I am fabricating a new windshield for my widened MGB project and I finally took the plunge and started to cut the glass yesterday. I'm using a 67 Impala windshield glass because it was close on the curvature and was wide enough. I transferred the shape to the glass and now it is the moment of truth when I have to cut the glass. There are pictures on the link in my sig.

I took a day off work and masked the shape with the rubber tape from TP Tools. A critical step when using the TP resist tape is to clean the glass with Windex w/ ammonia first. I didn't know this the first time (TP doesn't mention it anywhere) and the result was the tape peeled off the glass and I had to buy another $20 roll of tape. When I called TP Tools the guy acted as though I should have somehow known this and wouldn't give me a break on the new roll. I used some electrical tape around the outside to create a 1/4" cut line for the sandblaster to etch a trough. Surprisingly, the electrical tape being plastic is fairly resistant to the blasting. I made a pressure assist sandblaster to make the cut with and it worked well. The cut is about 5' long and it took almost 200# of blasting media. I used Kleen Blast slag media from White Cap ($12/100 lb bag)I used 90 psi blasting pressure with 10 psi in the tank to move the sand up to the gun. It took a lot longer than I expected to make the cut. I only cut the top of the windshield and it took 5 hours, I still have the bottom and sides to do. Now, I'm old and my back doesn't hold up as well as it used to so I took a lot of breaks but I was really tired by the end of the cut. I'll wait a week or so before I tackle the rest of the job.

I was happy that I didn't crack the glass but there is a lot of sanding that needs to be done to smooth out the edge. I was concerned that I wouldn't know when I got to the laminate in the middle but it is very obvious when you finally break through. You just chase the edge of the glass across the trough and then you can cut the laminate with a razor blade when you get all the way across.

There are a couple of other methods people have used that I may experiment with before I make the rest of the cuts. I just bought a Makita water cooled Glass/tile cutter off Ebay that looks promising and it cost about the same as two more bags of blasting media. I also saw a guy on the HAMB that used a Rotozip with a ceramic tile cutter with a lot of water and he was able to make a full width cut on a windshield in 45 minutes. I found an used Rotozip on Craigs List that I'm going to pick up at lunch today. Lots of methods to experiment with. I'll report on the results.

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Jim

"If you want me to agree with you then we would both be wrong"

'66 MGB widened 11" with LT1 Chevy and 6 speed, C4 Corvette suspension
Pictures here Part 1 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581
Continued in Part 2 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422
Continued in Part 3 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108

Way to go! Are you recycling the media or is it a one run deal? I had also checked out the tile cutter idea but didnt think about the rotozip, I figured you had already checked into all those options.

All I can say is "Wow".

I did recycle some of it but it breaks down pretty fast and doesn't cut as well as the fresh stuff. I did look at the other options but the consensus was that sand blasting was the least likely to crack the glass. Now that my tired old back is permanently fused in the hunched over position, I'm going to experiment with some of the other options that are less time consuming and not as messy. It took about 1 1/2 hours to clean up the mess and now I have to dispose of 200# of used blasting media.

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Jim

"If you want me to agree with you then we would both be wrong"

'66 MGB widened 11" with LT1 Chevy and 6 speed, C4 Corvette suspension
Pictures here Part 1 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581
Continued in Part 2 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422
Continued in Part 3 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108

Jim

I've enjoyed following your project over time and am more than impressed with your metal working skills. You are doing some great work!

Thanks kelvin. All I can say is Ow every time I try to move. Like the Stones say "What a drag it is getting old"

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Jim

"If you want me to agree with you then we would both be wrong"

'66 MGB widened 11" with LT1 Chevy and 6 speed, C4 Corvette suspension
Pictures here Part 1 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581
Continued in Part 2 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422
Continued in Part 3 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108

now that's fabrication! Wow is right.

It's a good thing you old guys get a lot of vacation time!

Ben, you should respect your elders! Not sure why but that's what my mother always used to say. I may not need to take vacation for the cuts to finish the windshield. I got a couple suggestions from people over on the HAMB that I'm going to experiment with. One guy used a Rotozip tool with a tile cutting bit in it and he said he was able to make a full width cut in 45 minutes using lots of water to keep the cut cool. Another person used a Makita glass saw (see pictures)again with water to cut laminated glass. I found this one on Ebay for $29 and bought it today, we'll see how it works.

You young guys should do a little community service and come over to help out us old folks by cutting the windshield for me.

