1986redbird

do you have to have side windows in a car in order to pass tech. inspections, I thought you could shave alot of weight out of the doors if you could remove the windows and regulators. don't know if it's legal though.

oh yeah, how much drag would it cause on the car to not have them, would it be more than the weight you would loose.

AlkyIROC

All full body cars must have all windows. Side windows must be rolled up.

If you have a full roll cage with a window net you still need to have side windows.

For a race only car you can remove the side windows and regulators and solid mount a Lexan window. That's what I did. Since the windows can't roll down any more when it gets hot I have to have the door open for a breeze. My windshield picked up a crack over the winter so I may have to pick up another sheet of Lexan and cut out another one. I don't think the crack will pass a tech inspection.

Lexan is 1/2 the weight of glass. A windshield is 20 pounds so switching to Lexan is only 10 pounds. The side windows weigh less but removing the regulators and all the extra steel from inside the door makes up for it.

Even T-tops must be in when racing so there's no issue about drag from having an open window.

1986redbird

OK thanks for the info., can I use plexiglass or does it have to be lexan ??

AlkyIROC

Plexiglass, Lexan, Lucite is allowed in NHRA and IHRA. Most stock car racing doesn't allow it though but the drag racing does.

383backinblack

MTRA says the truck has to have 3/8" minimum lexan behind the cab unless its steel sometimes safety gets expensive,

all clear viewing areas (there are alot in the trucks) must be the same thickness too.....theres alot on the floor so you can see whats goin on down there, and behind the wheels as well. that gets expensive lol.

glassman

lexan for the w/sheild at least! you dont want plexiglass there! Iwould suggest 1/8'' min. 3/16 is better, drill bigger holes than your screws (no pop rivets) and hand tighten only, oder a shimmed tape kit from a autoglass shop, and paint a border around the windsheild to hide the pinchweld Plexi and Lucite can crack and break if to much pressure is applied but would work in the door glass. you will need some kind of bracing for the top Lexan for the back glass too. hard to get plexi to bend enuff without breaking

AlkyIROC

I'm sure the rulebook said that a windshield must be a minimum of 3/16" thick but the only thing I can find in my 2002 rulebook is 1/8" for all windows. Use 3/16" think and nobody will question it.

My windshield and side windows are Plexiglass. My driver door window cracked when I leaned on it. The broken piece is held on with a piece or duct tape for now. The windshield had a chip on the edge when I originally cut it. It was fine all last year and I noticed a few wekks ago that the chip produced a crack going about a foot across the front. I don't think it will pass a tech inspection so it looks like I'll be changing the windshield. My cost for a sheet of plexiglass that has enough to do the windshield and both side windows is around $90. The same sheet in the cheapest Lexan is about $400.

The rulebook states that you can use Plexiglass, Lexan or any other shatterproof material. I'd like to know what other materials are available that can be used.

I was originally going to attach the windshield with machine screws and nuts but realized I couldn't get inside the a-piller to attach the nuts. My windshield is held on with about 30 #10 x 3/4" screws. They may be #12's. I can't remember. There's no sealer holding it in so to remove it I just need to take out the screws. You wouldn't want something like this for a street car anyway. The wipers would leave scratches.

glassman

stephen you are paying way too much. check w Lowes or homee depot or a glass shop for a 4x8 sheet of reg. 1/8'' lexan should be less than 120$ , mar-resistant and tinted can get costly though, big bucks!

383backinblack

i think steve has to pay canadian for it that might make a difference

JERRYWHO

$400 a sheet no way. My shop forms Lexan and I have a customer that has us do a compound bend on the edge each sheet and if we scrap 4 or 5 sheets a run we just put them in the trash. Todays run was 338 sheets of 3/16 with no scrap. The company that has us form for them has never asked for scraped or setup sheets back. I will up my price if that stuff is $400 a sheet.


Also you can find Lexan parts for your camaro at www.alstonracing.com

Part # Description Cost
801113 82-92 1/8" KIT - MR10 $555.00
801013 82-92 1/8" KIT - STD $425.00
801913 82-92 DRIVERS WINDOW 1/8" MR10 $70.00
801813 82-92 DRIVERS WINDOW 1/8" STD $45.00
801713 82-92 REAR WINDOW MOULDED 1/8" MR10 $320.00
801613 82-92 REAR WINDOW MOULDED 1/8" STD $240.00
801413 82-92 WINDSHIELD 1/8" MR10 $160.00
801213 82-92 WINDSHIELD 1/8" STD $100.00
801513 82-92 WINDSHIELD 3/16" MR10 $210.00
801313 82-92 WINDSHIELD 3/16" STD $135.00

Jerry

AlkyIROC

I am talking Canadian prices. Nothing is cheap here. Average exchange rate is around 1.5 so $100 US is currently around $150 Canadian.

That's just the exchange rate. Now to buy those precut pieces from the states, add on shipping, brockerage fees and taxes and it gets very expensive.

The MR10 windshield would be around $400 if not more by the time I got it in my hands.

383backinblack

that leads to some pretty excellent nights out in montreal, for really cheap for us northeast US guys hehe

glassman

formed lexan is nice but you can get by w/the cheap stuff.