Optic armor glass
#1
Optic armor glass
Anyone hear of this glass company? They make a windshield replacement that claims to be 250 times stronger than factory glass and 50-75% lighter depending on what thickness you use.
Seems like a great product and may even sneak by inspection for street cars. Alternative to lexan or is this polycarbonate stuff the same thing?
Curious how heavy are factory windsheilds and rear hatch glass?
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...th=237_243_712
Www.opticarmorwindows.com
Seems like a great product and may even sneak by inspection for street cars. Alternative to lexan or is this polycarbonate stuff the same thing?
Curious how heavy are factory windsheilds and rear hatch glass?
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...th=237_243_712
Www.opticarmorwindows.com
#3
Re: Optic armor glass
Same here. I got a buttload of weight over front end, but way heavy in general so light front and rear has to shave a good bit of weight
I need to weigh my car again but i believe its over 3600 lbs now with me in it.
I wanna get back down towards 3450 like it used to be without gutting or losing some street amenities lol
Biggest thing i am considering is aluminum exhaust and intercooler piping and these windows
I need to weigh my car again but i believe its over 3600 lbs now with me in it.
I wanna get back down towards 3450 like it used to be without gutting or losing some street amenities lol
Biggest thing i am considering is aluminum exhaust and intercooler piping and these windows
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Re: Optic armor glass
It would be nice to be able to use a lighter windshield, But I don't know how legal this would be on a street car, The rear window wouldn't be a problem, I wounder if this can be tinted as your not supposed tint polycarbonate, But maybe there formula for it has solved that.
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Re: Optic armor glass
Factory windshield is 20 pounds. A 3/16" Lexan windshield is 10 pounds.
I still have my rear glass and deck lid in the back yard. I couldn't separate the glass from the decklid and didn't really have to. Although I never weighed it, it's probably less than 100 pounds but not by much.
Keeping the rear glass for weight distribution is BS. It's still dead weight that the engine needs to move and you're trying to reduce weight to go faster. If the suspension is set up properly even a nose heavy car like mine can still pull the front end up. My car is still around 60/40 weight distribution.
I still have my rear glass and deck lid in the back yard. I couldn't separate the glass from the decklid and didn't really have to. Although I never weighed it, it's probably less than 100 pounds but not by much.
Keeping the rear glass for weight distribution is BS. It's still dead weight that the engine needs to move and you're trying to reduce weight to go faster. If the suspension is set up properly even a nose heavy car like mine can still pull the front end up. My car is still around 60/40 weight distribution.
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#8
Re: Optic armor glass
Wow front is only 20 lbs? Def not worth 400-600$ for lexan for 10 lbs savings.
Rear i always thought was super heavy, and a good savings could be had but doesnt seem like much now if front is only 20 lbs stock down to 10 with the thin lexan version
Rear i always thought was super heavy, and a good savings could be had but doesnt seem like much now if front is only 20 lbs stock down to 10 with the thin lexan version
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Re: Optic armor glass
Best front weight saving is replace the hood with light pin on, remove a/c and relocate the battery. Large improvement for less than the poly windshield.
#10
Re: Optic armor glass
Been there done all that and then some. Lol even tube kmember and a arms. I know i'm still heavy. Two turbos, intercooler, tons of exhaust plumbing, big brakes and various other coolers on the car will do that. Back end has 12 bolt which helps give more balance but still like to consider dropping glass weight on rear if that hatch is heavy enough. 50+ lbs savings would be nice.
My friend is talkin me out of these windows for the front for a street car. Back is still probable. I feel i got the bare minimum of car parts and interior on the car yet its a fatty for sure. I dont have a full cage yet and idk how some cars are so light....
My friend is talkin me out of these windows for the front for a street car. Back is still probable. I feel i got the bare minimum of car parts and interior on the car yet its a fatty for sure. I dont have a full cage yet and idk how some cars are so light....
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Re: Optic armor glass
All that turbo weight and plumbing makes me want a procharger that much more!
