lexan

breden · #1 (**permalink**) 04-01-2005, 04:58 PM

does it scratch really easily?

BMWBry · #2 (**permalink**) 04-01-2005, 09:01 PM

What is it?

GhostRider · #3 (**permalink**) 04-01-2005, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWBry

What is it?

Lightweight replacment option for glass. Think plexiglass but better and more scratch resistant....how scratch resistant(as in a daily driver situation) I'm not sure.

Read more about it:
http://www.gelexan.com/gelexan/
http://www.geplastics.com/resins/materials/lexan.html

SG_M3 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-02-2005, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by breden

does it scratch really easily?

yes, very easily.

BMWBry · #5 (**permalink**) 04-02-2005, 11:50 AM

Oh yea, that's what the windows are made out of on the GT3.

SG_M3 · #6 (**permalink**) 04-02-2005, 12:04 PM

gt3 has glass.

BMWBry · #7 (**permalink**) 04-02-2005, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SG_M3

gt3 has glass.

The RS version?

breden · #8 (**permalink**) 04-02-2005, 12:26 PM

thanks guys. the RS may have lexan, but the stateside GT3 uses glass

big_sur · #9 (**permalink**) 04-02-2005, 04:59 PM

they sell it at lowes\home depot, go see for yourself. i think itd be alright for everything but the windshield.

SG_M3 · #10 (**permalink**) 04-02-2005, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big_sur

i think itd be alright for everything but the windshield.

Or windows that roll down.

My question would be why would you do this? If you are looking for weight savings there are much better places to start.

breden · #11 (**permalink**) 04-04-2005, 02:27 PM

it was only a thought, im just trying to get some info on it.

Dado · #12 (**permalink**) 04-09-2005, 10:49 PM

cdoc sells lexan. They also have for the side windows as well.

NMJ-045 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-10-2005, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by breden

thanks guys. the RS may have lexan, but the stateside GT3 uses glass

Lexen rear window and glass on the sides and front.

Lexen scratches very easily and if you have a spin in the gt3 or hit a really hard bump at speed on the road the lexen rear window has a habbit of popping out....

But as a weight saver its awesome. As someone said there are better places to start... -See dado's car etc. I stripped the interior from my car (all except front carpet section) and all of it weighs a lot, especialy the front seats.

I am yet to weight it all but I can tell you now its substantial.

Highboosted · #14 (**permalink**) 03-27-2006, 04:16 PM

Percy's, a semi-local company to me, sells a hard-coated lexan, called speed-glass, that doesn't scratch nearly as easily. Many thicknesses available

And what is corneros talking about again?

_swede · #15 (**permalink**) 04-17-2006, 11:25 AM

Lexan is a particular brand of polycarbonate. It is prone to scratches because of it's low hardness (108-122 RHR). An alternative to Lexan that would be significantly more resistant to scratches would be an acrylic (63-97 RHM). However, with acrylic you will sacrifice impact resistance to hardness. While Lexan can handle over 10 ft-lb/in, general purpose acrylic is rated for only half that. Lexan also has a significantly higher melting temperature (374-500°F) when compared to that of acrylic (266°F). But a downfall of Lexan is that it will be more expensive than acrylic because of manufacturing processes.

Chosing the right material is really dependent upon your appication. Some very good points have been suggested in other replys, and like Highboosted said, there are coatings available to protect your lexan and keep it crystal clear for longer.

Hope this helps!