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chopped the top on my Z!


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We just watched the '62 Falcon episode of "OVERHAULIN" this week. They removed the vent windows in the doors and replaced them with a full window (trapezoid, instead of rectangular). They showed the glass guys cutting a new window from raw glass by scoring the cut line with a diamond glass cutter, then drenching the scored area with alcohol. He lit it aflame, then gently bent the trim away while burning when the plastic in the middle of the glass began to melt due to the heat consentrated in that area. Then he finished the edge by sanding with emery cloth. Of course he made it look easy. I know Falcon windows are as flat as can be, so it's probably easier to work in 2-dimensions.

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in the 70's watched a guy in a body shop, chop the top on a 55 chevy.

 

he laid a rope soaked in, i think denatured alcohol, on a line he marked on the windshield. he lit the rope and let it burn. i don't remember for how long.

 

after it started to cause the plastic between the glass to shrink, he pulled the rope off.

 

he then took a diamond encrusted drill bit and drilled a series of holes along his burn line. i think they were about 1/4 inch apart.

 

he then reheated the glass with a torch, not enough to cause any action in the plastic between glass layers, but definitely too hot to touch.

 

using the same drill bit in a sort of router looking devise, he cut between the holes he drilled, then ground and polished the edge of the glass, with a hand held grinder.

 

i have no idea what this does to the temper in the glass. i might cause the glass to loose the ability to break into tiny pieces of cubed glass.

 

in other words, it may no longer be safety glass.

 

ohh, i remember that he told me he broke a few windshields, not everyone works. think he said he believed caused by preexisting small rock chips, or cracks he didn't see, that we already stressing the glass.

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FYI, in the '50's and '60's cars had laminated glass for side windows too. Look at an old Mustang and you will see a chrome metal edge attached to the top of the door glass. It was put there to both hide the edge and to inhibit the glass from separating and getting "bubbles" between the sheets. Check out some old trucks from the '40's and '50's and you can find those tell-tale bubbles in the side windows.

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Man you don't know how bad I wanted to do this to my topless ZX car. I put many nights of thought into it and I thought it will cost too much trouble so I left it alone. I wish I 've done it though .. Good luck I still want to know how you cut the windshield ... BTW I am 5'6" and I drop the seat all the way down to the floor so I have plenty of room.

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  • 1 month later...

Update: Decision regarding windows...

 

Hey all. I think I've made a decision regarding windows... I met a fellow the other week who is running "Speed Glass." It is like lexan, but has a special coating which is more resistant to scratching. It is not to be confused with another product called "Mar Less" or "Mar Glass."

 

Anyway, this guy uses the 5/16'' stuff for his windshield and runs wipers on it. Gave me a demonstration and sure enough... no scratches.

 

Just thought I'd pass it along... When I eventually buy and install the stuff myself I'll give a better product review.

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  • 1 month later...

Just a quick observation here:

 

I took out the windshield from my 280Z and laid it on the 280ZX.

 

It is a bit taller (good, because there is more distance in this application, but is about 3-4 inches wider. The base looks basically the same, meaning the curve looks like it would fit well. Top also.

 

Just in case the Speed Glass is illegal on the street...I'm looking for options, cause this mod is Biatchin'.

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Dude, your lines are sexy. Must have some hot influence ;)

 

I personally like the idea of finding a windshield close to spec and chopping to it, but i'm really interesting to here how this glass replacement works out. If it's nice stuff you could use it for all your glass, not just the windshield.

 

I'm also REALLY interested to see what else you've got planed. I could see alot of different directions for this car's body to go.

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Glad you're interested Gollum.

 

It is still going to be awhile before I get to the glass. I'm going to finish the rest of the bodywork first.

 

You can read all about the plans for the car on my website. Unfortunately though, I do have limited bandwidth... and with all of the pictures it tends to shut down after awhile. Usually goes back up in an hour or two though...

 

http://www.geocities.com/boodlefoof/Project_Racer-Z.html

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  • 6 months later...

Hey icesky,

 

Haven't had a chance to work on the car in awhile. Currently finishing up law school, but I hope to get back into it this summer.

 

After doing a little more fiberglass body work, I'm going to finalize my suspension and spaceframe design and start welding up the frame. Then, I'll cut out the floor, firewall, etc and drop the modified body on to the frame. Really hoping to get most of the way through that by the end of the summer. I'll post updates here and on my website when I can.

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I own a glass shop. I see no reason you (someone who knows how to cut glass) can't cut it (the windsheild) just like laminated flat glass. There 2 pieces on glass with plastic laminate. You have to cut both pieces with a glass cutter,run the cuts, use denatured alcohol to melt the plastic.

As for tempered glass, grinding or sandblasting my work but it's high risk at best, besides the heat problem tempered glass is tension form the tempering when you change the size it wants to blow up. But I won't say it can't be done. I've seen 1/8 or so ground off,but I've seen a lot blow up.

If you could make a flat piece work tempered or lami. it's easy. If you made a pattern for the door glass and took it to a glass shop and have them order you a piece of tempered 1/8 or maybe less you could bow it in the window would be hard to operate but it should work it won't be as nice as the real thing but you would have glass in it. one problem is it might have a flat spot in the center,another is getting the top front corner pulled in.Probably a $100 try.using lexan. it shouldn't be to hard to get the curve in itI Hope this help.

 

Good luck,

Randy HALL MIRROR INC. GLSHLE (glasshole)

I really like the chop.

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I seen one more option,take the side glass to a junk yard and lay them on some windshields and see if you can find the curves,get that model and have them cut out of it

 

 

Randy 260/383/350th

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