT: The bare basic kit from lexan-windows.com shipped to the US is $1,688.85 at today's exchange rate. And I asked proglasswindows.com for a rough quote, and he said it would be about $1,175 and they would need an original to form the new ones. They're located in IL.

I was going to put some into my old Impreza and was also looking at a UK company which made them. The shipping was about half the cost of the windows, so if you are looking at 500 for the windows figure at least 250 for shipping.

A lot of Lexan/Polycarbonate windows scratch easily and it's permanent, so I wouldn't exactly use them for a daily driver. I'm also guessing Subaru put fairly lightweight glass in these cars so I would definitely get some exact weights.

http://www.percysop.com/ makes something called SpeedGlass, probably the best replacement glass and it's available in the US from most places like Jegs, Summit, etc. in sheets if you are willing to form your own.

Yeah, I was reading something Scion had written, and they claimed the factory glass is "lightweight," whatever that means. I'll definitely try to get some numbers before I go dropping $2,000 on some plastic.

I think safety is a concern with race glass too. It seems like if the factors were just right, you could possibly have a crash where the top of the windshield separates from the car and falls inward, making a nice blade that could find your neck or face if you're flying forward. I don't know if that's a realistic scenario, but it's something that popped into my head about 2 seconds after I considered putting race glass in my daily driver like 5 years ago.

If you're going to run a Lexan windshield, you'll need to put reinforcement bars behind it to keep it from bowing at high speed.

I wouldn't do a lexan windshield for a DD car.

Can't run wipers very well with Lexan either. Lexan is great for a full all out racecar, but anything less is just crazy talk.

Yes, I know and agree with all of this.

bump

is there any Lexan kit available for the FRS right now ? for race car of course ;)

dr steve fucking brule

that's all I have to say

Most sanctioning bodies wont let you run Lexan windshield anyways or bump you into never never land.

Side windows and the back window are another matter.

D

We actually sell the Cusco Lexan windows, but we will not sell them to you unless you can provide evidence of a race car.

side window there really isn't any weight to be saved, rear window, a little bit but doubt it is more than 2-3 lbs. We made our own, it is fairly easy, just time consuming to make it look right

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psdbqthckw.jpg

Most sanctioning bodies also require no windows in the sides, so you could only really use it for the small quarter windows and the rear window.

Much cheaper and easier ways to reduce weight.

The Spec86 Cup race series as most series has a minimum weight requirement that makes the lexan windows an essentially useless modification.

-mike

https://www.japanparts.com/parts/detail/44438

https://www.japanparts.com/parts/detail/44436

Acrylic (pmma)behaves more like glass not scratching or hazing. However low impact strength. But does list weight savings.

We made our own front and like others have posted it's really time consuming. Now that we made one it would be straight forward to make another windshield. I will say I'm not that sure it's very safe unless used in a race car. Hopefully this pic is decent enough.

https://fbcdn-photos-d-a.akamaihd.ne...13fd571aaf42af

We probably have 13-15 bolts and rivets along with an aluminum L channel brace in the center. We used real Lexa of equivalent impact resistant plastic. Windshield wipers worked well but at high speed the Lexan does push in some. You can use sealer to keep it water tight also.

Without a full cage there is concern the roof won't hold up in a roll over as the windshield is often an integral part of the structure. If you have ever tried to pop out a glued in windshield you could see how this is possible.

In a race car with a helmet and visor, the center brace, and all those bolts there probably isn't much to worry about but on the street without the helmet I'm not so sure how safe I would feel having a wheel or a deer coming at my window. Oem windshields are rediculously strong and safe and I'm not sure the weight savings is worth removing.

I will be going back to a regular windshield on my FRS because it's too light anyway.