993944S2

For those that have done this, is there an alternative to gluing? I don't have 20 sets of clamps around the shop like Van's picture above? Is there a way to use fasteners to attach the lexan to the frame?

951and944S

No need to clamp it but yes, I'd use urethane adhesive.

If your frame is prepped, (assuming you have preformed lexan like 5Star), just position the Lexan panel, making slight adjustments for best fit, clamp in place with 2-4 clamps, mark and drill proper sized hole every 4-6 inches for a small pan head screw.

Put bead of urethane and place panel, have some orings on hand that fit snugly onto the screw you chose.
Place correct flat washer, then oring and screw new panel down before urethane cures.

Don't over tighten.

If you have ever done rubber sealed self tapping screws like on a metal roof or shop building kit, it's the same process, just tighten screws until there is some tension on the oring.

These clamp the two parts together, the deck frame and the Lexan panel until the urethane cures and are there to secure it in case that the urethane bond breaks.

The orings are there as a torque limiter that won't allow too much focused stress on the Lexan which will cause localized cracks later and allows for expansion, contraction movement of the panel.
Urethane has some elasticity and is not rigid.

T

GPA951s

No Need even for urethane.. , I just pop-riveted the lexan to the hatch frame... As far a "Waterproofing", I got some Vinyl flat black and went around the perimeter.. Quick and EZ. And even if it leaks a bit, theres no interior and for that matter there are no side windows ....

and a multi-tool works wonders on the urethane to separate the old glass... 5 min job...

Cloud9...68

I would sure love to see a video on this process from beginning to end. I checked youtube... nothing.

951and944S

LOL, is that a request...?

T

951and944S

Mm Hmmm,
spider web cracks at rivet locations incoming
spider web cracks at rivet locations incoming
spider web cracks at rivet locations incoming <---------this one
spider web cracks at rivet locations incoming
spider web cracks at rivet locations incoming

....

T

rlm328

I used dzus fasteners on mine. That way it just takes a couple of minutes to take it off for access. And I did it about 5 years ago and no cracks.

951and944S

That's a good idea, especially for people who have a rear wing that won't allow normal operation of opening the deck.

Those fasteners have way more surface area and less point of contact clamp force than rivets though.

T

Cloud9...68

You can take that any way you like I'm sure this is one of those things that once you get into it, the steps become fairly obvious, but just eyeballing my hatch, it isn't clear to me where to even begin. A video would be awesome, an opinion shared by many, I/m sure.

GPA951s

Then you are using the wrong stuff.... Look up MONOGAL UV Resitant And Virtually Indestructible... The Beauty of having a World Class Plastic Supplier right down the street... And it only was $116 bucks.. Of course I used the Oven at work for forming once more..

951and944S

LOL x 944 or 968.

I weigh my time value vs cost.

I use the preformed piece from 5 Star.

I doubt the thread starter (or 99.9% of the race car owners with a Lexan deck glass replacement) has a World Class Plastic Supplier right down the street so your situation is rare by any account.

For everybody else, don't rivet your Lexan to the frame or it will crack due to excessive, small contact compressive force.

The urethane isn't for weatherproofing, although it does limit water intrusion (we race in rain), it's to adhere the two parts, aided by the semi tight fasteners to limit but not negate completely the twisting/torsional forces when opening and closing the deck.

Your method rigidly affixes the Lexan to the frame, placing more stress on the mounting points (the rivets and the precise holes with little tolerance required for a rivet to work) than what is necessary.

But hey, maybe I use the wrong rivets too.

I'll have to look around the corner, down the street for a World Class Rivet Supplier....., but I've never run into a need up until now....

T

Cloud9...68

Yeah, molding our own rear hatch window is a little outside the realm of what most of us would be willing to take on. I'd never heard of Monogal, so I looked it up, and it sounds like good stuff - too bad nobody makes a pre-formed 944/968 rear window out of it.

951and944S

Well, you could always wait for transparent aluminum like Scotty used to build a transport housing for the last viable whale left alive on historical planet Earth but you'd have to wait until it's introduction of Stardate 23.45.17......

T

Cloud9...68

lol - I actually remember that movie.

Jay Wellwood

Speaking of lexan rear hatches...any source for this besides GT Racing?

What thickness do you have or recommend?

Like the idea of the dzus fasteners - simple and effective...