Acrylic or Perspex?

Gareth Judd

Good evening,

I’m just about to start remaking this hood and drop in windows frames. Being a old girl and having some work done overs the years she now has for side windows, a glass window, Perspex/Acrylic and a clear std convertable top window!
Originally there glass but the owner isn’t looking to go Back to “original” so I have options.
Due to the age of the vehicle and hard to source parts glass is out the question as the bolt in frames are out of shape and will be a absolute headache to sort out, yes I’ll straighten them out as much as possible before shot and powder but there never be glass worthy and the owner doesn’t wont to go that far anyway.

So my question is what’s the best clear hard ‘plastic’ to use, Acrylic or Perspex or another type and why?

Cheers

Joshua Etchison

I don’t know about Perspex but I know acrylic can scratch easily. I have used acrylic a handful times for speaker boxes and custom interior window effects in an interior. But I have not heard of people using it for convertible windows. I would think it would not be a good fit for your application. But I could be wrong.

Keith Mayne

I think we use polycarbonate.As to why, that I don't know.

Dean McConnell

Acrylic / Perspex is cheaper than polycarbonate but it can shatter. Polycarbonate scratches more easily than acrylic but it's pretty unbreakable. You can buy Lexan which is a polycarbonate with a scratch resistant coating so it gives you the best of both worlds. More expensive but it means that it won't be ruined if someone carelessly wipes sand / grit off the window.

Getting hold of any clear plastic in these strange times is tough - most places have been cleared out by the retail / catering sector for making COVID-safe screens and such like.

Acrylic or Perspex?

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