Windscreen Strengthening

[Pete&Matt]

Im more than sure that this has been covered before, but cant find it!

What is the best way of strengthing the windscreen pillars? It seems the vast majority bond in steel rod up the inside of the channel. Is this the best way? If so, what size rod have you used? Just use normal fibreglass matting to secure it all?

Cheers

Matt

[stylussprinter]

I used 1/2 inch alloy solid rod but tube will be strong enough too.(didn't think weight was a big deal at the time ) Shape it up a little at a time and make it long enough to reach down 6 or 8 inches beside the body. I glassed mine in with ready mixed resin/fibres quite thick at the body ends and slightly convex along the upper screen edge. Another wise move is to fold thin steel around the rod in two places (long enough to leave an inch deep/wide for drilling ) Then when you fix a hood attachment through the top screen (drilled through f/glass & steel)the pins wont wear through leaving a slot which is what I had to sort on the green car I sold

STEEL's too heavy

[whiterabbit]

I have used 16mm o/d erw tube from B&Q (!). As is the rule for anything made from round stuff (prop shafts, scaffolding, petrol tankers) all the strength is in the outside few mm., the middle just adds weight, not strength. Plus you can thread wires up it for courtesy lights or self-dipping mirrors, (best toy on my Citroen).

Steve.

[lambostylus]

The weight is probably something I should have thought of before I bonded the 10mm steel rod into the surround.
On the other hand, I made up brackets at each end and bolted them to the back of the uprights that support the door hinges (I wont be needing them with vertical lift doors ) so this should take the weight.
My second thoughts now are vibration and cracking of the filler - has anyone had any experience of this happening. my theory says that the surround won't flex otherwise windscreens would be popping / cracking with every hard corner, but I have been known to be wrong.
cheers aye,
Mark G

[stylussprinter]

The weight is probably something I should have thought of before I bonded the 10mm steel rod into the surround.
On the other hand, I made up brackets at each end and bolted them to the back of the uprights that support the door hinges (I wont be needing them with vertical lift doors ) so this should take the weight.
My second thoughts now are vibration and cracking of the filler - has anyone had any experience of this happening. my theory says that the surround won't flex otherwise windscreens would be popping / cracking with every hard corner, but I have been known to be wrong.
cheers aye,
Mark G

I think the answer is not to bond it in with filler --- only a little to smooth it off. I used an alloy 13mm rod and bonded it with f/glass . Over the rod in two places , I folded a steel 50mm x 100mm 1.5mm plate to drill through ready to take hood fittings so's it wouldn't pull through

[Bikenuts]

I have used 16mm o/d erw tube
Steve.

Me too - runs across the top and down the sides to join the dash support/hinge plates, bit of a pain to get it to fit snugly round the sides but hopefully worth the effort if it allows me to haul my lardy arse out of the seat without snapping the frame

Matt

[stylussprinter]

I never use the screen to get out , just put my left hand on the highest point of the tunnel I can reach then the right hand on top of the door shut TO wheel arch and haul myself out ------------- getting in , stand in with my bum pressed against the back rest THEN simply drop down ---- I'm in

[Pete&Matt]

I used 1/2 inch alloy solid rod but tube will be strong enough too.(didn't think weight was a big deal at the time ) Shape it up a little at a time and make it long enough to reach down 6 or 8 inches beside the body. I glassed mine in with ready mixed resin/fibres quite thick at the body ends and slightly convex along the upper screen edge. Another wise move is to fold thin steel around the rod in two places (long enough to leave an inch deep/wide for drilling ) Then when you fix a hood attachment through the top screen (drilled through f/glass & steel)the pins wont wear through leaving a slot which is what I had to sort on the green car I sold

STEEL's too heavy

Rob, Where did you get your ready mixed resin/fibres from? We have all the rods bent now and just need to bond them in!

[stylussprinter]

You can get it at HALFORDS . P38 P40 , don't remember which was filler and which was fibre though -- you'll get an answer on here soon enough

[Pete&Matt]

ok, i know the stuff then!

will put it in with that, sikaflex and then a layer of matting over the top to stop spiky bits coming up! Then a skim of filler over it to tidy it up! The body is getting nearer to completion now! The flip front is taking most of the time at the mo to get right. Nearly there now!

[stylussprinter]

ok, i know the stuff then!

will put it in with that, sikaflex and then a layer of matting over the top to stop spiky bits coming up! Then a skim of filler over it to tidy it up! The body is getting nearer to completion now! The flip front is taking most of the time at the mo to get right. Nearly there now!

Wish I was that far with my ' flip '

[Pete&Matt]

to get a good result with the flip, you need to spend hours on it! I have to say, you can definatly see that it is an after thought of SSC! For instance, the drain channels dump the water stright on top of the pedal box and battery! So had to sort that out! The sides by the arches tuck in as they are under tension in the original moulding, so ribs have to be put in, good luck is all i can say! It is a good result at the end though!

[Pete&Matt]

well we have done the screen today with a good result! Here are some piccys for you!

[stylussprinter]

Now you just need a roughly triangular bit of 3 or 4 mm f/glass sheet to bond into the area shown on your last photo -- it will give strength to the door pillar and screen making it as a ' box ' as opposed to a cup Pete used to supply these pieces when you bought the body kit , perhaps Tim did too

[Pete&Matt]

Rob, do you mean the "scuttle Panel" pieces? If so, then yes we have these and need to bond them in! It doesnt have a lot of flex now we have put the fibreglass down the sides etc, its all quite strong now, but more the better i suppose!

Do you have any pics of the rear firewall? Would this be in the build manual you were talking about?