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Oct 31, 2009 18:16:20 GMT
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At the end of the day, if your car is hardcore enough to warrant plastic windows you shouldn't even be thinking about winding them down. Exactly this. Don't ever do it on a street car, or even on a track car which is driven to the track, unless it's the last place you can look to save some weight. If you've still got carpet, interior trim, seats with more than a few mm of padding over a composite shell or any form of sound deadening then they should go first in my opinion. Why? From what I understand, provided it is the right thickness, there aren't any major drawbacks. Removing interior affects the comfort far more than switching to plastic windows surely?? I'm switching the seats for some period looking buckets, and swapping the rear seat for a foam panel but going without carpet is a step too far for the car. Also, the weight being lost is higher in the car, with the secondary benefit of lowering the centre of gravity.
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Oct 31, 2009 18:50:16 GMT
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Exactly this. Don't ever do it on a street car, or even on a track car which is driven to the track, unless it's the last place you can look to save some weight. If you've still got carpet, interior trim, seats with more than a few mm of padding over a composite shell or any form of sound deadening then they should go first in my opinion. Why? From what I understand, provided it is the right thickness, there aren't any major drawbacks. Removing interior affects the comfort far more than switching to plastic windows surely?? I'm switching the seats for some period looking buckets, and swapping the rear seat for a foam panel but going without carpet is a step too far for the car. Also, the weight being lost is higher in the car, with the secondary benefit of lowering the centre of gravity. Well yes, there are few draw backs, but there's much less benefit. There's a lot more weight to be lost stripping the interior, etc., than through replacing the glass. If you want to lose as much weight as possible then replace the glass. If you just want to lose some weight, then stripping carpet and sound deadening is much cheaper, free in fact. Presuming you don't want to pay out a huge amount then you'll probably end up with Perspex or standard polycarbonate windows that don't have the hardened surface. Then you'll be limited to only having sliders in the windows rather than wind-down windows. Less ventilation, and if you're planning on using the car on the road, good luck reaching out of the slider for tickets at barrier-controlled car parks ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) Obviously it's up to you how you want to lose the weight from the car, just a question of how you prioritise weight saving and comfort.
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Last Edit: Oct 31, 2009 18:51:13 GMT by Rich606
1989 Peugeot 205. You know, the one that was parked in a ditch on the campsite at RRG'17... the glass is always full. but the ratio of air to water may vary.
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Oct 31, 2009 18:52:00 GMT
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when i ran minis we used to say the cheapest way to save weight was sticking the driver on a diet.
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Oct 31, 2009 19:24:58 GMT
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Only looking to replace rear side windows and rear screen, fronts staying as is. You're right I couldn't live with sliders. I understand there are other ways of weight saving, and am looking into all of them. The windows seem worthwhile swapping at this point because all of the glass is out at the moment whilst it is getting sprayed. Makes sense to just re fit plastic. Just the cost side that may put me off now. Cheers guys
Agree that driver weight is often the biggest change you can make, I'm only 10.5 stone and 6 foot though, not a lot more to get rid off, unless I use a saw!
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CIH
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Oct 31, 2009 20:37:36 GMT
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Could it not be a wee bit bad in the event of an off too (worst case scenario) ?
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Oct 31, 2009 21:42:42 GMT
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Depends. While perspex is considered shatter proof, it is still possible to break. You'll likely be better protected from anything coming into or going out of the car in an accident though. Lexan is basically unbreakable, so you'll definitely be protected, but as you say, CamInHead: worst case scenario is you end up trapped in a car with non-opening doors after an accident, with windows that are nearly unbreakable. ![:-/](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/undecided.png)
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1989 Peugeot 205. You know, the one that was parked in a ditch on the campsite at RRG'17... the glass is always full. but the ratio of air to water may vary.
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CIH
Posted a lot
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Posts: 1,466
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especially if the curse word is on fire.....I've been reading about the new Nurburgring GTR fast-reesponse fire tender, as it happens.
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Spoke to Paul at Plastic 4 Performance - top Guy! They can sort me out for windows for the whole car(bar front screen obviously) at pretty good cost. There is a new material which is called Lexan Margard. The Lexan poly coated in a scratch proof chemical. Sounds perfect. I'll keep you guys posted, I'm excited now! Cheers!
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
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"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Depends. ... worst case scenario is you end up trapped in a car with non-opening doors after an accident, with windows that are nearly unbreakable. ![:-/](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/undecided.png) I think the usual way to do it with race/track cars is to pop-rivot or screw the plastic to the outside of the lip the window rubber would normally sit on, and I can imagine that in the event of an accident it would quite easily kick out, cirtainly as easily as a glass side window would break. Take it from me, kicking out the side window of a car that's on it's roof is surprisingly difficult, mostly because feet are big flat things and not too good at shattering sheets, They're much better at pushing the whole thing out. I plan on replacing the windows in my mini with lexan, as well as making a lexan firewall between the passenger compartment and the engine in the back, so I've still got a decent rear view. Let us know how the winding plastic windows go, as that'd be pretty cool in the mini for events like riv run.
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bryn
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The vehicle from the Retro Cars feature. Maybe Bryn can add some enlightenment? ![](http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Misc%20car%20Photos/BrynsVolvo04.jpg) Hola amigos ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) First up, you've spoken to Paul at Plastics4Performance and if you saw the article in RC you'll know he was the man who supplied me with the windows in my Volvo. I can't speak highly enough of him, his service was excellent and he made my windows from a paper template I sent him in a tube. ACE. Polycarb windows all boil down to what you want, as witnessed in this thread there is a very wide gamut of what people think you can and cannot do, pros, cons etc. It's down to you and you alone to work out what you want. I personally wouldn't make them wind up, it seems pointless to save the weight of the glass but then keep the winder mech. I can't remember off the top of my head if there was a picture published of the inside of the Volvo doors, but I'll try and explain what I did if not. Imagine looking at the inside panel of the door and then cutting it out, leaving an inch or two around the outside. I mean everything. Your new Polycarb window is now able to freely slot up into the existing window rubber, I drilled a single hole in the middle of the window at the bottom as I had roughly three inches of material that was left below the window line. I then bent a piece of alloy bar in two, bolting it to the bottom of the window to form a loop that hangs down. This now slides in on an angle to hold the window up, I wedge it against the side impact bar in the door, but it would be quite easy to weld a tab to retain it. I'm desperately hunting for an image, but can't find one right now... So you'll have to make do with some puppies in Suffolk. Look to the right and you can just make out part of what I'm describing ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) Using this method I can slot the windows in and out as I want. Ideal. ![](http://i38.tinypic.com/2e3rd6t.jpg) As for heat and inconvenience... Really? Stop yo jibberjabber ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) ![](http://i37.tinypic.com/nqttl3.jpg)
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Volvo, Buggy, Discovery and an old tractor.
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Ldv fitted all police vans with wind down ploycarb the rubber has a special insert that is glued in place of the felt strips an two metal clamps to hold it to the reg all are available as service items from any ldv dealer the insert comes from ldv as a 2metre roll and it is cut to length as they also use it in the polise sliding windows
When i fitted them to my escort it cost me the grand sum of ten quid to fit all 3 parts
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i need to replace the windows on the racecar and was intending on doing it myself. I might give those guys a call and see what price they can come up with though.
I can get some pics if people want to see how the fix. Basically its LOTS of tabs tig welded, and the poly then screws in place with tiny allen headed bolts.
Ive stripped down the body, but i can do the doors one day this week if people want some 'in progress' pics.
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