Author Topic: Lexan frameless windows  (Read 6878 times)

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Offline Dr Goggles

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Lexan frameless windows
« on: June 14, 2012, 06:37:11 AM »
Hi All,
 there are a few cars coming over for Speedweek 2012 from the DLRA. There's a bellytank running in C I think, a four door blown 498 and a Monaro running in D/Pro. I just spoke to Wayne Pickles who owns the Monaro and they are in a mad panic to get their Lexan windows made.

John and Troy I know you had an ongoing issue with stopping yours sucking out, could you post some pics of your fix? I seem to remember the Beerhaven Giant had pix too.

Any suggestions for our friends would be great.


Yes MM you guessed right , they are the guys who are bringing the container , and likely, your little block too........

Thanks.
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

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Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2012, 08:35:48 AM »
Mine are fairly non typical - don't know what help they'd provide for a real car -



The top is an inner-outer fiberglass shell - I simply split it on the seam in the opening, cut the lexan large and sandwiched it between the shells.  Epoxy and pop rivits after that, and now the windows are essentially epoxy welded into the top.

The roll ups are un-edged, but there's a frame slot behind the vent window, and the top and back will be held tight in the top recess with latches.  Pics on that will follow once I'm done dinking around with the cage and wiring and don't need to have the windows down from time to time.

Hey, it's working for me, but again, on a real car . . .
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2012, 10:04:46 AM »
Hey mate, there was another thread on this subject a while back with lotsa good ideas & I presume you're talking about hardtop doors.
  Sid.
 

Offline maguromic

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2012, 10:50:52 AM »
The Blow Fish uses braces attached to the door on the inside.  Tony

“If you haven’t seen the future, you are not going fast enough”

McRat

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2012, 11:32:22 AM »
The adhesive available at General Motors for factory windows will not pull out.  Far stronger and safer than screws.  Think the pull of Devcon (JB Weld) with the flex of silicone.  Serious freaking stuff.  I would not be afraid to put body panels on with it.  It might look and act like RTV, but it's not.

Unless you have a big enough oven to curve it, you will have to come up with a way to use alum extrusion or tube to hold it's shape, or it will be very tough to hold in place while the glue cures, and it will reduce the strength a bunch, being "pre-tensioned" while the thermal expansion goes back and forth. 

I wouldn't want screws on the track either, so while they didn't explicitly say "no screws" using them would defeat the entire purpose.  They know when a window blows out, they don't know when a screw falls out.

I think the best, cheapest, and fastest solution would have been duct tape, but it's not pretty.

Offline jl222

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2012, 12:08:04 PM »
Hi All,
 there are a few cars coming over for Speedweek 2012 from the DLRA. There's a bellytank running in C I think, a four door blown 498 and a Monaro running in D/Pro. I just spoke to Wayne Pickles who owns the Monaro and they are in a mad panic to get their Lexan windows made.

John and Troy I know you had an ongoing issue with stopping yours sucking out, could you post some pics of your fix? I seem to remember the Beerhaven Giant had pix too.

Any suggestions for our friends would be great.


Yes MM you guessed right , they are the guys who are bringing the container , and likely, your little block too........

Thanks.

 Hi Doc... Go to build diaries ''Getting ready for Bville'' third from top pg 110 reply 1646. pic doesn't show brace added to brace
in a more stable spot down further on door.
 From what we now know I would have used a brace with Dzus fastners to take window out easily. We need to roll windows down to steer car into trailer and turn off and on air bottle on passenger side. Braces with Dzus and we could just take window off and not worry about rolling down.
 We used 3/16 in Lexan because they didn't make 1/4 in in a tint. 1/4 would have been better.

  Pro stock cars use the brace + the latch but I don't see a latch on blowfish [not sure]

   Got windows from Pro-Glass  1-630-553-3141

   Latches and braces available from Jerry Bickel Race Cars  1-636-356-4727

   Both on internet.

                  JL222
« Last Edit: June 14, 2012, 12:16:41 PM by jl222 »

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2012, 03:36:29 PM »
You could use a couple of 1/16 stainless cables from the top of the window to the inside of the door if you need the ability to wind the window down. That will stop the top sucking out at speed & easy to build.
  Sid.

Offline Tman

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2012, 03:43:00 PM »
You could use a couple of 1/16 stainless cables from the top of the window to the inside of the door if you need the ability to wind the window down. That will stop the top sucking out at speed & easy to build.
  Sid.

VERY smart idea :wink:

Offline jl222

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2012, 11:08:44 PM »
You could use a couple of 1/16 stainless cables from the top of the window to the inside of the door if you need the ability to wind the window down. That will stop the top sucking out at speed & easy to build.
  Sid.

  Good idea, might try that on rear part of the camaro's long window.

  The problem we had was the window flexing out in front of latch, should have mounted it more foreward in 1st place.

 We added brace in front of latch still pulled out because of flex in brace. Added brace to brace and was good to 275 mph+
before spinning.

  Still added another latch.

                               JL222

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2012, 12:13:06 AM »
I passed the ideas along to Wayne( I only have three Wayne's in my contacts, they are all LSR peeps) who liked the cable idea very much. I think their body was built from a few shells, lowering its potential value but these cars are big $$$$$$ items here and I can't imagine he's thrilled to bits about having to remove the glass AND butcher the doors.

Thanks to the Langlos and you too Lanky

The biscuit goes to the Idaho Kiwi

Thanks everyone.
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: Lexan frameless windows
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2012, 09:42:44 AM »
Goggs, they really don't need to butcher the doors if they use the same thickness in lexan & then run the cables down behind the door panel. Also make a small aluminum lip for the tapered front of the window so you can close the door then roll the window up into it. If its not too big, the door will still open ok because it can flex in, not out.
You could make the cables adjustable at the door end with something like this so you can fine tune it.
  Sid.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648&item=200546884632&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT
« Last Edit: June 15, 2012, 10:08:26 AM by kiwi belly tank »