JaysZ Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 drawing the template from a cardboard piece. using my rudimentary tools test fit. rear hatch. they need to be pop riveted in, but they are pretty much done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 How are you going to do the straps on the rear window? Must have straps, that's for sure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysZ Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 the straps i'm unsure of... i was hoping to just pop rivet them in for now. its not ready for the track until i get my suspension/brakes done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie05 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 hey, its turning into a real car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewievette Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 How much did all that lexan set you back? I need a pass side window but I cant afford glass yet. You guys think plastic would be okay for temp? I'm getting tired of putting garbage bags on it everytime its going to rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysZ Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 the whole 48" x 48" sheet of 1/8" thick polycarb lexan cost me a whopping $54 at the local plastics shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 You should put straps on before you drive it on the street too. It needs that support in the middle, otherwise it will blow out. I have also seen 1/3 of a Lexan window blow out with the straps on, but that was at 160+ mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysZ Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 Jon, would you happen to have any pictures of any strap setups? the actual sheet is countersunk since i'm not using weatherstripping so i'd like to see how others have done it. i may just make a frame that holds it in with a pair of thin straps to hold the center in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Here is a pic of a friend's 510. He uses the stock gasket and has 1" wide by probably .060" thick aluminum straps. The straps are contoured to go over the gasket and pop riveted above and below. The Porsche that blew the rear window out used a bunch of small pieces of aluminum angle to fit the Lexan flush to the outside of the car (really cheesy). When the window blew out we replaced it with 3/16" thick Lexan, and we also used button head pop rivets and put a thin rubber washer between the angle iron and the Lexan. It worked for a couple more races then I left so I can't say if it was successful in the long term and which if any of those changes made a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett76Zt Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Can someone give me a good idea of weight savings here? Both quarters and the rear glass using 1/8" lexan? I'd guess 40-50lbs? I've been wanting to do this for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Supposed to save 40% of the weight of the glass IIRC, which isn't going to be anywhere near 40 lbs. I think a stock hatch weighs 50 lbs with the glass. I'd guess this saves 10 lbs, maybe more like 20 if you remove the quarter window frames entirely and just use the lexan instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysZ Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 when you compare the quarter windows with the metal surround/weatherstrip, its pretty heavy in comparison to just the lexan. the same goes for the rear hatch glass. honestly, i wouldn't say the weight savings is HUGE but every ounce helps if you add it all up. for the ease and price of it... you might as well right? then again, i'm building a purpose built track day car, not a street car. my car will avoid rain and prolonged sun exposure if at all possible. Jon, your friend's 510 is pretty frickin sweet. would you say it might help to cut relief holes in the hatch. what i'm thinking is similar to vented lenses for Oakley M frame sunglasses: i think this would relieve some of the pressure (but would it add drag?) and prevent a blowout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Illegal in most racing classes. I think they did end up doing that on the Porsche in the end, but they put the holes way up top. Something about the placement of the gigantic CF wing on that car. If you put them down low on a Z I think you'd get MASSIVE fumes in the cabin. Might get away with them way up top though if it's legal (or if you don't care). Yeah, the 510 is nice. When I was originally building up my Z about 8 years ago, his 510 and my Z were both our daily drivers. We were roommates, he was a Nissan Master Tech at the time. We were always within 1 second or so of each other, sometimes I was faster sometimes he was. Then all of a sudden I buy a house, and he flares his car, widens the track about 3 inches in front, buys the lightweight Panasports, switches to Wilwoods, and goes to cantilevered slicks and installs the Lexan and a full cage. He was then about 2-3 seconds ahead at autoxes, but I still beat him by 5 seconds on the big track. It'll be interesting to see what happens when I get done with my project, although I might never race against him again if I don't move back to someplace in CA. He's DOMINATING the local Porsche Owners Club autox in his area though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS1 240Z Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 so, i was thinking about replacing my stock windows with lexan. using the same exact frames and just removing the glass and replacing them with lexan (pass, driver, both small angle windows and also the rear hatch glass) would i have to reinforce/poprivet them in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 I don't think you want to do the driver and passenger window. They're a curved piece of glass so you'd have to bend the Lexan to match. Someone here claimed that it could be done fairly easily maybe 2 or 3 years ago, but I've never seen it. Also, the stuff scratches really easy, so just rolling it up and down and having the Lexan drag on the rubber seal on the outside of the window is going to scratch the hell out of the Lexan. I think you could use the stock rubber gasket in back like my 510 friend did, but you'd still need the straps. On the corner windows I think it's a waste of time. Most of the weight there is from the frames I think, and if you reuse the frame and only get a 40% weight savings on that tiny piece of glass that's not worth the hassle IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONGO510 Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 do not rivet directly on the Lexan. It will get stress cracks. Place a strip of metal or plastic on top and rivet thru both. some kind of flexible gasket is also advised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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