Garage Woolery modifies everything. Even modifications get modified! We’d like to offer you a sneak peak into the latest project for the Pitcrew Roadster: fitting automotive glass to its Autokonnexion fastback top. Here’s a pic of the Autokonnexion top equipped with the standard Lexan rear window:
Original Lexan rear window used by the Autokonnexion fastback top.
Notice how the Lexan is laid in place with very little to no curve to it. Because it is laid relatively flat, the Lexan doesn’t have any structural rigidity to it and sags as a result. Autokonnexion has addressed this by placing a support in the center of the window, but it’s an imperfect solution.
Garage Woolery had custom, compound curved auto glass made that will replace the Lexan window. Notice the curve of the glass rises up and over the rear of the hardtop where the Lexan would’ve sat straight and level. This will make the hardtop look more rounded, balancing the fastback’s lines with the lines of the car in a better way.
Custom auto glass rear window is now curved
This glass rear window cleans up the rearward lines of the Autokonnexion fastback significantly by being larger than the original Lexan window, utilizing compound curves, eliminating the “Spoon hardtop” lines molded into the top, eliminating the center support beam for the Lexan window, and incorporating body seams into the window edge. The resulting fastback top should have an OEM look to it when completed. Here’s a preview shot:
Preview of glass rear window
For the track junkies/weight conscious folks out there– what’s the weight penalty for for using glass instead of Lexan here? 9.5 pounds difference. Not bad for such a dramatic change.
Garage Woolery is now working on making custom rear quarter glass for the top as well. We’ll post pics of the quarter windows when progress is made there!
DEFROSTER!
Nice custom project! Is the glass tempered or laminated?
Our custom glass division could make you high quality DOT approved tempered versions of these with or without a custom designed silver defroster and black frit fairly cheap…
We don’t advertise, but when I happened to run across this project I had to let you know about us. Keep up the great work and let me know when you need more custom glass!
Robb Spratt
Custom Glass Director
Auto Temp, Inc.
950 Kent Rd.
Batavia, Ohio 45211
(513) 732-6969
http://www.autotempinc.com
The rear glass is laminated glass, cut from an RV windshield. The quarter glass is still being made, but it’s going to be (or supposed to be) tempered glass. Three tries so far without luck on those quarter windows. If the guy can’t pull it off, I’d definitely be looking for alternatives to supply me with the quarter glass (and will approach you about it if you’re interested). Thanks for your interest!
Sweet!
Lemme know if you need help!
Hey woolery, whats the progress on your fastback? any update pictures?
So far the rear quarter window glass is giving us problems. The glass guy is on the third attempt now at molding custom glass for it. Interminable waits, but the result should be worth it.
What problems are they having with the quarter windows? The complex bend I assume? From the pictures on here I can tell you our complex bending/tempering furnace would not have a problem bending them within our standard +/-1.5mm form specification. Our size tolerance is +0mm/-0.75mm.
Let me know if you wish me to quote you either the quarters or backlight in tempered glass!
BTW: We could silk screen a black ceramic paint onto the quarter and back glass prior to bending then bake it into the glass just as though it were factory. Same goes for a custom defroster on the backlight!
Robb Spratt
Custom Glass Director
Auto Temp, Inc.
950 Kent Rd.
Batavia, Ohio 45211
(513) 732-6969
http://www.autotempinc.com
So far I hear that the problem has to do with making a proper molds from the hardtop. The prior molds yielded glass that didn’t fit. It IS a mom & pop operation that’s doing this, so I’m not surprised.
If they aren’t able to deliver within the next few weeks, I’ll take you up on your offer. What info would you need to make up a quote for the quarter glass?
We are definitely no mom and pop shop! We CNC cut our molds in house using CAD data. If no CAD data is available, we use a CMM to digitize the customers templates to create the CAD data. This makes our male check fixtures (molds) exact replicas of the vehicle openings. Our fabricators custom make the bending rings out of stainless steel directly off of the male check fixtures. Doing these processes gives us very high quality parts and doing it all in house gives the customer very low cost…
All I need to generate a quote is overall size (height and width), thickness, color, whether or not they get silk screened (silver grid and/or black frit), and the quantity of the order. Most of the cost involved is in tooling and setup, so the price per part goes down dramatically the higher quantity you order!
Robb Spratt
Custom Glass Director
Auto Temp, Inc.
950 Kent Rd.
Batavia, Ohio 45211
(513) 732-6969
http://www.autotempinc.com