Lexan replacement glass, slider vents, Road legal?

Hi All,

As some of you may be aware I have been looking to make my car a little bit lighter but without compromising safety. I have now got to looking at the doors.

I won’t be replacing the doors with lightweight carbon fibre ones like I will be with the rear hatch as I still want the side protection, however I am going to be losing the speakers and associated brackets (as I will be removing the entire stereo) and possibly the motor and wiring for the electric windows which brings me on to the subject title....

IF I replace my stock dirver and passenger glass with lexan and remove my electric window motors etc but have a Slider vent in place so i can get some air will this be road legal?

I have been trying to find information on this but I really can’t find anything from a road legal standpoint anywhere?

If anyone could help that would be grand

Might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure windows and windscreen are not part of the MOT.

Visibility is, as are sharp edges, but not actually having a glass window in place I don't think would be a failure.

Looking at a guide on DirectGov, this is what it says about the windscreen...

The windscreen

Its condition and the driver’s view of the road

Nothing on side windows, and nothing about it being glass. I’d go for it.

Rally cars, like all road cars, need to be certified as roadworthy, don't they? MOT in your case, NCT here.

Polycarbonate windows and sliders are de rigueur in that discipline, as with most motorsports using production based models so I'd assume the test allows for such installs as long as they are done correctly.

I actually dont think there will be a problem with plastic windows besides the windscreen as there are lots of convertibles with soft tops that have plastic rear screens but i would expect the windscreen to have to be glass as even a small rock at high speed can cause a dangerous situation with glass, so plastic should be a no no.

To add what your doing wont make much difference in weight saving, what you can do is, i dont know the proper name, on structural parts you can cut circles out, like the pillars, posts etc i still wouldnt feel safe with that though, supras are heavy and their body panels/skin is pretty light as it is.

I actually dont think there will be a problem with plastic windows besides the windscreen as there are lots of convertibles with soft tops that have plastic rear screens but i would expect the windscreen to have to be glass as even a small rock at high speed can cause a dangerous situation with glass, so plastic should be a no no.

I thought this, but it appears Lexan is quite a bit stronger than glass. It's used on Astronaut helmets, industrial safety galsses, and some bulletproof glass.

Everything I've read so far suggests the test is on visibility and whether it's damaged, but not the material itself.

It does sound like it gets scratched quite easily through normal use, so maybe look into some sort of coating for protection as well.

To add what your doing wont make much difference in weight saving, what you can do is, i dont know the proper name, on structural parts you can cut circles out, like the pillars, posts etc i still wouldnt feel safe with that though, supras are heavy and their body panels/skin is pretty light as it is.

Im not going to be cutting holes in the car Thats way too drastic.

I know that just fitting lexan side windows wont save a huge amount, however it will still be a saving although I have yet to decide if i will be changing the side glass to lexan.

The speakers are defo coming out though..

It does sound like it gets scratched quite easily through normal use, so maybe look into some sort of coating for protection as well.

Yeah if i decide to go ahead i will be getting the coated stuff.

I thought this, but it appears Lexan is quite a bit stronger than glass. It's used on Astronaut helmets, industrial safety galsses, and some bulletproof glass.

 

Everything I've read so far suggests the test is on visibility and whether it's damaged, but not the material itself.

NASA may have tested this stuff, but have VOSA? (insert dramatic music here)

NASA may have tested this stuff, but have VOSA? (insert dramatic music here)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWnm7UpsXk

Dont get involved with it as said above it not much weight saving the windows flap at high speeds unless you fit extra latches. The slide windows rattle an drive you mad, after drilling the lexan it tends to crack and you void its warrenty and it scratches easily if I could have a word with my self on my last build it would be to not fit lexan windows

John

You can fit the Lexan windows etc etc, you can even weld the doors up if you want, in fact if you take the screen out you then would not have to have wipers and washers as far as the MOT goes, for an MOT you don't even need to have lights (not sure on brake light).

don't auto glass have to show the kite mark to be legal? if so then polycarbonate or lexan windows may get you into trouble specially now many traffic cars carry VOSA staff too

don't auto glass have to show the kite mark to be legal? if so then polycarbonate or lexan windows may get you into trouble specially now many traffic cars carry VOSA staff too

No, only if from a manufacturer I believe, otherwise there are many bkit cars out there would never get SVA'd. Like the £100K GT40 we are getting thru SVA with lexan windows.