Reconsider Lexan rule for 200 MPH + cars

[Unkl Ian]

  The funny cars have large holes in the side windows
but not sure widow flexing is why.

 

My understanding, the holes on the Funny Cars are for fire extinguisher access.
When everyone got on the aero kick, a few guys ran without any side openings.
Eventually, they figured out that was a bad idea, for safety.

[MAZDA1807]

Hints about what? I was just stating the facts, and you went and blew this dieing horse all to crap. I'm just sick of all the b/s about what's it gonna cost or what someones gonna have to do. It's all irrelevant, if we want to race we're going to do what ever it takes. Peter

[gearheadeh]

Hints about what? I was just stating the facts, and you went and blew this dieing horse all to crap. I'm just sick of all the b/s about what's it gonna cost or what someones gonna have to do. It's all irrelevant, if we want to race we're going to do what ever it takes. Peter

Good one Peter, I hear the resounding thump of a dropped hot potato!

[jacksoni]

For cars that cannot find/make polycarbonate windows, would it be legal to replace the window with a fiberglass or metal panel of the same shape as the original window?

Compared to making up poly carbonate windows it sounds like it would be a lot easier/cheaper to pull a mold off the original glass window, lay up a thick fiberglass panel with necessary braces etc. Perhaps with small polycarbonate panels to let in some light. The metal smiths could also roll a metal duplicate panel or at least the complex curves and fit slightly curved poly-carbonate panels in the window duplicate.

Its not like you need to see out of the back glass to back the car out of a parking spot?

The rules about form and fit of body panels I would assume should equally apply to window replacements. If you can replace a door or a whole body with a fiberglass replica I would think a window could be replaced with one too.

If you use un-pigmented resin and do not paint it, you would have a white/translucent panel to replace the glass so you could have interior sun illumination. Give it just enough color (pale blue perhaps) to make it easy to find if it blows out on the salt and you are done.

The real challenge here would be proving the duplicate panel is identical in shape and fit to the original glass.

Larry

Before I bit bullet and made lexan for my car ( maybe the 240 referred to here- I did make the compound curve quarter windows as the lone (that I could find) supposed supplier of formed ones-= Percy's speedglass- was retooling and not available) I asked Steve Davies about replacing with metal (fiberglass would work too as Hotrod Larry asks). He said that though would "look funny" as long as the window was not needed for driver visibility (as door windows would be to meet the 120* vision rule) they would be legal. Forming metal, unless you are good with an english wheel or something (not me) would be harder than the lexan. Mine were far from perfect, I learned some doing it, screwed up some stuff etc, but they worked. Only went 160 so didn't need anyway.. However, having broken some of the tempered stuff getting it out of the car, I can sure see the reason for the plastic cover or lexan on non laminated glass rule. That crap goes everywhere>

[jl222]

Hints about what? I was just stating the facts, and you went and blew this dieing horse all to crap. I'm just sick of all the b/s about what's it gonna cost or what someones gonna have to do. It's all irrelevant, if we want to race we're going to do what ever it takes. Peter

Good one Peter, I hear the resounding thump of a dropped hot potato!

 Peter @ Masda 1807.... the hint or are you learning anything is  why racers are afraid to vote or post about rule changes
or even trying to find ways for a better grated course.

  Maybe you guys could go back and review my post and get a clue. #1 Nathan stated that [ I,[ not specifically] a by posting this tread was against the SCTA #2 crying, #3 Not being allowed to run in the 200 mph line by past race director.

  What are they scared of,in my case being labled as.

  #1 against the SCTA
  #2 crybaby
  #3 reprisals for speaking out or instigating a rule change or being on the side of bike racer when the SCTA was trying
to take his championship away for not having a Log book # sticker on his bike. I informed them [to their dismay] that not
all log books were issued with #s the 222car being one of them.
   #4 mistake?
   #5 mistake maybe but doesn't jive.
  
 Peter I thought ''the resounding thump of a dropped hot potatoe'' was my unanswered post about the Hot rod magazine
Camaro being in the 200 mph line and the driver being a rookie,

  THUMP....JL222

[nrhs sales]

is it just me or is there a lot of people really upset with the SCTA lately?  We sure don't hear these kind of things with Bubs and the AMA. 

