Yeah I know it's expensive ...

But if I really "need" my own windscreen design, how do I go about ?
Do you make a plugg and have laminated glass formed after it or how is it done?

Does anyone actually have an ballpark figure of price other then the guess of expensive ?

Cheers

if its flat glass, just call a windscreen replacement co. they can cut to your template with all the legal markings. Summat like 70 quid i think.

if its a custom curved one, you might have to sell your house

atb

steve

I think curved windscreens are made by 'draping' a heated sheet of glass over a former - could be totally wrong though!
Alternatively it may be a heated sheet pressed between a male a female former.

Either way I reckon it would be serious money to get one made.

What are you trying to achieve?

Nick

curved glass is made by heating a sheet of flat glass over a forme until it JUST softens and relaxes onto the former. It is then cooled so that it sets. For a laminated glass, two pieces are made and re held in a jig about 1mm apart. the edges are taped together and a liquid resin is injected into the space. the resin sets and you have a curved laminated glass.

the former is a metal plate as a base with a series of metal "legs" at strategig intervals. the legs are cut to the right length and angle so that when the glass touches all the legs it it the right shape.

I am prepared to guess that a company that makes curved glass has access to the facilites to make the formers. you might only have to pay for the time and materials used, plus mark up. That would still be a price with too many zeros for my liking.

R A C Autowindscreens have their own factory and might be able to make one off windscreens.I know they make screens for Mojo's.

THe Clan Club recently got a new batch of screens made. Pretty sure they are selling for somewhere between £100 and £150. Only that cheap as the company that made them is owned by a Clan enthusiast.

They were made by taking a mould off an original screen as the the original jigs are at teh bottom of the BIscay

if your custom wind screen is not too "special", a good shop would be able to cut it from an existing screen. just have to match the curves of the glass, then cut to your design.

dave

I guess that is the most sensible way to do it, but I need to know the REAL cost before I let it go. It's quite hard to >>cut<< if you want the windscreen to be longer/wider than normal.

When you think of it, the windscreen is actually what you should start with if you are designing a coupe ... because you can adapt the rest, rollcage, roof, body width etc.

my dearest friend mangogrooveworkshop might beable to help you !

I curved some glass a few years ago, we just made a wooden mold and heated the glass with a torch from the center out until it followed the curve of the wood. Be careful though if you arnt careful you could blow the glass apart, wear leather and safety goggles

A friend of mine is having a screen made for a Porsche 907 replica he's building. The initial tooling and 2 screens is costing him £2500, and that's with a discount.

Each subsequent screen he orders will be £350.

These are fully road legal and laminated. If you think that one of his screens could fit your project I'd be happy to pass on dimensions. Do Google search on the 907 to get an idea of the shape.

[Edited on 1/10/05 by tadltd]

I've never dealt with this company, but if you are looking for a custom windscreen you might give these guys a try: Europarts - www.windscreen.net

The description from their website:
Our company has been created in 1993 for gathering demand from both european specialists and collectors, and build up a demand retaining the interest of car glass manufacturers obtaining so maintenance of existing tooling and building of new jigs.

American car glasses have been recently included in the wide range of French, British, Italian and German glasses already supplied, and you can get from us an HK500 Facel Vega windscreen as well as a 3500GT Vignale Maserati one or a Gullwing 300SL one, but also T'Bird, Mustang and Corvette glasses.

We also undertake fabrication and homologation to european standards of windscreens for prototype departments of modern cars manufacturers or (wealthy) "amateurs" owing unique cars.

Our staff is constituted of specialists, with more than 20 years experience in the classic car business.

Yes, they do say "wealthy" -- but maybe they have something in stock that will fit your plans.

Hm, old thread being revived :-)

Sorry to say, that project is put on the backburner for a while since it'll need a special windscreen, bodywork made from a small toy car (3D scan, BIG milling machine) which makes it a bit expensive
Don't worry, it's a concept car, not a Disney car
But thank's for all the help, I'll get there eventually.

Anyway, building something with a proper bodywork now to get more experience, don't think that my first scratch built car is going to be perfect, and the other one (the special) will be for keeps so I need to get some more hours with the toolbox first ...

have just given up on the shed, building a proper garage

Cheers