Plexiglass?

[chrisofna]

Are Plexiglass windows illegal? My friend insists that they are.

And if they aren't how would you bend them in order to shape it for the seals?

[Festiva_tunner]

for back glass only not for street legal front glass - check your local state laws though because this may be different

[SimonTuffGuy]

Don't use plexiglass... It scratches VERY easy!

Use lexan, it'll hold up better than glass and doesn't scratch quite as easy. I have a friend who installed a lexan rear window in his Civic. It was pretty cool. He then mounted his license plate to it. I believe he blew his other rear window out with a system or too much air suspension; I forget which.

[FB71]

plexiglass and Lexan are the same thing. Lexan is a brandname, marketed by GE Plastics. There are different rockwells of surface temper for all acrylic plastics. Also, there specialty coatings to resist scratching and UV yellowing. One brandname is DLC (Diamond Like Coating). The automotive industry is looking very, very closly a clear acrylic glazing right now. Scratching and yellowing are the biggest problems.

The big issue with legality is that acrylic windows do not carry a DOT safety certification (look for AS/1 on your windshield). Side and rear glazing needs to be certified as well. It does depend on your local government as to whether or not they enforce glass rules.

[chrisofna]

Okay, I've figured out that you can do everything but the windshield here. Thanks for your help.

[SimonTuffGuy]

I stand corrected, thanks Jim.

[Festiva_tunner]

Okay, I've figured out that you can do everything but the windshield here. Thanks for your help.

I'm not sure on the drivers side windows . . . but any of the rear windows you can.

[chrisofna]

I was gonna do the rear quarters and rear glass, and keep the side roll-down windows and windshield glass.

[Pu241]

plexiglass and Lexan are the same thing. Lexan is a brandname, marketed by GE Plastics. There are different rockwells of surface temper for all acrylic plastics. Also, there specialty coatings to resist scratching and UV yellowing. One brandname is DLC (Diamond Like Coating). The automotive industry is looking very, very closly a clear acrylic glazing right now. Scratching and yellowing are the biggest problems.

FB71,
Lexan(was GE plastics, recently bought by Sabic) and Plexiglass are the same, but they are actually polycarbonates.
They may well have acrylic coatings as PC doesn't weather well under UV.
By itself polycarbonates yellow and microcraze.

DLC?
Is this the technology that puts a tetrahedronly bonded carbon coating that literally is very similar to diamond. Typically, this coating is micrometers thick and laid down epitaxially under vacuum.
Must be something else, because this stuff is tough and dissipates heat very nicely but is ungodly expensive.

[FB71]

Thanks for the correction on the material. I keep thinking plexis are acrylic, but I should know they are polycarbs.

as for DLC, no, its not a carbon coating. However, I'm not 100% exactly what it is.

its also called FMR Lexan, and National Cycle uses a product they call Quantum coating.

[93 FordFestiva93]

i have a 5x6 sheets of 3/8" lexan in my shed out back.... but thinking of cutting it to size and installing it as a roof in my car,like a giant sunroof....