Windshield replacement

[Vovchandr]

After witnessing the laws of entropy in practice by ordering one piece of glass and receiving multiples from England it seems that my options are limited to finding something local or sate side at least.

 

Anybody have experience with replacing the windshield glass? Just the glass without assembly or heater elements. I checked beachmanracing website and they only list the entire windshield assembly.

 

Is this something a local glass place can cut with relative ease, since it's a flat piece and and I have a mockup? Anybody ever go through insurance for this? How do glass places treat vehicles that they don't stock or can really order for?

[wemtd]

Oh no! Gory post Morten photo?

After a stone incident at our annual track day TBox had his replaced with a sheet of laminated glass. He brought the windscreen frame as a template and to reassemble. I think it worked great, you just loose the embedded defroster.

[Vovchandr]

Oh no! Gory post Morten photo?

After a stone incident at our annual track day TBox had his replaced with a sheet of laminated glass. He brought the windscreen frame as a template and to reassemble. I think it worked great, you just loose the embedded defroster.

 

Yeah I'm not worried about the defroster. The replacement piece of glass CC sells is just plain glass. Only way to get defrost replacement is in the whole assembly (from what I can tell). My defroster has never been connected.

 

Where did Tbox go? Just a local glass place? They would sell laminated glass? Any idea what the costs were?

[Kitcat]

I think it sounds simpler than it is. The replacement glass must be laminated to be safe. That is different than tempered glass, which can shatter into a million shards (pointed at your face, even tho it's not supposed to). Our tempered shower door glass shattered and it was painful and ugly. And typical laminated glass for sale here in the states is too thick to fit in the Caterham windshield frame, as I recall from the last time this issue came up here.

[Vovchandr]

I think it sounds simpler than it is. The replacement glass must be laminated to be safe. That is different than tempered glass, which can shatter into a million shards (pointed at your face, even tho it's not supposed to). Our tempered shower door glass shattered and it was painful and ugly. And typical laminated glass for sale here in the states is too thick to fit in the Caterham windshield frame, as I recall from the last time this issue came up here.

 

After receiving two broken OEM Caterham windshields I can stand witness they aren't laminated. They seem to crack and break like regular glass. For what that's worth.

[Pokey]

After receiving two broken OEM Caterham windshields I can stand witness they aren't laminated. They seem to crack and break like regular glass. For what that's worth.

 

Good to know if not a little disturbing...

[rzempel]

Find a glass place that caters to Semi trucks. They will be accustomed to working with flat glass, and will have the right laminated material available.

 

Randall

[carguy1315]

I took my cracked windshield to an auto glass place and got a new non tinted

one for $100 in a day or two.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[coffee break]

Any thought of using UVEX or some other plastic. Way back in the 70's a college class mate had a Healy 100/6 and he used some plexiglass to replace the windscreen because glass kept breaking. Either the frame was bent or it was chassis flex that was doing it.

[CarlB]

First anything but laminated safety glass is not legal. There are safety regulations. Lexan would be a great material from a safety standpoint, but the problem is all the plastics scratch to easily.

[panamericano]

First anything but laminated safety glass is not legal. There are safety regulations. Lexan would be a great material from a safety standpoint, but the problem is all the plastics scratch to easily.

 

Lexan is used in some armored vehicles, but to be effective it is quite thick. A Secret Service guy told me you can't drive one more than about 1/2 hour till you get a crashing headache.

[fatallightning]

I had a local glass guy do mine for about $125 for a blue tinted s3 sized screen. Try a glass specific auto place or hot rod place.

[Ferrino]

Hi all. I managed to crack my heated S3 Caterham windscreen glass when removing it from the frame (to paint black). It's still intact, so can be used as a template. I'd like to replace with un-heated glass and am thinking of having someone local cut a couple of these. Those of you who were able to get custom replacements in the US: were they able to match the thickness of the glass, so that the original rubber seal could be retained?

[Davemk1]

2 hours ago, Ferrino said:

Hi all. I managed to crack my heated S3 Caterham windscreen glass when removing it from the frame (to paint black). It's still intact, so can be used as a template. I'd like to replace with un-heated glass and am thinking of having someone local cut a couple of these. Those of you who were able to get custom replacements in the US: were they able to match the thickness of the glass, so that the original rubber seal could be retained?

Many years ago I owned a Birkin and I needed new glass. The local glass shop was able to use my old glass as a pattern and they cut me a new one and installed it in the frame for a very reasonable price. They had the proper type and thickness of safety glass in stock.

 

dave

[Kitcat]

As I recall from past Caterham windshield discussions, they use an odd size thickness safety glass. So the stuff commonly sold as replacement windshield glass doesn’t fit in the channel. Some have used tempered glass, which does fit, but can shatter, so not a good substitute. 

[wemtd]

I'm not sure about caterham.

I replaced my Birkin windshield this fall after one too many rock chips & cracks. Just brought the windshield/frame to my local[good] glass shop and they custom cut a piece of laminated glass & reassembled. Good as new but without the defroster wires.   IIRC: Another forum member did the same thing a few years ago after an errant rock on track shattered his windshield.