Polycarb Window Practicalities

[Andy F 0]

Hi

 

I wondered if people could give me there experience of polycarb windows with the sliding fronts. Im stripping all the heater/fan parts out of the car due the cage and weight saving. I wondered what its like with the sliders on a hot day?

 

Thanks

Andy

[Rob Thomson 6]

They're f***ing awful things. Bugger all ventilation, they rattle, and they scratch very easily. I used to co-drive in a couple of rally cars with them fitted and they used to piss me off so much I didn't even consider them for my stage car.

 

They're probably alright on a track car but horrible on anything you have to use more often.

[Baz 421]

I'm tempted to keep the fronts standard on my white car that will be used more often, and put the polycarbs i have on the rally car instead. PITA!

[Andy F 0]

yeah am thinking the same as the car will be track/road. I am considering keeping my leccy windows up front but poly rear quarters and rear screen.

[Cameron 16]

Why not have polycarbonate electric windows? That's what I'm going to do.

[Andy F 0]

hmmm yeah but im not sure how well that would actually work and if it would just scratch it

[welshpug 1,622]

you could fit a protective film to the polycarb window to prevent it being scratched?

[Batfink 201]

I think the sliders are a bit cack.

I silicon sealed the edges of my old trackcar polycarb windows and it didnt rattle really at all

[Gentrix 2 1 Cars]

Why not have polycarbonate electric windows? That's what I'm going to do.

 

Polycarb - manual winders would be good enough for me. The window-motors are quite heavy.

[Baz 421]

Same here, was a possibilty if i get round to it, bit of faffing about etc, fixing the window to the plates for the mechanism etc, but could be done.

 

Manual winders aren't an option with some cages though Gentrix.

[AdamP 0]

Polycarb will scratch pretty badly if you have them in winders! And they flex all over the place so you'll struggle to keep them in the runners and you'll have to feed them back into the top seals every time.

 

With polycarb its fixed or nowt.

[Baz 421]

It would be possible with convex perspex/polycarb, as i believe you can obtain it.

 

Know what you mean about scratching though, polycarb is meant to be much better than perspex, but it'd still happen, even if you kept your seals in tip-top condition etc i reckon!

[Cameron 16]

Well, scratching is probably the main concern. The scratch-proof stuff is about twice the price of the normal stuff too so I think I'll be doing as Welshpug said and covering them with some film.

 

Edit: flapping won't be an issue, the windows will only be wound up and down at low speeds or when stationary (i.e. insert ticket, wind up, go). I won't be driving anywhere with the windows down, just think of all that drag!

Edited February 24, 2009 by Cameron

[Andy F 0]

think ill do the rears and wait for some clever chap to test movable fronts and see how they get on

[Cameron 16]

Shotgun being the "clever chap."

I'm going to buy a sheet of bronze tinted polycarb this week, its huge though (3m x 2m) so its more than likely I'll get 2 sets out of it. If so, I'll be selling them on.

[ravydavy 0]

if you are thinking of using polycarb front windows on electrics think again. never work. motor will be burnt out in two weeks. even with winders they will do your nut in. they flap about like crazy. you have to pull over to put the top of the window in the seal cause the polycarb is straight and the window is curved. unless its track only and mine is and its still a pain in the ar+e then keep the lovely windows peugeot gave it.. you'll be much happier and more in pocket. oh do the rears as they are ok i suppose.

regards david

[Cameron 16]

Hmm.. well Im probably going to try heat forming them to the old windows' shape, so hopefully that won't be a problem.

[AdamP 0]

Hmm.. well Im probably going to try heat forming them to the old windows' shape, so hopefully that won't be a problem.

 

Heat and polycarb really don't mix. It turns into a brown sticky mess. Heat works with acrylic, but acrylic is really brittle and will shatter with the first stone.

 

But give it a go, let us know the results

[Cameron 16]

Well I'll give it a try with a small piece and see what happens.

[boombang 2]

If it's a car used on the road I would never fit polycarb windows, just too many impracticalities.

 

If a rally car, no question would I either fit them or protective film to the glass after seeing a recent accident.

 

A mates car slide side on into a metal barrier, smashed the passenger window into the co-drivers face. Thankfully he only cut his chin open, but could've been so much worse had he not been wearing glasses or the glass had broken slightly differently.

[309PUG 2 1 Cars]

Heat and polycarb really don't mix. It turns into a brown sticky mess. Heat works with acrylic, but acrylic is really brittle and will shatter with the first stone.

 

But give it a go, let us know the results

 

 

For your information I have a 309 rear polycarb screen that is moulded to shape, no problem at all.

 

Chris

[Batfink 201]

Surely the trick to seeing how impractical these will be is to not use your windows for a month or two. Make sure you try a few carparks etc

[Cameron 16]

Yeah, I'd have thought thermoforming them would be very common. We'll see.

[AdamP 0]

As I said, give it a go! I'm only going on what i've been taught in DT