 

[Bob Drury]

  Hey, maybe metal to replace door windows is the answer.
  With my helmet extention's, I can't see out the side anyway...............

[Stan Back]

I don't know -- so I'll ask.

Why can't one build a frame on a frameless window?  It surely wouldn't be streamlining.

Stan

[Nortonist 592]

is it just me or is there a lot of people really upset with the SCTA lately?  We sure don't hear these kind of things with Bubs and the AMA. 

 

BUB doesn't run cars or am I  mistaken?

[Cajun Kid]

OK,  does this new rule for 2012 mean that NO cars OVR 200 can use glass anywhere ?

My windshield and compound curve rear/back glass are both factor laminated safety glass
with the required metal retention tabs...

My door windows and back side windows are all Lexan..

So do I have use Lexan for the Windshield and Back/Rear Glass ?

Charles

[Mac]

"My windshield and compound curve rear/back glass are both factor laminated safety glass
with the required metal retention tabs..."

The rule only effects tempered glass - the laminated type, which is in windshields, is ok. Some older vehicles also have laminated glass as standard in other places. It will say it on the corner of the glass.

"does this new rule for 2012 mean that NO cars OVR 200 can use glass anywhere ?"
The decision was made to phase in the rule over 2 years to help with the cost. The most concern was cars over 250mph. The second area was cars exceeding 200mph and then frameless windows of any speed. The 200mph mark was chosen as there are other requirements that a car has to meet at that level, such as roll cage bar thickness, fire extinguishers, 5 lug wheels, (you get the idea). Trying to be consistent here. Again, tempered glass or frameless glass are the only ones effected.

[wilcox garage]

I don't know -- so I'll ask.

Why can't one build a frame on a frameless window?  It surely wouldn't be streamlining.

Stan

This is what we did on our drag car (69 Firebird ) along with the pro-stock style latch at the top of the window. So far we've only ran in the 180s with no problems. We have a 63 Fairlane in our camp that has lexan windows all the way around that were made in the garage using the original glass as a pattern.

[jl222]

  Wish I had taken my camera today.  We went to the downtown Clovis antique show-swapmeet and they also had an older sports cars show.

  There was a Can-Am Lola coupe there [looked like a Ford GT40] the Lexan door windows had a small sliding Lexan window which one could open [ to steer car in trailer in our case]

  Also the rear flaps on spoiler, about 2'', had adjustable support rods.

  Best of all I found 7 old Hot rod mags from 1963-68  Art arforns jet car-the hemi elephant-Granatelli turbine
4-wheel drive Indy car-Drake's blown offy-Breedloves Spirit of America-Micky Thompson 24 valve head ,
565 hp from 305 inches and ford indy V8 in 67 Mustang Bville car. All for $18 

            JL222

  P.S. The winner of the car show was the won that leaked the most oil

     They had sheets of paper under cars and the crowd voted on the most oiled
 

[jl222]

  We had a problem with our 3/16'' thick side widows coming out at the front at speedweek even though we had Hardwell pro-stock type latches and Velcro to hold it in.

  Ist run widow bows out about 1'' shut down.

  2nd run add MORE Velcro towards front, still comes out.

  3rd run add brace from top of door to window, still comes out but about 255 mph or more, shut down in 3
 but qualfied for record run.

  Record run, added another brace on top of 1st brace but further down on more solid part of door.

  Widow did not come out after speed of 270-280 mph but spun car,

  ANYHOW i'm now wondering if widow is flexing out from low pressure on outside of window instead of high pressure from inside.

  We had to push like hell to get them to pop out from inside after installation.

  We still have driprails on car and the windows are set in about 3/4''

        JL222

[Leadfoot]

The cars without window frames ( Camaros ) its going to be tough to keep the windows in. I spent allot of time and money to make my windows secure, they fit tight now and had no problems to 258. Changing to lexan will make the windows more flexible and prone to blowing out. I would like to see a compromise on this blanket rule.