PDA

View Full Version : Polycarbonate windows??



McPikie
07-06-2006, 12:55
A mate of mine works at a glass company and has told me he can supply me poly on the cheap, but I have to cut it to size for my car.

Now, how hard will this be for someone quite capable with a jigsaw?

And also, how are the door glasses held in place? Rivvetted like the rears??

northy
07-06-2006, 12:57
shouldnt be too hard at all.

but getting the flat sheet and cutting then fitting doesnt work like that.

You will need to bend the sheet to the correct profile aswell.

If your good with a heat gun you should be able to knock something up real quick.

The rear windows are held in by the rubber mate - so no reason to rivet at all.

Gav
07-06-2006, 13:04
i think scottiecup is selling some of these Mr Pickie!

send me that pic! u know what im talkin aboot :wink:

McPikie
07-06-2006, 13:23
i think scottiecup is selling some of these Mr Pickie!

Why pay £170................ when you can sort them for £60 :wink:


send me that pic! u know what im talkin aboot :wink:

What pic?? Remind me

Gav
07-06-2006, 13:26
June 30th, thats the only clue ur getting u bumma :wink:

McPikie
07-06-2006, 13:28
Unfortunately mate, she has just told me that she wont be coming as she has got a phone bill for £264, pmsl

Gav
07-06-2006, 13:29
**** it then, i'll av urs off you :wink:

McPikie
07-06-2006, 13:39
f**k it then, i'll av urs off you :wink:

I meant mine you pleb :roll:

Although if you're coming this trackday that Gaz is sorting, it could be on the cards :wink:

clowo16v
07-06-2006, 13:49
Can he get hold of it for other people aswell? Wouldn't mind making some myself and I want to make a perspex dashboard.

Matt

Gav
07-06-2006, 13:52
f**k it then, i'll av urs off you :wink:

I meant mine you pleb :roll:

Although if you're coming this trackday that Gaz is sorting, it could be on the cards :wink:

if thats the case then fine but i wont be on the track in my car
I will be in the back of my car

gettit?? huh do ya :wink:

:roll:

Justin..
07-06-2006, 18:38
you could cut it with a jigsaw but no way i hell you would get a dead straight and clean cut no matter what blade you use.

Rich
07-06-2006, 18:41
use wet and dry to sand the edges, i could put money on someone i know getting a 100% staright edge on them though

clowo16v
07-06-2006, 18:57
Warmed stanley knife blade and then wet n dry the edges might work?

Matt

Justin..
07-06-2006, 19:00
you can get them nic with a blow torch 8) but you have to be carefull not to burn or melt it too much lol

stew
07-06-2006, 19:32
Polycarbonate windows aint cheap for a reason. They use flexi-glass (go on www.plastics4performance.co.uk website and read all about it!) which aint your standard perspex. Perspex shatters easily, scratches even easier, and you will never cut straight edges properly.

If its for a track car then it would be possible to do DIY (as long as you could source some decent 4mm FLEXI GLASS or proper POLYCARBONATE).

Using perspex sheets you buy from b&q's will not work! It cracks easy as hell, and is not rigid enough! Trust me i cracked a sheet by hardly even nocking it! :oops:

If you savage some rear window seals from the scrappies (phase 3 clio's and diesel phase 1's have the fixed seals required) and make a template of the glass then it will be easy to make some rear quarter flexi-glass/polycarb windows!

The fronts will be harder as they are much more moulded, so the template wont be as good. However if you get the rough shape, you can trim it from there. If you are having fixed form windows with sliders you will have to fabricate some slider rails and glue them onto the window.

My neighbour made some for his mini race car but for a track/road car i wouldnt advise it.

And to be honest you will be the best part of a ton by the time you have got all the materials etc, so giving a 50% saving over the bought item.

You still have to spend hours to make templates, cut the windows out, make sure they fit properly etc. Best bet is to fone paul @ plastics4performance, and get a set delivered to your doopstep, to your specifications, within a 2 week timeframe, for mearly 100quid extra then you will be paying for the materials yourself. Top service all round!

Did i forget to mention that 180quid (inc vat) or 220quid (inc vat and slider kits) also include a MOULDLED rear screen, which will be impossible to make and fit to a clio yourself! :wink: :wink:

Im all up for saving money, but if your spending money on a car, mite as well do it proerly, and for the rough price of 3 tanks of petrol extra, id say its well worth it getting someone to do a proper job for you!


P.S - Sorry didnt mean to ramble on so long! :oops: :P

stevie_b
07-06-2006, 20:06
Yeah, I was going to make my own too but had trouble finding the right polycarb sheets anywhere - sounds like you have that part sorted at least. Then I factored in all the cutting and sanding and decided it was one more job I could do without - the car will take months before it is back on the road as it is! The price of the finished article isn't bad so I went for that - although it has yet to arrive after a month, but I'm not in a big rush.

In case they have not even been made yet can I ask about the advantage of going the fixed seals route? Mine were being made up so that the rear quarters would open sideways in the normal way?

Thanks

stew
07-06-2006, 20:14
i went for fixed rear 1/4's so the seals wouldnt leak like my opening ones did. after 14 years there was a little rust where the leaking seal has allowed water to contact onto the metal.

the fixed rear seals are a good option, but slightly flimsy id say, and having opening rear 1/4's mite be good for air flow out of the cabin on hot track days!

pros and cons for both i suppose. easier to make a flat sheet of flexi-glass fit a fixed seal than an opening one! :wink:

clowo16v
07-06-2006, 20:15
Moulding it to the right shape is easy just lay it over the top of the glass, heat it till it goes floppy then let it set. Had a go making a window for my 106 but never got round to doing any others.

Matt

Lunner
07-06-2006, 21:09
Edges are unimportant as long as tehy dont' deviate by more than a few mm, you get voer this, as any craftsman knows by cutting on the OTHER side of the line, and then trimming it off, you forget atleast6mm or so is under a rubber seal.

As above bending is piss easy, as is a template, simply use the exisating glass

I ahve a local place i can get it from cheap, i was gonna do just teh rear windows and tailgate window, i use teh leccy front windows too much to do without them

stew
07-06-2006, 21:30
Edges are unimportant as long as tehy dont' deviate by more than a few mm, you get voer this, as any craftsman knows by cutting on the OTHER side of the line, and then trimming it off, you forget atleast6mm or so is under a rubber seal.

As above bending is piss easy, as is a template, simply use the exisating glass

I ahve a local place i can get it from cheap, i was gonna do just teh rear windows and tailgate window, i use teh leccy front windows too much to do without them

More hassle than its worth id say! The fronts dont need to be curved, and can operate as normal eleccy windows if you dont go for the sliders! :wink:

Lunner
07-06-2006, 22:09
but the front windows are curved

And i'm broke, so anythign i can do myself and save alot of money is a bonus, plus yuou learrn new skils :D

stew
08-06-2006, 00:33
but the front windows are curved


my front flexi-glass windows werent curved, and fitted fine! the plastic bends fine as it runs up the runners. trust me thats how they are sold - non curved.

only ones that are curved are the rear screen, for obvious reasons.