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Jim

"If you want me to agree with you then we would both be wrong"

'66 MGB widened 11" with LT1 Chevy and 6 speed, C4 Corvette suspension
Pictures here Part 1 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581
Continued in Part 2 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422
Continued in Part 3 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108

Boy, that sounds like a set-up if I've ever heard one..... "Hey, I bought this experimental saw, why don't you give it a whirl on my hard-to-find windshield?"

Let me know if you need a second set of hands. Jenny's still in Belgium, so I'm free most evenings.

Probably wan't see the saw until the end of next week, it's coming from Florida. I do have a Rotozip that I can play with in the meantime, just need to get a tile bit.

I need to sand the cut edge to smooth it out. Anybody have any idea what kind of paper to use or what grit?

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Jim

"If you want me to agree with you then we would both be wrong"

'66 MGB widened 11" with LT1 Chevy and 6 speed, C4 Corvette suspension
Pictures here Part 1 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581
Continued in Part 2 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422
Continued in Part 3 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108

Jim, I would suggest contacting a glass company , they sand mirrors and such a lot after cutting, I think there is a specialist paper that they use, particularly on exposed edges. BTW; I'm still going to do my windscreen with the modified
stock posts,,, but I really like the way your windscreen frame looks ,clean and elegant !
Dave

Thanks for the tip, they probably have less likelyhood of breaking it than I would. Modifying the stock posts is a good solution for you because you have already dealt with the lower rail issue. How did you cut your glass BTW?

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Jim

"If you want me to agree with you then we would both be wrong"

'66 MGB widened 11" with LT1 Chevy and 6 speed, C4 Corvette suspension
Pictures here Part 1 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581
Continued in Part 2 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422
Continued in Part 3 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108

Widen the car 11". Check! Install Corvette suspension fabricating all the way. Check! Install LT1 engine where it was never intended to go. Check!
Custom fabricate windshield for speedster look. Check!

Jim, I think you're just running up the score now! :0)

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Hardened Valve Seats (1993)- PO
Rebuilt Engine (1993)- PO
Weber Outlaw 15A (2011) -NEVER NEVER NEVER buy a DGAS 15A
Peco Exhaust (2011)
Stock Distributor (Not running vacuum advance)
Timing: 30 and 2500 RPM

Jim, like many I almost don't know what to say but great job. For thinking outside the box you are #1. You have put a lot of hard work into this project and I can't wait for the finished product, it's going to be something. For the work on the BBQ area that looks great to, however the site of you holding that jackhammer sure reminded me of the old day's when I was a young man and to this day just seeing one make me run hot, that kind of work is work I did it for years. Great job all the way around Jim. Regards

I've been morphing this car since 1971. After a while you run out of the normal things to do and you have to get creative.

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Jim

"If you want me to agree with you then we would both be wrong"

'66 MGB widened 11" with LT1 Chevy and 6 speed, C4 Corvette suspension
Pictures here Part 1 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581
Continued in Part 2 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422
Continued in Part 3 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108

I'd say you've accomplished that. ("Check!" Hard to imagine what you'll do for an encore.

jim

Thanks for the compliment. That isn't me holding the jackhammer, I was holding the camera. There was a time when I broke out a patio like that with nothing but a 16 lb sledge but those days are just a memory now. I can claim the tile work though.

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Jim

"If you want me to agree with you then we would both be wrong"

'66 MGB widened 11" with LT1 Chevy and 6 speed, C4 Corvette suspension
Pictures here Part 1 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581
Continued in Part 2 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422
Continued in Part 3 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108

This car will probably be at the end of its life cycle when I get it finished. An idea I have been toying with after I retire next year is to build an all aluminum monocoque semi-replica of a 27 T track roadster but with more room (I'm 6'4". There can't be any doors and the sides of the engine compartment will also be structural. I'd like to use either an Ecotec or Duratec engine with a light weight 5 speed and probably a solid axle unless I can design an independent suspension that is lighter. The front will be independent. Target is to get it under 1,200 lbs so with a very streetable 300 hp fuel injected engine the lbs/hp will be 4:1, a ZR1 Corvette is 5:1.

Probably won't be a British part on the car but hopefully you guys will let me post about it here.

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Jim

"If you want me to agree with you then we would both be wrong"

'66 MGB widened 11" with LT1 Chevy and 6 speed, C4 Corvette suspension
Pictures here Part 1 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,7581
Continued in Part 2 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,22422
Continued in Part 3 http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,33108

If it wasnt for the 2654 miles I'd be right there to help you