Windscreen & Stone Guards

If you've come here looking for a comprehensive guide to fitting the windscreen, try this blog instead: http://richards-gbs-zero.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=windscreen
Richard is much better at documenting the process than me!

With the IVA certificate in my hand and the registration processing with the DVLA, my first post-IVA task was to fit a windscreen to eliminate the need for a crash helmet when driving.

I'd bought the windscreen kit from GBS and set about preparing the brackets and frame for painting black.

Fitting to the car is possible with one but easier with two people, I was by myself and no one was about to help so ratchet straps where the next best thing. There are a number of ways to do it, mainly cutting different parts of the frame, I went with the route that looked the best and with a bit of measuring, appeared to be a good fit....
I didn't have any cardboard or chipboard to practice with so was very careful with the glass. The brackets will require bending to fit, either to match the curve of the scuttle or to the frame. As you have probably seen from my previous posts, my build environment is literally a driveway or brick room, no fancy tools or tool racks here! Obviously bending with a vice would be much easier, but a wall and the back of the car worked ok to get the required bend to match the frame.

 Before this point - but without pictures, I used 2 self tapping screws to fit the bottom frame rail and top rail with a diagonal hole. This works well enough to hold the frame in one piece so it can be attached to the car like so.

Here is where the 2 hands is best. Fitting the ratchet straps and ensuring a straight fit of the screen was a difficult process running either side of the car, making an adjustment, going to the other side finding that the previous adjustment is gone and so on.




 Anyway I got there and the screen looks to be in a reasonable position. Here you can see the long over cut of the T-trim. KEEP THIS LONG AND PUT IT INTO AND UNDER THE BRACKET!!!













Otherwise this will happen! Duh.
This can be also by cutting the frame the other way so that the top frame rail sits on the lower. Hindsight is great isn't it?!













Overall the main objective was to fit a windscreen, difficult to get right on your own and kind of important when it will soon be the only thing in front of your face. Self tappers into the frame through the bracket (I went with 4 either side - careful when drilling with the glass in, its very easy to crack it (so I've seen/heard, I can at least get one thing right!)

 

I wasn't overly happy with the screen but since doing this and writing this up, I have gone back and just touched it up a bit, improving it a bit more to my likening....although without testing it properly yet until my registration comes through, we will see how it goes.

To update, I have had the registration through and the screen is secure on the bumpy roads and "speed capabilities of the car", if you know what I mean! Perfect.

 

 

The other part of the first post-IVA plan was the stone guards on the rear arches. Some people claim these have failed on a sharp edge, which they will if not perfectly bent to fit the arches. Something simple and makes me feel much more confident about the life of the arches. Also, I think its a nice finish on the arches too, but that's just me.

Update again, they are a great saver. The amount of times I've heard them working, ping, ping ping, the stones aren't damaging the GRP in a hurry!