Who makes the best, toughest Cobra windshields?

[jperickson2001]

My 8 year old Cobra glass was pitted, but 8 years of driving did it. My new glass is one year old and is already pitted. Either I'm tailgating without realising it, or the new glass is not as hard. Who makes the very best, hardest, toughest Cobra windshield glass today?-John

[jperickson2001]

Not one person has any info on Cobra Glass? -John

[tcrist]

I read a lot on the Arizona forum about Lexan windshields. The glass ones keep breaking for some reason there. I guess if they are good enough for Nascar at 200MPH then they should be good enough for the Cobras. I just bought a new "glass" one from finishline and we will have to see how long it lasts. If it breaks fairly easy then I might look into a Lexan one.

Terry

[thudmaster]

John, I have been on drives with you. You don't tailgate because you are usually driving in the lead. Real fast I might add.........
I will have to see how this new windsheild of mine handles the pits. My last one didn't fair to well either. Could be the area we live in.

[Venamm]

Originally Posted by tcrist

I read a lot on the Arizona forum about Lexan windshields. The glass ones keep breaking for some reason there. I guess if they are good enough for Nascar at 200MPH then they should be good enough for the Cobras. I just bought a new "glass" one from finishline and we will have to see how long it lasts. If it breaks fairly easy then I might look into a Lexan one.

Terry

I'm afraid to inform you that Lexan wouldn't pass safety. Main windshield has to be shatter and tempered glass. Remember, lexan is part of the acrylic family and doesn't shatter on impact (hockey arena's use them) Therefore if an accident was to happen (God Forbid) the lexan windshield would be a brick wall for anyone.

Now you can use it for visors, wings, rear wind deflectors......but a windshield has to be GLASS,..we can't just go making up our own replacements. This is one of the many reasons why Govt. globally want to thin us out. we need to stay with in code.

[ffindling]

Lexan is a polycarbonate resin thermoplastic which is a different material
from PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) which is main component of Plexiglass,
Perspex, Acrylite, Lucite, Altuglas and other acrylics. Lexan was manufactured
by GE, but GE sold off their plastics division to SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries
Corporation) in May 2007. SABIC was formed by Royal Decree in 1976 as a
means of finding new ways to exploit Saudi Arabia's petroleum resources.
SABIC is now one of the top chemical companies in the world and is one the
leading producers of ethelyne glycol.
Although polycarbonate resins are considerably harder than acrylics, I think
the main impediment to its greater use in the automotive industry is that it
still scratches far more easily then glass. It probably would be possible to
engineer a laminated polycarbonate resin windshield with the same frangibility
properties as safety glass, but scratch resistance would still remain an
issue.

....Fred

[mtpockets]

After going through 3 windshields on my first car, LEXAN MR-10 was installed. The MR is for "Mar Resistant" 10 is "both sides". That thing will take a 1" rock at 80 and hardly scratch it. Not a stiff as the glass but NO CRACKS!!! Use Meguires #18 plastic cleaner and micro fiber towel. You'll love it.

[CobraDan]

I broke my original glass windshield playing around with a hard top for my ride, it started as a small crack at the top but eventually worked its way all the way down and across the glass. A glass windshield was over $300 and a piece large enough to cut 6 windshields from Lexan was $125 shipped from another member of our club to my door. The other member’s glass broke for no apparent reason and since he raced his Backdraft he wanted to try the Lexan hoping it wouldn’t break. I have heard since that even the Lexan will break under racing conditions. I never really had any pits in my glass but at the corners you could see the material yellowing that is placed between the glass. The Lexan is a lot lighter and the windshield flexes a lot more than it did with the glass, plus using my wipers is out, in fear of scratching the Lexan even though it is mar- proof and tinted. If I had to do it all over glass would more than likely be the answer but a piece that wouldn’t chip I don’t think so, as even our regular cars get chipped glass when its hit be flying debris off the roads.

[jperickson2001]

Unfortunately Lexan is out of the question as I have and use windshield wipers and that would be scratch city. Just wanted to find out who sells the highest quaulity glass for Cobras. -John

[CHANMADD]

I have had a Mar 10 Lexan shield for 15 years and used it extensively with wipers. It did get a few scratches over the years but not from the wipers.
I replaced it after I had a accident and that windshield saved my life. A tree branch that scratched the shield I am sure would have gone through a glass one.
Anyway, this time around I was a cheap ass and did not get the MAR10 and the Lexan (plain) scratched the first time I used the wipers!!
So with the scratch resistant MAR10 .........go for it!!!!

[madmaxx]

Where do you obtain lexan windsheilds? Do you just buy a sheet and cut it or do they come molded with the appropriate curvatures?

[mtpockets]

Lexan is not DOT approved. They're used in race car applications. Find a glass company, tell them you want a Lexan MR-10 windshield, they'll buy the materials. Give them the old glass, they'll use it as a template, cutting the Lexan is a delicate operation. It will crack if not cut properly. They can install it in the frame, you install it in the car. I've had mine in for 18 months, have used the wipers, drove it 10,000 miles, sold the car to another and it's still going strong. Keep it out of direct sunlight (that's easy), it won't yellow. No complaints here. My new car will be delivered next week. If and or when the first windshield cracks, I will replace it also with Lexan.

[Humpty Dumpty]

Hey John, slope your screen more so it absorbs less energy. My Cobra is about 43-44 degrees and my Vette is around 22. The Vette doesn't even need wipers, the water blows over the top.

[jperickson2001]

That makes sense about the sloping. However the Cobra just doesn't look right out of the 43-44 degree area. -John

[CobraDan]

Like I said our cobra club bought a piece of Lexan large enough for 6 windshields and I got one piece, it cuts very easily with a jig-saw and the right blade and you could almost bend it from end to end so there is no molding it, it bends and almost falls into place. The hardest thing is putting the frame back around it, as you will need another person to help hold it in place. Plastic distributors will only have full sheets with the thickness needed for the glass replacement and most glass places deal in glass not plastics such as Lexan. I’m glad to hear that using the windshield wipers on the mar- resistant Lexan doesn’t mar the plastic. My wife will be thrilled the next time it rains, because if I turn on the wipers she won’t have to hang over the windshield wiping away with her hands until it stops raining. I must admit her hands never scratched the surface of the plastic.

[TButtrick]

If we can get more details, I'll get a sheet and cut some screens. I have a new glass windscreen in a box and was going to replace my pitted 5 yr/50,000 screen this winter. I'd rather go the Lexan MR10 route. I'll get the sheet and sell off the extra yield but need thickness number and blade type for the saw. I don't want to get involved in shipping so this would be limited to CT pick up or I could deliver to the Boston area as I travel there often. I understand the thickness would be somewhat thinner than the glass piece. Anyone?

[bret a ewing]

Any more on this? I may be interested.