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MG MGA - Cut down screen..where do I find the glass?

Early Jan this year Steve Gyles showed a pic of his car with a lovely cut down more angled screen ( 10in compared to standard 13in I recollect ). I contacted Bob West about whether he can supply and he confirmed he had in stock. ..but only with plastic screens as per Steves. I followed up with the bureaucrats here in Oz and screens for street use have to be of toughened or laminated glass. I tried a company called 'Anglo Parts ' in Belgium and they have glass but only the 7in high units.
Has anyone got any ideas on any other source for a glass 10in screen? Can you get them made or is that a ridiculous cost?
Neil Ferguson

Neil,

Australian Design Rule (ADR) 8/01 states that only laminated glass can be fitted to cars in Australia.
This applies to all new cars and to new replacement windscreens on old cars. Original toughened glass windscreens already on old cars can be retained.
ADR 8/01 can be found by using Google.

Mick
M F Anderson

Neil -
A good auto glass man can cut a laminated screen. There is such a treasure near me, he says he'll try anything if you keep buying glass! Must come out all right, since there's always a chopped top street rod or two in his shop. I can't even contemplate thinking about cutting a '59 Chevrolet screen, and I've seen that and other tight complex curved screens in there.

FRM!
Fletcher R Millmore

FRM makes a good point. But I guess even a good glass cutter would need to start off with the correctly curved screen, perhaps a standard MGA screen?

Neil, I have just measured my screen a little more accurately. It is 10.75" slant height including the hidden bit in the channel. This gives me a vertical height in the centre (scuttle top to top of screen) of 8.5". Bear in mind that I also have more raked stanchions than standard. It gives me full face protection at all speeds. I have not tried Bob's lower screen, but I would imagine from what he tells me that the forehead and eyes would take a bit of battering over long distances. Are you looking mainly for looks or for loads of long distance driving? If the former, I would go for the lower screen. I am tempted to get hold of some more channelling to make a lower screen for the pure hell of it. For local runs I think it would be great fun and enhance the looks. Relatively easy to swap the screens over for long distance touring.

Best of luck with your quest.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Neil,

Ragtops and roadsters sells both the standard windshield and the competition version. Their competition winshield is 7.5" tall but they are getting their glass from someone, maybe they can arrange for a custom height one for you.

ragtops.com

Randy
Randy Myers

I have a 9" tall screen(9.5" over-all) out of Lexan {the product they make airplane windows out of}. It was cut by plastic company in Phoenix Arizona and cost only around $100 USD delivered. It is in a cut-down and re-finished stock windshield frame. Would anybody is Oz really check, or care about what your windshield is made of? When a cop looks at my car they are so much in awe they never get around to it's several illegalities. My philosophy is, "It's easier to apologize that get permission." (The only time that back fired on me was when my son used it on me)

Steve Meline

Neil, you are correct, any replacement windscreen must meet ADRs unless pre-1945 vehicle. So how to get around this? There are options to getting what you want to your car, just think like McGyver outside the square!! First option is I would be calling Moran glass here in Brisbane. They make ADR compliant replacement laminated screens for many older makes including MGs I believe. Just be aware old man Moran can be a bit crotchety so talk nicely (based on personal experience). If he has the buck/template for a standard one and you provide a paper template of what your after he might be willing to produce a laninated cut down version. Second choice is getting one cut down. I actually had one that I got cut down from an original many years ago by a local glass shop (that my ex dropped before I could fit it properly) but this is a dicey process that could see more than one screen wrecked (still have the cut down brass uprights nad I think cut down frame sides if you want them - usual deal with my unwanted bits ,free, you just pay postage)!! Remember there are heaps of hot rods that are chopped tops and they have to have their glass cut down so ask hot rod shops in Victoria or go onto a hotrod forum and ask who does it locally.
Third option(and if approached carefully is legal), if you dont have a windscreen fitted but a curved "wind deflector" (read that as a wind deflector does not come under the ADRs...hint hint)that just happens to be mounted and look just like a comp screen and made of perspex well its not a windscreen is it?? Heaps of historic racers in Australia get away with this! Ring your State Authority and ask if you fit a wind deflector because your 60 year old "historic race car" cannot be fitted with the original factory made perspex screen and would this wind deflector be legal and you might be suprised by the answer, just remmber its not a windscreen but a wind deflector (just like the ones on all those big prime mover bonnets)and if they ask no you cannnot get an original or alternate style. Fourth option is if you read the Australian ADRs you will see that you have to comply with Australian , UK, JApanese or American glass standards. Read the USA standard (its on-line) and you will see any screen that complies with one of the USA codes are legal and included in that code in the fine print is the provision for lexan type screens ( I believe similar to aircraft grade lexan which can be created by any one of a number of aircraft restoration companies fairly easily). Lastly get one imported from the States in glass but expensive
regards
Mark
Mark Mathiesen