#12
Re: Optic armor glass
My setup is alittle crazy but even with a large blower its gonna weigh alot plus have an intercooler unless u do blow thru carb but you can do that with turbo. I have alot of exhaust weight.... 4 mufflers an x pipe, dual 3", bunch of vbands, etc
#16
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Car: 84 camaro
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Re: Optic armor glass
This is why i run on motor. LoL mine weighs like 2995lbs with me in it.
Ive thought about the turbo thing too....were building an 87 GTA with a 750hp big block in it...looking at more lightening options now too.
Ive thought about the turbo thing too....were building an 87 GTA with a 750hp big block in it...looking at more lightening options now too.
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Car: 86 TA, 91 B4C
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Re: Optic armor glass
I'll probably do a turbo one day, but it will be someone's abandon or blown up project. That way most of the work is done. Lol. Then again, the mustang is not as bad as the third gen, so you never know. Looking at my third gen engine bay, as well as others turbo setups, I just get a headache thinking about all the fabbing. Yet, the older I get the less stuff like that bothers me...
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Re: Optic armor glass
Right? My crustang goes from 2700 to 3000 just with me getting in. Makes me sad. Lol
#20
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Re: Optic armor glass
FYI--My proglass 3/16" lexan rear hatch came today. It weighed 22.8 lbs on my bathroom scale.
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Re: Optic armor glass
Keeping the rear glass for weight distribution is BS. It's still dead weight that the engine needs to move and you're trying to reduce weight to go faster. If the suspension is set up properly even a nose heavy car like mine can still pull the front end up. My car is still around 60/40 weight distribution.
Problem is that too many enthusiasts still have in their mind that weight over the rear wheels is always good and that suspensions are still stuck in 1971 (i.e. drag shocks, V6 springs, slicks. It's not too hard to put together a lightweight car with stock sized street tires that hooks like a champ and still handles.
I have a fiberglass notchback on my 84, dropping 75lbs and it helped the handling and also at the track (75lbs of hatch dead weight is dead weight).
I like the idea of this glass. but there are a lot of places where you can pull out weight that gives a real bang for the buck.
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Re: Optic armor glass
I spoke with Optic Armor today.
They currently make oversize pieces that require trimimng with no black out.
The good news is they have decided to produce "Drop Ins" in about 4 months.
They will have all options, coatings inside and out, two tint options, and black out around the edges as some of the other options for other vehicles.
There are planning to have these for the SEMA show so August/September timeframe.
The guy I had spoke with said he ran the production numbers of the third gens, and they were comparable or greater than 4th gen cars, he loves the third gen era, so it's on.
I'm going to wait for 4 months and do it, the coatings are tuff, handle wipers wear etc.
I'm in.
Dennis
They currently make oversize pieces that require trimimng with no black out.
The good news is they have decided to produce "Drop Ins" in about 4 months.
They will have all options, coatings inside and out, two tint options, and black out around the edges as some of the other options for other vehicles.
There are planning to have these for the SEMA show so August/September timeframe.
The guy I had spoke with said he ran the production numbers of the third gens, and they were comparable or greater than 4th gen cars, he loves the third gen era, so it's on.
I'm going to wait for 4 months and do it, the coatings are tuff, handle wipers wear etc.
I'm in.
Dennis
#30
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#32
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#35
Re: Optic armor glass
Just to let you guys know we are running a pre-sale right now on the 3rd gen drop-in black outs for 10% off retail. These will be cut to factory size, formed to factory curvature, have the black perimeter, and can be glued in (only the front can be glued in) They will be ready to ship in 2-3 weeks. please feel free to give us a call at 573-317-9066 or check out our website at www.opticarmorwindows.com
#36
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Re: Optic armor glass
Will this be windshields only or will you produce rear hatch glass too?
#41
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Re: Optic armor glass
www.opticarmorwindows.com
Prices too but you have to cypher what the part numbers relate to. I assume it starts with the thinnest windshield and ends with the thickness hatch glass.
My question is how would you adapt hatch struts to the lightweight rear glass? I know the glass can be fastened to the OEM decklid (or buy Glasstek's fibreglass deck) but the struts would be overpowering.
