Joined the windshield club

[Ponymedic]

300 miles on my roadster and suprise!!! A crack nowhere near the screws. Trying to decide factory five replacement? Fast freddies ( cant find the link) or lexan? Thoughts????

[edwardb]

Member of that club too. (It's unfortunately not very exclusive. :(). Don't think Fast Freddie is supplying them any more. At least wasn't the last time I checked and several others have said the same thing. A local car club buddy replaced his with Optic Armor branded acrylic from Summit. Used the old windshield as a pattern and cut it out with a handheld jigsaw. Looks perfect and I'd do the same thing in a heartbeat. Others have done similar things with acrylic from other sources. I added glass coverage to my insurance (it's really cheap...) before mine broke so I replaced it with a glass piece from Factory Five. Insurance even paid my labor. But today I'd probably go the acrylic route. Now that I've seen it.

[AC Bill]

300 miles on my roadster and suprise!!! A crack nowhere near the screws.

Well if nothing else, at least the FFR windshields are consistent.:rolleyes:

Canuck1, (Sean) may offer some insights, as I know he had to make one from a sheet of material he bought.

[GTBradley]

6000 miles with Tuffac AR-2 polycarbonate (Lexan) I cut and installed myself. I love the stuff and it’s proven resistance to breakage is way beyond anything else made. It does require you to be careful how you clean it to avoid scratches, though. I carry a spray can of plastic cleaner/polish and a microfiber towel in the trunk and haven’t any scratches yet. Very light weight too - it’s used in racing. There benefits to all the products available for windscreens, but this demonstration (https://youtu.be/FSP-2VINGa4) is why prefer the polycarbonate.

[richtersand]

6000 miles with Tuffac AR-2 polycarbonate (Lexan) I cut and installed myself. I love the stuff and it’s proven resistance to breakage is way beyond anything else made. It does require you to be careful how you clean it to avoid scratches, though. I carry a spray can of plastic cleaner/polish and a microfiber towel in the trunk and haven’t any scratches yet. Very light weight too - it’s used in racing. There benefits to all the products available for windscreens, but this demonstration (https://youtu.be/FSP-2VINGa4) is why prefer the polycarbonate.

Oh snap! What a bad a$$ material!

Is it worth changing out now before I mount for body work??

[GTBradley]

Yeah, that’s why the motorcycle and race car guys like it. It is very easy to do with the car finished, so it’s up to you.

[Ponymedic]

Where can you source the material

[GTBradley]

I just looked up a plastics dealer in Denver. It was $400 for a 4’x8’ sheet and I split the cost with a friend. I have seen that it is cheaper now, but you’ll want to investigate in your area. Maybe the racers in the area would have a good source.

[ggunter]

What is the thickness used on our winshields?

[richtersand]

Yeah, that’s why the motorcycle and race car guys like it. It is very easy to do with the car finished, so it’s up to you.

Oh, that’s good to know. Thanks much.

[GTBradley]

What is the thickness used on our winshields?

I used 3/16” Polycarbonate, but I’ve seen posts referencing ¼” too.

[AC Bill]

Oh snap! What a bad a$$ material! Is it worth changing out now before I mount for body work??

If you haven't had the car inspected for licensing yet, you may want to use the glass. Some inspections won't pass a car without the DOT windshield.

[GTBradley]

Excellent point! I had the glass for the safety inspection, but it cracked before the VIN plate install. The trooper that put on the VIN plate pitched a fit, but didn’t do anything about it.

[rich grsc]

Why in h-ll would you spend $400 to replace an unbroken windshield?

[Norm B]

I agree with Rich. My original FFR windshield has been on the road for 7 years without a problem. Now that I’ve said that, it probably cracked sitting in the garage while we’re away camping. Life is expensive enough without replacing stuff that isn’t broke.

Norm

[Jeff Kleiner]

I must be doing something wrong...I’ve installed a few dozen and never had one crack.

Jeff

[rich grsc]

Way to go, make everyone look bad. :rolleyes::p

[Tony_G]

What is the thickness used on our winshields?

I used 1/4" Lexan.

[Scottmillhouse]

Check the other older broken windshield thread, I installed OpticArmor heat formed and shaped polycarbonate. Expensive but will never crack.

[AC Bill]

I must be doing something wrong...I’ve installed a few dozen and never had one crack. Jeff

In that case, you must not be following the FFR manual's installation instructions. :p

[Kmcallahan]

My first real road trip this weekend. My windshield cracked at ~1800 miles. I think someone got in car for a pic and grabbed the top corner to pull their self up and it started, then while driving the crack revealed itself. So I think I may go with Lexan replacement. But concerned about making swirls when cleaning.

[GTBradley]

My first real road trip this weekend. My windshield cracked at ~1800 miles. I think someone got in car for a pic and grabbed the top corner to pull their self up and it started, then while driving the crack revealed itself. So I think I may go with Lexan replacement. But concerned about making swirls when cleaning.
I’ve got around 8000 miles with my polycarbonate windscreen and no swirls whatsoever. The stuff I used is hardened on both sides, assuming you use the same I wouldn’t worry to much about cleaning it, as long as you’re careful. I never use the sponge/squeegee at gas stations and I do carry plastic cleaner spray and a microfiber cloth.

[Kmcallahan]

I’ve got around 8000 miles with my polycarbonate windscreen and no swirls whatsoever. The stuff I used is hardened on both sides, assuming you use the same I wouldn’t worry to much about cleaning it, as long as you’re careful. I never use the sponge/squeegee at gas stations and I do carry plastic cleaner spray and a microfiber cloth.

Can you share where you purchased your polycarbonate windscreen. That would be appreciated.

