IVE GOT A GREAT IDEA!!

[robeats91t]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't lexan be rather dangerous on a street car? If you get in a situation that requires rapid egress through unconventional means, i.e. breaking out the window or hatch, wouldn't you want to have a window and/or hatch made out of shit you could actually break? I still haven't found a way to get chickens up past 88 mph, much less the 600 mph I'd need to break lexan. Or maybe this is another great reason to keep a D. Eagle in the glovebox?

I'm probably way wrong on this whole lexan thing, but...I like glass. I could probably kick it out if I had to. I also like being able to see out around my car without having to squint through scratched, yellowed plastic. Plus extreme weight reduction on our cars is kinda pointless, if you ask me. It's a GT car, it's always gonna have big bones!

 

[PROJECT N00b]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't lexan be rather dangerous on a street car? If you get in a situation that requires rapid egress through unconventional means, i.e. breaking out the window or hatch, wouldn't you want to have a window and/or hatch made out of shit you could actually break? I still haven't found a way to get chickens up past 88 mph, much less the 600 mph I'd need to break lexan. Or maybe this is another great reason to keep a D. Eagle in the glovebox?

I'm probably way wrong on this whole lexan thing, but...I like glass. I could probably kick it out if I had to. I also like being able to see out around my car without having to squint through scratched, yellowed plastic. Plus extreme weight reduction on our cars is kinda pointless, if you ask me. It's a GT car, it's always gonna have big bones!

ok this defeats the purpose of my thread...well not really, but what you just mentioned, is pretty enlightning, and it changes my mind about the weight reducing.

 

[robeats91t]

I do like the idea of a carbon fiber hatch, but it'd be expensive for the weight savings you gain, so it'd basically be a for-show piece. If you incorporate lexan into the design, that's more money spent and it ends up being less practical (in a dd sense) as a design utilizing the rear glass you already have. If you want to lower your center of gravity, put your windows down and leave the targa at home

Seriously though, you could shed some weight by stripping the interior, ditching the spare and plywood, installing plexi windows, and doing a fiberglass or cf hood, targa and hatch. Then you could move under the hood and remove the abs, power steering, and a/c.

What you'd have then would be a loud, hot, uncomfortable, harder to control and unfinished-looking (at least on the inside) Supra. Which is cool if you've got the power mods to give the "track look" Supra the muscle it needs to not be a poser.

I don't mean to rant. I like your idea, honest. You have no idea how much I CRAVE a carbon & red kevlar hood, headlight covers and armrest. Go check out CFX's website and tell me that the red kevlar/carbon pieces wouldn't go perfectly on a Maroon Supra (paint code 3H4 or 3H8). A carbon & red kevlar hatch would look totally sweet to me...but it's just not practical. The $1000+ that you'd spend getting a carbon hatch--or that I'd spend getting those carbon/kevlar pieces--would be in vain if it were spent with the primary intent of improving the power to weight ratio of the vehicle. That money could go towards some really nice power mods that would net you much more satisfying improvements to your ride.

Let me know if this makes sense. It's late and I don't want to rant or preach, especially since I'm just a n00b as well. In the end, it's your car. It's up to you to enjoy it.

 

[PROJECT N00b]

you my good sir, make awesome sense, actually. yeah well im sure i am more of a n00b than yourself so dont worry too much haha, but yeah this dows make sense...and as for me im off to school but im graduating on the 15th!!! 5 more school days left! yes. thanks guys for keeping this thread going...haha.

 

[figgie]

It'd be like putting light weight running shoes on a Hippo

bwaahahahah

:biglaugh: :yelrotflm

I could imagine that right now!!

 

[figgie]

Cannot see why that would be Lexan is 250 time stronger than glass. Properly prepared it will not yellow and is actually being used on new cars today; right now in sunroofs. Lexan is used on fighter planes(canopy must survive 600 mph impact with chicken) and is used in One inch thick bullet proof windshields of armored cars, it will Stop a .44 mag at three feet. It has its drawbacks that actually are a result of its strengths. It will scratch with your fingernail and has problems with certain chemicals, i.e. gas. But these are overcome with coatings and other engineering techniques. The advantage in removing weight up high like that is great improves handling. The rear glass in our cars weighs in at about over 60 lb, Lexan equivalent would weigh 1/2 this but would require supports.

THAT is the problem

is not the stregth. DOT gives a rats ass about that. It is about the SHARDS during a crash. Lexan will NOT break into tiny pieces like the tempered glass. What It WILL do is stay in BIG HUGE pieces meaning that without bracing and one of those PIECES come flying forward........ can you say flying guilletine?

 

[ToyoHabu]

THAT is the problem

is not the stregth. DOT gives a rats ass about that. It is about the SHARDS during a crash. Lexan will NOT break into tiny pieces like the tempered glass. What It WILL do is stay in BIG HUGE pieces meaning that without bracing and one of those PIECES come flying forward........ can you say flying guilletine?

Not really most racing bodies now require lexan and specifically forbid glass windows. They have found them preferable to glass ie safer. Tempered glass was better than non tempered , but it suffers from not keeping you inside the car. I see way more fatalities on the road from ejection than entrapment. The tools already carried by rescue personel will work with lexan.

The rear hatch frame could be made in say 4 peices. top/bottom/LRSides. Then joined together with aluminum blocks. This would simplify construction with C/F and make it cheaper to build ?

 

[supra90turbo]

heh. then this is going to blow your mind... "waa-laa" = "viola."

I know that, but actually, it's voila.

 

[figgie]

Not really most racing bodies now require lexan and specifically forbid glass windows. They have found them preferable to glass ie safer. Tempered glass was better than non tempered , but it suffers from not keeping you inside the car. I see way more fatalities on the road from ejection than entrapment. The tools already carried by rescue personel will work with lexan.

The rear hatch frame could be made in say 4 peices. top/bottom/LRSides. Then joined together with aluminum blocks. This would simplify construction with C/F and make it cheaper to build ?

dude

did you read what I said? what part of "without" bracing did you miss or not understand? Every single racing organization states the bracing to avoid the lexan breaking into BIG peices.

as for ejection, if you got ejected you will either DIE from hitting the ground or die from splattering against the lexan. Dead is dead and has no bearing as to "which is better".

 

[Zach]

I'd prefer to die in the car, but that's just me.

Okay, honestly folks. How many times have you seen a supra wrecked so hard that all the glass broke? I've never seen it. Most people would only be replacing the hatch glass and rear quarter windows with the lexan, all of the glass near the driver would still be tempered glass. Keep in mind that lexan is far more flexible than glass, so it would break much less often, and a rollcage plus the bracing on the windows would make it far less likely that it would deflect enough to shatter.

And whoever was worried about kicking their way out of the car, you'd still have your windshield and side windows. Oh yeah, I also don't know anybody that's ever had to kick their way out of a car, although I saw it in a movie once..........

 

[figgie]

I'd prefer to die in the car, but that's just me.

Okay, honestly folks. How many times have you seen a supra wrecked so hard that all the glass broke? I've never seen it. Most people would only be replacing the hatch glass and rear quarter windows with the lexan, all of the glass near the driver would still be tempered glass. Keep in mind that lexan is far more flexible than glass, so it would break much less often, and a rollcage plus the bracing on the windows would make it far less likely that it would deflect enough to shatter.

And whoever was worried about kicking their way out of the car, you'd still have your windshield and side windows. Oh yeah, I also don't know anybody that's ever had to kick their way out of a car, although I saw it in a movie once..........

I have and all that the big ass glass does is turn into tiny itty bitty pieces of glass that MIGHT cut you but that is about it. I rather take a few scratches then my head being severed from my body thanks!!