Home / Ariel Atom / Improvements / Custom Windscreen 18
Lexan windscreen panel fabrication to replace original twin-bubble dash panel.Twin-bubble windscreen dash panel was replaced with a more contoured dash panel. New Lexan windscreen panels were fabricated.
- lexan bubbles
Original Lexan bubbles are tinted and tough to see through at night, and they don't do a very good job at deflecting the wind. - dash 01
I purchased a new dash panel that comes without the tinted Lexan bubbles and the flat riser section that sits under them. - dash 02
Some tape was used to visualize the center of the 'hump', along with desired outer boundaries of the new windscreen. - dash 03
Additional tape was used to visualize the position of the new vertical backing plate, and a ruler was used to determine the height of the new Lexan piece. - dash 04
Several cardboard half-circles of varying sizes were used to judge what size looked best. I ended up choosing the size on the left. - dash 05
The dashboard was removed and a simple aluminum piece was welded up to add structure and stiffness to the new piece being created. - dash 06
Some alum foil was laid down in preparation for the fiberglass resin, and the aluminum structural piece was positioned. - dash 07
The fiberglass resin and mat were applied. - dash 08
After several layers of resin and mat, the new dash hump insert was complete in its rough form. - dash 09
The edges were trimmed, and the piece was rough-sanded and given a coat of primer. - dash 10
Both newly fabricated fiberglass hump inserts were epoxied into place on the underside of the dashboard. - dash 11
I made a circle cutting jig so I could cut the lexan on my router table. - dash 12
A sharp carbide straight cutting bit did an outstanding job cutting the 1/4" Lexan. All edges were then sanded smooth, and the rear of the Lexan hanging below the dashboard was painted black on its backside. - dash 13
The newly-epoxied fiberglass pieces were painted. Thin closed-cell neoprene foam was applied to the edge of the dashboard, and the Lexan pieces were bolted in place. - dash 14
A view of the finished product. It will do a better job than the original curved tinted bubbles at deflecting the wind, reducing wind noise, and will also be easier to see through at night. - dash 15
A close-up view of the neoprene foam between the lexan and fiberglass. It will keep water, dust, and sand from getting between them. - dash 16
A close-up of the end result. The screws were powdercoated mirror black, and look great against the Lexan piece's black painted backside. - plastic polish
Impact by bugs, dust, and dirt wear the Lexan over time and Novus polish has worked great to restore it