The cars at the track have light plastic windshields to shave weight, often with 2 aluminum uprights which I'm guessing is for strength. Web searches only produce products for popular models such as 911 and stock car Monte Carlos. Anybody familiar with plastic windshields and know of a custom shop which produces them? Also, has anyone had a windshield out to estimate how heavy it is?

 

I guess it's not plastic, it's LEXAN. Anybody familiar with Lexan?

 

Lexan is plastic. Polycarbonate to be specific.

 

Are there any special properties which make it lighter, flexible or more scratch resistent than another plastic?

 

Lexan has a much lower density than glass (i.e. its lighter) is very transparent (clear) and has high impact resistance (won't break very easily when you hit it. It does scratch easily (as most plastics do) and has very poor chemical resistance.


(For this application it is better than other plastics because it is durable, clear and won't break very easily upon impact. )

Hugh

 

Lexan is the polycarbonate brand name of 3m or Dupont (can't remember which one).

 

I think I heard it's illegal on street vehicles.

 

I would think that Lexan is illegal since it probably isn't as safe as the breakaway glass. Wonder how they get away with it at a track event.

 

The cars I was looking at are not street cars, they are purpose built race cars. What I need is the formula for what safety glass weighs per cu. ft. and what Lexan weighs per cubic foot, to see if the difference is substantial. I don't intend to use my car much, if at all, on the street after this year.

 

Lexan is GE's brand name for polycarbonate... incidently, did you know GE makes more optical quality (for compact discs and dvds) polycarbonate than any other company? I didn't until I started working for them as a chemist...

BTW not only will uncoated Lexan scratch easily but it will quickly yellow from UV light...