[GTBradley]

I just looked up a plastics dealer in Denver. They sell it by the 4x8’ sheet and it was called Tuffac AR-2.

[Blitzboy54]

I just looked up a plastics dealer in Denver. They sell it by the 4x8’ sheet and it was called Tuffac AR-2.

How did you bend it to fit the curves of the frame? is it naturally flexible or did you use heat?

[GTBradley]

It's naturally flexible. I laid it over my glass and drew the outline with ease. Cutting it is easy too, with a jigsaw. You will get flex when you push on it with your hand, but otherwise you don't notice that it isn't rigid like glass.

I forgot to mention before that I use Plexus (https://smile.amazon.com/Plexus-Plastic-Cleaner-Protectant-13-Ounce/dp/B00092CKN4/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2CDCCSPWUGPLO&dchild=1&keywords=plastic+window+cleaner&qid=1631119057&sprefix=plastic+wind%2Caps%2C209&sr=8-7) plastic cleaner, but I'm interested in less expensive options if anyone has some.

[john42]

Week 2 on the road and 600 miles:

154056

[toadster]

I heard 520 Speedworks (https://520speedworks.com/)is going to get some Lexan windshields

[nucjd19]

I heard 520 Speedworks (https://520speedworks.com/)is going to get some Lexan windshields

That would be awesome!

[AC Bill]

Week 2 on the road and 600 miles:

Nearly the identical spot on mine. Same side too.:(

[David Hodgkins]

Week 2 on the road and 600 miles:

154056

Can you take pics of how your windshield is sitting on the body? From the cockpit looking at the base of the windshield.

:)

[swwebb]

I have a Fast Freddie's windshield after my original windshield cracked. I clean it with 409.

[chmhasy]

Here are some other reasons why the windshields crack. on this post

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?11445-Windshield-reasemmbly-and-fitting-to-chassis-hoping-to-avoid-cracks&highlight=chmhasy

[john42]

Can you take pics of how your windshield is sitting on the body? From the cockpit looking at the base of the windshield.

:)

Sure!

154163

[David Hodgkins]

Darnit, I was hoping to see the corners. I'd like to see if they are touching the body. Good shot though. Thanks for that. I'll compare with how mine sits.

:)

[john42]

Darnit, I was hoping to see the corners. I'd like to see if they are touching the body. Good shot though. Thanks for that. I'll compare with how mine sits.

:)



Mine is likely a poor comparison. It's a Challenge car so the roll cage is different and the mounts for the windshield were not like normal MK3/4 cars.

[jiriza84641]

That would be awesome!

I talke to Greg and he stated that It will be a few weeks for him to R&D that option out.

[Jim Stabe]

I don't have a Cobra but my experience build a custom windshield might be helpful to those of you experiencing cracks.

I widened an MGB roadster 11" so a custom windshield became one of the biggest challenges of the build. I made a frame using 3/4x3/4 aluminum channel for the top and modified MG Midget uprights for the side posts. The end result was a 5/8" deep 1/2" wide channel to retain the glass. I had to cut the glass from a 1967 Chevy Impala windshield because it was the only one I found that was wide enough and still had a substantial curvature. I originally used an extruded rubber channel to hold the glass in the frame and it worked well until it finally cracked the glass (twice). I found it was nearly impossible to make a rigid frame (necessary to keep the glass from cracking if it got pulled on and flexed) that exactly matched the curvature of the glass with without applying any stress to the glass through the relatively firm rubber U channel. The windshields are manufactured to fairly tight tolerances but there is enough variation that a frame that fits perfectly on one windshield will produce some stress on another.



You can see the process(es) I used to cut the glass and to build the frame at the end of this http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422 and the beginning of this http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108 . What I ended up doing to solve the cracking problem was to not use the aluminum lower frame section and replace it with a rubber extrusion used on Porsche Speedster windshields. On the main part of the frame I did not use the rubber channel. Instead, I used small pieces of rubber as spacers to center the glass in the aluminum channel and then filled the spaces with black silicone sealer. The silicone sealer stays very pliable and doesn't apply stress to the glass and the rubber bottom piece functions the same way.

[treadmarks]

Count me in for a couple of cracks in my windshield. Unfortunately I believe mine came from the hood smacking it when the fiberglass tore loose at the hinge mounting points ripped the plates right out of the fiberglass, and plates are still bolted to the hinges. I don't mind replacing the windshield but my chronic Lyme has advanced to the point where I am not up to replacing or repairing the hood while converting to the newer hinges. It is useless to try to get ffr on the phone (I know, covid has a lot of businesses in the same boat).

Ifin anyone knows a mid-florida cobra friendly shop please send them my way.
Kidcobra@Comcast.net

Thanks

Terry

[john42]

New windshield is in! I ordered a 1/4" sheet of Polycarbonate and cut it to size. Was much easier then I thought it would be:


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[BLUE KNIGHT]

Very nice ..... how did you bend it .... 1/4 in. is pretty thick ...... Mike

[john42]

Very nice ..... how did you bend it .... 1/4 in. is pretty thick ...... Mike

I just inched into the bottom part of the frame first. It was flexible enough and wasn't too difficult. If I ever have to replace it again, I will go with a little thinner (3/16). The battle with the weather stripping rubber was greater then the battle to bend it.

[Planecrazy1976]

Hey Guys we are here to help you with your windshield issues. We just added a Lexan windshield replacement to the website. They should ship with in the the next week. I you have any questions give me a call Greg @ 502-800-6006. Here is the site. Full youtube install video. https://520speedworks.com/shop/ols/products/cobra-lexan-windshield