Putting Plexi in for Vista Windows - GMC 4108.

[richard5933]

Just found this guys videos and see that he custom made a windshield out of 1/4" plexiglass. Might be helpful for someone trying to duplicate your project in the future.

In short, he made a metal 'mold' of the windshield shape and then used a home-made oven to heat the plexiglass over it.

There are few videos in the series, but here's the one where it worked after a few failed attempts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuG4RDbvyhU

[chessie4905]

that would be illegal in PA.
The guy we sold our 4104 did Rod and Custon car transformations. Some of his work featured in that magazine. He said he could get custom windshields made for custom designs. Unfortunately, I didn't  talk further about where he had that done or the specifics.

[richard5933]

I was thinking more about using this for rear windows or the upper windows on a Scenic or Buffalo, not the actual windshield.

That said, I bet the process for molding real laminated windshields is not that much different.

[chessie4905]

Oh, I saw "windshields". Yeah, the biggest issue would be the pattern for the non existant window.

[richard5933]

Oh, I saw "windshields". Yeah, the biggest issue would be the pattern for the non existant window.

In one of his earlier videos he went through the process of building the pattern. He used thin sheet steel to bend to the needed contours, then built a support network behind it by tack welding square steel bars into place. That's probably one of the more valuable parts of what he did, showing how to build the positive mold for the plexiglass.