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 6Likes
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1
Post By CHANMADD
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2
Post By mrmustang
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1
Post By MaSnaka
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2
Post By Buzz
04-25-2020, 09:17 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: San Marcos california,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: 1989 KCC from South Africa Right Hand Drive
Posts: 1,601
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Not Ranked
Why your windshield breaks.
So what happens is the air pressure at the base of the windshield forces the middle of the screen back. That is why there is a bracket that screws into the cowl to stop the bottom of the screen moving .. Now....if you've laid the screen back ,..the more you tilt it back the more the center bottom lifts off the cowl. Mine is laid back ..it's lexan.....but I had to reshape the windshield making it deeper in the middle at the cowl...
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04-25-2020, 09:58 AM
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CC Member/Contributor
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Greenville,
SC
Cobra Make, Engine: 70 Shelby convertible, ERA-289 FIA, 65 Sunbeam Tiger, mystery Ford powered 2dr convertible
Posts: 12,687
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by CHANMADD
So what happens is the air pressure at the base of the windshield forces the middle of the screen back. That is why there is a bracket that screws into the cowl to stop the bottom of the screen moving .. Now....if you've laid the screen back ,..the more you tilt it back the more the center bottom lifts off the cowl. Mine is laid back ..it's lexan.....but I had to reshape the windshield making it deeper in the middle at the cowl...
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Actually, two reasons for the windshield to break, lack of a center stiffener bar, and the lousy design of the flimsy frames available (Kirkham is working on a replacement now). Actually three reasons, some of the screws that are supplied for the windshield frame are too long, run them all the way in and they actually hit the edge of the windshield itself causing a pressure point that given the right circumstances, will cause the glass to crack from the edge inwards.
100,000+ miles of use, road and race track, and I have yet to crack one of my cobra replica windshields. Maybe I'm just lucky......
Bill S.
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First time Cobra buyers-READ THIS
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04-25-2020, 05:41 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Danville,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: CSX 6079 482CI CSX cross ram
Posts: 1,354
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Not Ranked
I had one crack on my ERA when I first got the car, I did not have the rear suspension dialed in and the car had a violent wheel hop under hard acceleration. I fixed the wheel hop and it never happened again. I also feel that the chassis twists slightly hence twisting the windshield causing a crack up the middle
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04-26-2020, 06:54 AM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Shasta Lake,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 26,593
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Not Ranked
I have never had one crack but I was very careful when installing them and made sure there was no stress from the end braces where they bolt to the frame mounting places.
Ron
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04-26-2020, 08:18 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Apr 2016
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 92
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Not Ranked
Most causes of windshield breaks are because of installer error. The windshield frame to cowl bar cannot have any gap whatsoever as the bolts are being tightened. Any gap needs to be shimmed to prevent the windshield frame from flexing thus putting stress on the windshield frame and transferring to the glass...and breaking.
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04-26-2020, 11:32 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: San Marcos california,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: 1989 KCC from South Africa Right Hand Drive
Posts: 1,601
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Not Ranked
I had an accident in 1996,. and without that lexan windshield ,I probably would have died from a tree branch .....I took down 3 trees on the centre divide on Rancho Sante Fe Rd...late at night ......moist road .. gassed it in third and went sideways......I now have a LSD, diff.
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05-06-2020, 06:43 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Jacksonville,
FL
Cobra Make, Engine: B&B-McGill
Posts: 57
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by studebaker53
Most causes of windshield breaks are because of installer error. The windshield frame to cowl bar cannot have any gap whatsoever as the bolts are being tightened. Any gap needs to be shimmed to prevent the windshield frame from flexing thus putting stress on the windshield frame and transferring to the glass...and breaking.
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I would have thought the opposite. Flexing of the car causing increased stress on the windshield at the cowl interface. |
05-06-2020, 07:35 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Lafayette,
IN
Cobra Make, Engine: Looking to buy
Posts: 1,295
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by CHANMADD
I had an accident in 1996,. and without that lexan windshield ,I probably would have died from a tree branch .....I took down 3 trees on the centre divide on Rancho Sante Fe Rd...late at night ......moist road .. gassed it in third and went sideways......I now have a LSD, diff.
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You had an open diff before?
Actually a limited slip will make the car go sideways instantly on limited traction situations. An open diff is much more stable as you can spin one wheel and the other only has to keep the car going straight.
__________________
 Cobra loving, autocrossing Grandpa Architect.
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05-06-2020, 08:52 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Thousand Oaks,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: Classic Roadster
Posts: 1,367
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Not Ranked
#4...rock chips. I know.
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05-06-2020, 09:08 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Lafayette,
IN
Cobra Make, Engine: Looking to buy
Posts: 1,295
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmustang
Actually, two reasons for the windshield to break, lack of a center stiffener bar, and the lousy design of the flimsy frames available (Kirkham is working on a replacement now). Actually three reasons, some of the screws that are supplied for the windshield frame are too long, run them all the way in and they actually hit the edge of the windshield itself causing a pressure point that given the right circumstances, will cause the glass to crack from the edge inwards.
100,000+ miles of use, road and race track, and I have yet to crack one of my cobra replica windshields. Maybe I'm just lucky......
Bill S.
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I am a relative novice when it comes to Cobras but I agree totally about the point load like a screw from my experience with buildings. If custom cutting glass a notch is also a good way to foster cracking.
__________________
Cobra loving, autocrossing Grandpa Architect.
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05-06-2020, 12:38 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Clayton,
IN
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA 838
Posts: 1,122
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Not Ranked
I have about 30,000 miles split between two ERA Cobras. One windshield broke when I purchased the car. It was broken by the wind wing screw that wasn't shortened enough.
John
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05-06-2020, 03:17 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Aug 2017
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 167
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Not Ranked
Plus when climbing in grabbing the windshield will break them, I have a Fast Freddie plexi glass windshield will sell cheap
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05-07-2020, 12:09 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: St. Lucia, West Indies,
WI
Cobra Make, Engine: Unique 427SC 383 stroker
Posts: 3,765
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Not Ranked
Falling coconuts is a prime cause of broken windshields in my experience. 
__________________
Tropical Buzz
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. -(wasn't me)
BEWARE OF THE DOGma!! Dogmatism bites...
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05-11-2020, 07:44 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Northridge,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: Arntz Cobra
Posts: 1,838
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Not Ranked
After 2 broken windshields, I bought a sheet of Plexiglas and cut out my own screen. That scratched very easily and then I bought 1/4" Lexan MR10. This stuff is great and big rocks have bounced off of it. Still going strong after 12 years!
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"It doesn't have anything on it that doesn't make it go faster."
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05-13-2020, 08:44 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 626
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Not Ranked
Sure Fire Way
Hitting a wild Turkey at about 50 will screw up a windshield...ask me how i know (doesnt do much for the Turkey either)...
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Superformance 1764
Ford Racing 427 SB
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