Windscreen glass question

[john2443]

My car has a flat, laminated windscreen with a crack, so at some point I need to replace it.

What's the difference between the laminated glass from a normal glass supplier (eg to put in a house door) and laminated glass from a windscreen supplier?

I appreciate that it should be kitemarked for car use, but I suspect that if it's cut from a sheet it's unlikely the mark will be on it anyway.

I'd probably want to go an auto glass place for peace of mind but the advantage of using the local glass supplier is that I wouldn't have to go through the time wasting conversation of 'Yes sir, what car is it for'..'There's no point me telling you because you won't have it listed'.. 'It would be easier if I knew the make and model'.. 'OK, 1951 Healey Tickford'.. 'Ahh, we don't have that listed'.. 'Yes I bloody well know that, just cut the fking glass to the same size as the pattern!'

[healeyfan]

Try contacting Uroglass they'll probably have one and if not will be able to make one.

[na]

my mate had a piece of glass cut to shape from his local glass supplier

added - the glass may well have been windscreen suitable as it's a proper glass company not a hardware shop

for his Westie, £30 I think, the safety mark must be shown and obviously it would have to be a flat screen, he was told the glass is totally suitable and the car has passed two MoT since

for 1951 vehicle you may not even need the safety mark showing but I won't risk it

edited to add missing word

Edited by na on Tuesday 3rd July 20:57

[Shaw Tarse]

Glassman (or his equally helpful mate)

[alvis]

I used to run a restoration business before retiring 8 years ago, and have had many screen and side window glasses cut by a local glass supplier, if its for an old car you may have a small problem re glass thickness, but laminated glass is laminated glass etc. I f you need it for opening side windows you have to get the edges polished, once done you can just see the plastic laminate but it seems to work OK. The alternative being to get it cut in ordinary glass and have it sent away for toughening, obviously more expensive. Forget about kitemarks for an early car, I'm sure its not a problem.

[CoolC]

Laminated glass which is to be placed forward facing in a road vehicle must meet the necessary regulations.

This is the thickness of each layer of glass as well as the PVB interlayer. This will then need to be marked specifically for "windscreen" use.

Laminated glass of any other type shouldn't be used for this position as it won't have the same strength should it be hit by something larger than a stone (bird strike for example).

Of course a local firm could cut a piece of "normal" laminated glass and mark it as windscreen grade, and this would be undetectable at test time, but would you rather have a piece of "glass" or a "windscreen" protecting you from the front?

[HustleRussell]

Us Caterham folk, plus Westfield bloke ^ often use normal laminated glass. Never heard of an MOT problem.

[alvis]

Sorry Cool C but the spec for a Healey Tickford built in 1951 would not be laid down then or now, this is a wooden framed handbuilt car. Grand total built 244, Ash framed and alloy panels. Forget about specification and or even kitemarks on the glass. And if you're worried about the type of laminated glass ,then you'd better not even start looking for seatbelts, antiburst doorlocks and all the rest of it. Get the glass from a local supplier, use the old one as a pattern, its the only way to do it. Also hello to a fellow Tickford bodied car owner. Mine is an Alvis 14 Drop Head .

[Glassman]

OP - let me know where you are (or the car will be) and I'll connect you to someone.

[na]

I'm not saying the local glass wont get by an MoT whether windscreen suitable or not but me using the word local may have been misleading amd the glass may well have been windscreen suitable as it's a proper glass company not a hardware shop

plus you're more aware of stone and bird strikes in that sort of car so more aware of what the windscreen needs to stop

[zap mc]

In a practical sense a piece of laminated glass will break in a similar way to a piece of windscreen glass and furthermore many types of liminated glass may be thicker than a modern car windscreen which is being made progressively thinner to save weight as the years go by, however in a legal sense you will need to comply with construction and use legislation and all the box ticking nonsense that entails. Just make sure it is thick enough if you replace it and the edges are all ground to prevent stress fractures. What is practical may not be strictly legal.

[john2443]

As someone else said, it's unlikely that anyone is ever going to check if the screen is kitemarked so I'm not too bothered about that, it just need to be safe, although allowing that the car doesn't have any safety features at all apart from the seat belts, it's a bit academic!

I just want to be sure that it's not more likely to spray me with shards of glass than the old one.

The thickness is fixed, it needs to go in the existing channel.

[mywifeshusband]

I've built a couple of Land Rovers with the flat series windscreen replaced by a single unit. I always used to go to the local double glazing company for a piece of laminated and they'd make sure the kite mark was visible on it. Passed RAC/MSA scruitineering and survived hitting many a branch at speed. Excellent scratch resistance as well.