#43
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Re: Optic armor glass
Q: Can I use windshields wipers on the Optic Armor windows?
A: Due to the inherit nature of the Optic Armor coating, water will bead up and run off the window just like rain-x. Wipers can be used on the Optic Armor window but we recommend making sure there is plenty of water on the window before they are turned on to prevent any gouging that may occur due to any excess dirt or dust that may be present.
A: Due to the inherit nature of the Optic Armor coating, water will bead up and run off the window just like rain-x. Wipers can be used on the Optic Armor window but we recommend making sure there is plenty of water on the window before they are turned on to prevent any gouging that may occur due to any excess dirt or dust that may be present.
#44
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Re: Optic armor glass
Q: Can I use windshields wipers on the Optic Armor windows?
A: Due to the inherit nature of the Optic Armor coating, water will bead up and run off the window just like rain-x. Wipers can be used on the Optic Armor window but we recommend making sure there is plenty of water on the window before they are turned on to prevent any gouging that may occur due to any excess dirt or dust that may be present.
A: Due to the inherit nature of the Optic Armor coating, water will bead up and run off the window just like rain-x. Wipers can be used on the Optic Armor window but we recommend making sure there is plenty of water on the window before they are turned on to prevent any gouging that may occur due to any excess dirt or dust that may be present.
At the end of the day it is still plastic and it will scratch alot easier than glass.
for a street car I would never do the front because it will no longer meet DOT (glass windshields are tempered & laminated for safety)
I would do the rear because it saves 40#
A track only car I would do ALL the glass in lexan
#45
Re: Optic armor glass
http://opticarmorwindows.com/applica...urer=Chevrolet
These prices are for our DIBO windows which are a finished window that requires no trimming etc.
In regards to running wipers, yes you can but will rarely need them thanks the water shedding properties. They are not DOT approved for the front for street cars. But one way to look at it, is if you are at the point of looking to do front Optic Armor windows you are way past worrying about the DOT since most of the products you have installed on your car are not DOT approved or CARB approved, only go-fast approved!
These prices are for our DIBO windows which are a finished window that requires no trimming etc.
In regards to running wipers, yes you can but will rarely need them thanks the water shedding properties. They are not DOT approved for the front for street cars. But one way to look at it, is if you are at the point of looking to do front Optic Armor windows you are way past worrying about the DOT since most of the products you have installed on your car are not DOT approved or CARB approved, only go-fast approved!
#46
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Re: Optic armor glass
i'm not concerned about DOT approval, lol. the only thing that's held me back at this point is that a lot of the classes i'd like to run in mandate oe glass.
however, my car has been changing shape a lot lately, and i have mods other than glass that would keep me from going into them too. when i finally update my car to a 10pt cage, i think i'll do the windshield.
do you have side windows that fit the oe tracks and can maintain power function?
however, my car has been changing shape a lot lately, and i have mods other than glass that would keep me from going into them too. when i finally update my car to a 10pt cage, i think i'll do the windshield.
do you have side windows that fit the oe tracks and can maintain power function?
#47
Re: Optic armor glass
We produce side windows that are oversized and formed to the factory curvature. However we have always shied folks away from doing roll up windows do to the risk of the window being sucked out at speed. With that said, alot of guys have made it work with much success. They usually build a lip for the window to seat behind or a clip/dzus fasteners to hold it in place. Polycarbonate is flexible which puts it at a disadvantage on the side windows unless you do as I described above or go with a thicker than factory glass material such as 1/4"
#48
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Re: Optic armor glass
i've seen guys use the side window retainer clips like a traditional lexan window. can't roll the window all the way down, but it'd probably be good enough for me, lol.
i'm a wacky naturally aspirated guy so i'm always on the lookout for shedding weight, but don't want to do it at the cost of taking away the street-car-ness of the car.
i'm a wacky naturally aspirated guy so i'm always on the lookout for shedding weight, but don't want to do it at the cost of taking away the street-car-ness of the car.