John H

Could someone explain to me the benefit, if any, of replacing a cracked glass windshield with a Lexan one for a PCA Stock Class D car. I know it is lighter but I don't care so much because I am already carrying 60lbs of ballast. I know the ballast is lower in the car than the windshield, but I guess what I am asking is, are there any other benefits?

Second, where is the best place to get one?

GT Racing has them for $565.95. Used glass can be had for less than 1/2 that.

TIA

mitch236

If you aren't concerned about weight, stick to glass. Lexan's a pain.

mitch236

But then again, if you have to carry ballast, do you decide where to put the weight? If so, there is an advantage to making the car lighter to carry the weight lower.

John H

My thought is since the total weight I have to carry (3060 lbs) is the same, moving 16 or 17 lbs from the windshield to the floor board probably is not worth the difference in cost and PITA I have heard Lexan can be. Unless there is some safety issue or other that would change my mind, I will probably go with a new glass windshield.

Professor Helmüt Tester

Understatement of the week. Lexan is a HUGE pain in the ***. Scratches & pits 50x faster than glass, you have to be careful what you clean it with (I use the 3 Novus cleaners), windshield wipers work poorly on it, and it doesn't conduct heat well so it won't defrost worth squat.

Other than that, it's perfect.

John H

Sorry I asked. I just ordered a new glass windshield for $375. Thanks guys. It seems I am always looking for ways to spend money I don't have to.

Mike A.

The main safety issue is that a projectile will pass through a glass windshield, not Lexan.
Putting a Mylar tear off on the Lexan will protect it against most scrathes and pitting.

joeblow

A good hard coated Lexan windshield is safer and cheaper in the long run! Why? Glass will crack, chip and fail often. I used to go through them at a rate of 1-2 a season, one broke the fist day after replacing it from a previos weekend of racing ;( which also causes a DNF for the weekend since finding a windsheald on a Sunday is not very easy! I have had brick sized chucks of concrete simply bounce of my lexan windshields! The hard layered (good) lexan units are very hard to scratch but you will have to use lexan cleaners or they will dull. The only car I have not put one on is my open top car unless you consider my irridium extra thick helmet lens a windshild

John H

What do you mean, like a sniper's bullet? I haven't been shot at for two weeks.

Alan C.

Time for a short trip north and a cruise around Columbus

aeshultz

Hey now - since the last shooting was 2 doors down from me, maybe I'd better start checking out the Lexan issue. How do they handle 9mm from 15 feet away?
Yipes.