Re: [VAC] 66, 67, and 68 windows

[Gary Quamen <gquamen@xxxxxxxx>]

Bill Scott wrote:
> 
> Hey GQ, I read your note to Doug Rowbottom about replacing those curved
> Corning glass widows with lexan or acrylic, and I have some questions.

Hi Bill:

It's Lexan (polycarbonate).  Acrylic won't last and is a waste of time.

> Each window has two or three hooked shaped devices glued to the lower
> edge of the window, which act as the holding closures so another
> retractable hook can lower down and draw the window in.
> My question is , how did you attach the closing hooks to the lexan...

The clips (metal) are not glued on (at least on my unit) but have enough 
spring to be pressed on the glass and stay put. You just pry them off of 
the old window and press 'em on the new in the same position relative to 
the "grabber".  Once the window is pulled in it is within the frame and 
the clips cannot be removed.  Pretty slick actually.  

> ...and how did you attach the upper aluminum frame to the lexan.

The tough part is prying the old glass or plastic out of the frame.  The 
new material is set in clear polysulfide or (the dreaded) silicone. I 
used silicone myself. Once it sets, it's as good as the original.  Also, 
the Lexan window is much lighter than glass.  The design is such that 
when closed the glass can't fall out even if it was not glued to the 
frame hinge.  Of course, in that case when you opened it, the whole 
enchilada would fall on the ground, which would be very embarrassing.  

> Those lower hooks, or clips, are make of spring steel , and could be 
> fabricated, with time and expense.

T&E indeed. Although I saw somewhere (Vintage Advantage?) somebody 
offering them for sale at an outrageous price that I probably will pay as 
some of mine are pretty crummy looking plus I would like to have a couple 
of spares (right Doug?).

> I have seen others replace the windows with acrylic, and just screwthem 
> on. They seal nicely, but you can't open them.

Unless I had no other choice, I wouldn't do it.  Again acrylic is bad. 
Won't last.

> I like the idea of smoked lexan as replacements, if you can get them to 
> open and close properly.

So do I.  Actually they call it solar gray nowadays and as it implies, it 
would protect the material inside your unit from sun damage as well.

The reason I didn't use it is that most of my windows are the original 
clear glass, including the bottom third or so of the front side windows, 
which have an extra fixed pane under the main one.  But if I were to 
replace all the windows, solar gray would definitely be the way I would 
go.

Later,

GQ '67 Safari

PS:  One thing I neglected to mention.  When I first installed the Lexan, 
for a while, until the window took a slight "set" (curve) I had a little 
trouble engaging the clips and the "grabber".  Especially the smallest of 
the windows.  So you had to manually "help" it a little.  But after being 
shut for a while and heated and cooled by the sun etc, the slight set 
allowed the mechanisms to engage. In any case it was a non-problem.

PPS:  Right after I replaced my sun-ruined rock guard with Lexan 
(translucent white, didn't come out too bad if I do say so), I said to 
myself (I do this a lot), "Why didn't I just replace the front window 
with Lexan and skip the rock guard entirely?".  I guess the answer is 
that I had all the hardware for the guard, and it does make for a great 
"awning". GQ