Glass vs. Plastic comparison

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May 23, 2003 | 12:57 PM

almilli

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Joined: Oct 2000

Posts: 665

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From: San Diego

It's been about 5 days since I converted my rear MY2000 plastic window to a MY2002 glass window and there are some benefits and some downfalls so I thought I'd make this comparison:

Glass Advantages:

visibility through the window is much better. You can see the faces of the drivers behind you
it is quieter with the top up and windows up. It doesn't seem to shake as much as the plastice window and when it does
with the top up and windows down, it shakes some, but doesn't distort the visibility through the window.
quicker top down/up since you don't have to mess around with a window roll.
you don't have to worry about putting dimples in your window when lowering your top at a stop light or in traffic. (i.e. no window roll)
whenever I get mine hooked up...the defroster

Glass Disadvantages:

Glass window is 5 inches smaller in height than the plastic window
when you look over your shoulder toward the passenger blind spot, the canvas top below the window obstructs your view so you have to sit tall to see it.
There is only one spot you can position your rear view mirror at. You can see the top and the bottom of the window in the mirror.
you have to spend money to upgrade and time to install it (for 00 and 01 owners)

Plastic Advantages:

More visible area when top is up. The passenger blind spot is easily seen when looking over your shoulder.
Probably weighs less than glass (for those of you who care about every ounce of weight)

Plastic Disadvantages:

You have to go well out of your way to try to keep your window in good looking condition
even when brand new, the window has horizonal "bend" lines that you see looking in the rear view mirror. These distort the view a little.
Not having a MuzMat or equivalent will scratch your window from the inside.
Not using a window roll will leave a bend line in the middle of the window.
Using a window roll that has too big of a diameter will put a dimple right smack in the middle of your view.
Using anything but a special rag can put a permanent scratch in the window
You need to use special cleaner such as Plexus(which rules for this purpose)
The plastic pulls on the canvas top depending on temperature and makes closing the top more difficult. (Ex. If you leave your top down overnight in the garage and then next morning it's cold or rainy and you want to raise it, the plastic won't want to "straighten out" and you have to push harder to get the latches on.)
Makes an unusual sound when the top is up and the windows are down and the plastic is flapping back and forth. (You get used to this sound, but I remember noticing it when I first got my s2k)
If you lower your top without a window roll, it almost always creates a dimple which takes about a week or so to get it back to normal.

That's all I can think of. I tried to be objective, but I might have missed a few things. In my opinion quality over quantity wins out so I like the glass better.

David