custom made windscreens

[mirach]

does anyone out there know who to approach with regards to acquiring a windscreen for a very rare italian sportscar. only four of these cars were produced and as of yet i cannot find any trace of tooling, my other option is to have the tooling made, in which case do any of you know how to go about this. ie can tooling be made from a glassfibre pattern to exact profile.

[Paul Drawmer]

I think there's a PHer called 'glassman' who is in the business. ISTR that one offs are possible provided you have the specifications.

[Steve_D]

If you can supply a 3D pattern or even a CAD model I believe it is possible to produce one offs to order.
My understanding is that the heated glass is draped over a tool. In this case the tool is a sophisticated 'bed of nails' for want of a better description. The 'Nails' being raised or lowered to form the profile.

Don't know who does it, nor have I seen it, just think I "read it somewhere".

Steve

[ezakimak]

Steve_D said:

If you can supply a 3D pattern or even a CAD model I believe it is possible to produce one offs to order.
My understanding is that the heated glass is draped over a tool. In this case the tool is a sophisticated 'bed of nails' for want of a better description. The 'Nails' being raised or lowered to form the profile.

Don't know who does it, nor have I seen it, just think I "read it somewhere".

Steve

Grand Designs - Series 4 - UK version, cant remember the episode, Curved house around a chesnut tree, shows the curved and tempered glass being made for this houes. gives a good idea of the process.

[ColinM50]

Buddy of mine had a similar situation a few years ago with a Maserati he had shipped back from, Saudi shippers broke the screen in transot. No-one, not even Maserati could supply him with a new screen and the moulds were no longer in existence. So he paid Pilkington to make a new mould from his broken screen and they then supplied him with their minimum order of ten screens.

Cost him a lot of money, something like £5K and this was twenty five years ago. I can remember him being really happy when he sold three or four for £1K each though especially since his insurance had paid for them

[ezakimak]

I should add that the ones on grand designs were double glazed, and you could see that all they did was add some ceramic spacers to the top of the points (like steves nails) and then made the next window with the slightly smaller radius.

[Joe T]

Have a look at this thread

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... of windscreens for specialist cars?

We had a custom screen made from a fibreglass buck worked out really good.

[EFA]

"very rare italian sportscar. only four of these cars were produced "

P4??

Edited by EFA on Tuesday 21st December 11:43

[mirach]

i would say much rarer than a p4. and as far as i know not available as a kit YET!!!

[EFA]

There are on 3 real P4s. The kits are pretty rare too as many have never been built.

[mirach]

i didn,t realise the p4 was that rare, gorgeous car tho

[JontyR]

Rob,

Are we still looking to meet next week? Are you around on the Sunday? Or are you being Festive?? Otherwise I could meet up with you early on the Monday morning if that is more suitable....but it would have to be quite early as Im meant to be driving back up home in the morning.

Cheers