Steve, issue with using non-legal part is in Aussie unlike USA is here you automatically forfeit all vehicle insurance (including 3rd party personal damages) which means if you crash into someone who knows the law (or a smart cop:) , they will successfully sue you and could end up getting your pride and joy in the settlement (possibly along with everything else you own)!!
Mark
Mark Mathiesen

Mark....
Many thanks for those great ideas...
I was persuing two of them. I remembered a previous comment about Moran ( by you I think and on a Steve Gyles topic ) and a webpage had an e-address but messsage bounced . Will try the phone -in diplomatic mode.
Also had sent an email to a Melbourne hotrod shop about cutting down a screen late last night and await response.
Will see how these two avenues go over next few days before getting radical...
...and really appreciate the non standard approachs you suggest..plus the generous offer of the supports/surround. Would like to take up the latter.
You certainly know your ADRs!
Neil Ferguson

I was wondering what the difference was between Lexan and polycarbonate; it seems Lexan is a trade name for the same thing.

I have been trying to price an 8mm sheet for a second windscreen (7"). Most companies sell by the large sheet costing mega bucks. Finally found a UK company that will cut to order. 1200mm x 300mm should allow for the required shape to be cut out and will cost me about £46 ($70). Now all I need is the bottom rail and one vertical (cut in half).

Steve
Steve Gyles

Lexan is a very soft material (almost impossible to brake (good thing) but scratches very easily (bad thing of a windscreen) There are newer polycarbonate materials that are more shatter resistant than glass and have a good scratch resistance also.
Chris Velardi

Oh joy and small fishes!!
After sending half a dozen faxes over last two days etc I had a very prompt call from a lovely bloke here in Melbourne. His company, PGI, stocks the standard laminated screens in Brisbane (and they are not the nightmare thin ones referenced by Barney) and he can cut them down and finish..routine stuff he tells me.
He is bringing a few down from Brisbane and the screen costs A$140 and cutting A$80 ..all very reasonable... so have committed.
Neil Ferguson

Neil, I wonder if you could publish the contact name etc. for PGI (especially the Brisbane contact for me). They don't appear to be anywhere on Google.
Gary Lock

Gary......full name is Protector Glass and website .. http://www.protector.com.au/Contact-Protector.aspx.
I have gieven you the contact address webpage etc.. they told me their main facory/storage was in Brisbane and they make many windscreens there. The guy I spoke to in Melbourne base said they probably made the MGA screens there but he was not sure. Easy to deal with here in Melbourne.
Neil
Neil Ferguson

Neil,
A few weeks ago I set out on the quest for a "competition" 'screen and was about to tread many of the roads you have travelled. (Anglo, West some on ebay USA, etc) Thank you for the shortcut. I will contact PGI this week.
Have you decided on the height you will use? What are you going to do about the frame and posts? I would like to retain my original intact so don't want to chop it up.
John.
j mcmaster

John....I am going the same way as Steve Gyles ie 10.75in slant height, as I want to keep the wipers and the hair.
I tried a number of hot rod shops but none were up to cutting the screen and their responses were like waiting for grass to grow...
I am getting the cut down side pieces and the bottom frame from Bob West in Uk....he stocks the whole kit ...but with plastic screens ( legal in UK ). His email is srx210@aol.com.
I intend to keep my old screen assembley intact so also have ordered all the other small 'doubries' ( ie brackets,seals etc ).
Good luck
Neil
Neil Ferguson

Neil...Thanks for your prompt reply. That height sounds like a good compromise between looks and praticability. I will do the West thing as well. Feel a bit guilty riding on your coatails so closely. If you were closer I would buy you a VB.
Thanks, John.
j mcmaster

This thread was discussed between 21/03/2010 and 06/04/2010

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