[Monster]

Well,
here's my latest update on yet another subject that I didn't want to become an expert on.......

I have decided that plastic is the way to go based mainly on replacement/shipping cost for glass. There are actually two products to consider:

Polycarbonate (Lexan)- This product is typically a bit (30%) more expensive than acrylic. It is definately more resistent to breakage "270% stronger than glass" according to the TAP sales person. However, it susceptible to scratching. That's why "AR" abrasion resistance is recommended. The problem with AR is that it to will scratch and if you try to polish it , the polishing will remove the AR coating which will be noticeable.

Acrylic - This is cheaper than Polycarbonate and the main reason for that is that it is not as strong. Again according to TAP, acrylic is only about 70% stronger than glass (could break through if hit by a rock), but it is more scratch resistant than Polycarbonate and is also available with "AR".

So with all of this information I am planning on the following:

3/16" Polycarbonate non-AR. I will then get TAP's cleaning and light polishing products and should I get a scratch I will be able to remove it.

UPDATE:

The first guy I talked to at TAP gave me some inaccurate info. The Polycarbonate really doesn't polish up if scratched as I was originally told also upon measuring I found that I need 1/4". So with all of this new info I went ahead and bought a 52" x 17" sheet of AR-Lexan. I made a template from my original glass and now I have spent the last 2 hrs. trying to get the new window into the frame. The problem is getting the inner bracket screw hole to line up. I have found that not using the gasket helps but its still a bit to big. The good news is that I have 4 days to get this back together (Snakes to the Lakes next weekend).


Final UPDATE: See Shop Talk "Windshied replacement Information" for the conclusion of this story...
Thanks,

Mike 'monster'