Laminated Glass Windshield Idea

mjgrusni

Member
Forgive me if someone else has tried something like this and I didn't see it. Looking for feedback on this idea.

I had an experienced glass technician come out to see my car. I have a track frame.

His suggestion was for me to come up with a frame for a windshield using 1/8" sheet metal. He suggested this material to keep the frame one piece and because the standard rubber seal for windshields is made for an 1/8" edge. He also recommended that I leave the sides of the frame about 2" wide.

I'm working on a pattern for the frame using cardboard. I will shape the outside to fit into the car. Then I will cut out the inside for a custom-cut piece of laminated glass. The frame will mount to the roll cage via the clamps in the pictures. The offset away from the cage provided by the clamps gives needed clearance between the top of the steering wheel and inside of the windshield. It also looks like it would make the windshield frame land nicely at the edge of the hood, where I could use some rubber edge trim to try to get a finished look. I may try to make the frame only an inch wide on the bottom to preserve visibility, using the pre-existing holes in the hood to attach some brackets to the frame for added rigidity.

After the pattern is made, I will trace it to a large piece of paper that I can feed into a plotter. I will then turn the full-scale tracing into a drawing file that I can clean up. The cleaned-up file will be printed on the plotter to test fit the refined pattern to the car. Once I'm happy with that, I can take the drawing and my sheet metal to a shop with a CNC plasma cutter to have the shape cut nicely.

I am not planning on the windshield going all the way to the top of the cage, only enough to feel protected and pass MI inspection. I could add a support from the center of the top of the roll cage to the top of my frame for more rigidity if needed.

Thoughts?

-Michael
 

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mjgrusni

Member
An added thought; I could back up the four sides with a secondary frame made from flat stock or angle iron. May allow the frame to be thinner.

Edit: Just realized how much my pictures suck. The cardboard sags quite a bit. If supported to stay seemingly-straight while flat against the tube clamps, the edge of the cardboard does seem to land on the slight contour in the middle of the hood at the edge.
 
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Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
I think that some states/inspections require the windshield has DOT markings. You may want to clarify what Michigan will want and what you glass supplier can provide.
 
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mjgrusni

Member
@SmsDetroit I'm in the Bay City/Saginaw area.

Glass guy said he can cut the glass so that the DOT marking on the glass he'll start with will remain on the windshield after the cut. Should be good there.
 
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Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
Glass guy said he can cut the glass so that the DOT marking on the glass he'll start with will remain on the windshield after the cut. Should be good there.
That's good. It will be interesting to find out what windshield is used as a starter. There have been various post about this, but no one has had any luck cutting the laminated glass. I've seen them do it on TV so it can be done.
 

mjgrusni

Member
That's good. It will be interesting to find out what windshield is used as a starter. There have been various post about this, but no one has had any luck cutting the laminated glass. I've seen them do it on TV so it can be done.
That's what I've seen too, but this guy seemed confident in being able to cut it as long as I keep the radius at the corners reasonable.
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
Windshield thread here.
BARAIR
21748
21752


Karter2026
21749


Motoracer110
21750


Nicholas Tiratsuyan
21751



Those are all glass options, but here is a curved polycarbonate option on Alex Eddington's car.
21753
 

duck9191

New Member
I'm in Port Huron. The windshield has been one of the things I have been looking at before deciding if I want to build one. Depends on who does the tr54 on how strict they are following the requirements like wipers, dot glass, and bumpers. Hows the progress coming with your customer one Michael?
 

Bakerboy

Member
The New Jersey motor vehicle department told me that in order to pass inspection it as to AS1 and GOT certified and it as to have the stamp on it, any of you guys have that?
 

Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
AS1 and DOT certified get marked onto production and aftermarket replacement windshields. You will need to install one from a donor vehicle to fit your windshield frame that your fabricating. No one has a 'stamp' to apply - it is etched into the glass.
 

Bakerboy

Member
AS1 and DOT certified get marked onto production and aftermarket replacement windshields. You will need to install one from a donor vehicle to fit your windshield frame that your fabricating. No one has a 'stamp' to apply - it is etched into the glass.
That sucks, what windshield can I get that would fit there?
 

Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
That sucks, what windshield can I get that would fit there?
Did you miss the key word 'fabricating'? There is no drop in windshield and frame for a Goblin, so you either need to contact one of the builders on the forum who have made a windshield to get their design measurements to make one or find some who can make one for you. Good luck.
 

G Atsma

Goblin Guru
Find someone who makes dune buggy windshields with extruded aluminum frames and auto glass, similar to what was used on Manx-type fiberglass-bodied VW buggies. They can make a frame that follows the contour of the front of the cage, then you make brackets to fasten it down.
 

Keckster

Well-Known Member
Wanted to pop in this thread with an as1 windshield design I designed and put together. I was not a huge fan of other designs that seemed bulky on the left and right edges so I went with a top and bottom clamp design using laser cut sheet metal parts. I believe the final cost of gals cutting, laser cutting, and rubber sheeting is around $350
.JJLI9631.pngIMG_1131.pngIMG_1130.png
 

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