[paulzebo]

Went out the other day any found the rear hatch in pieces. Called the insurance company and they are one week into trying to find me another glass hatch. Porsche has discontinued them and the folks on EBay won't ship one. Which leaves me in a rather awkward position since I wish to get the car back on the road. With some research, I decided to go polycarbonate for the interim and have placed an order through GT Racing for the hatch they market. It has marguard on both sides to resist scratching and an anti fog coating. So with the broken glass cleaned out of the frame, I'm accumulating the necessary components to set the poly in the frame. These include Dow Betaprime 5404A for the frame and poly, along with Dow U-428 polyurethane adhesive.



Read a post from a drag racer who recommended scuffing off the margard, then painting the lower edge with a black Polycarbonate compatible paint such as Tamyia PS-5 black which the use on polycarbonate model race cars. Another says just to use Betaprime after scuffing off the margard. GT Racing told me they just call the Glass Doctors and let them set it in. That would save me the head ache but I want to do it myself. Any advise out there on the best way to get the proper adhesion to the Polycarbonate hatch? Already read the forums from just about everywhere.



One good thing to come from this is that I found the previous owner removed the two rear speakers. So I order a couple of Pioneer's to fill the holes and get a little better sound out of it. Never did like the wiper back there either so that goes away.

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[Cloud9...68]

Sorry about your mishap, but I'm afraid I can't be of much help. However, I'm very interested in how you make out with this, because a poycarbonate hatch is on my wish list, because of the weight savings. I'm anxious to hear how your new one fits, and how you go about attaching it. Would you mind weighing it before you install it, and letting us know how much it weighs? I've heard some very optimistic-sounding claims about the weight savings of these hatches, so I'm curious as to how much yours actually weighs. Anybody know the weight of a stock glass one, since paulzebo is obviously in no position to weigh his <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/huh.png" class="smilie" alt="" /> ?

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[robinlarry]

Just a thought that, with that weight gone, you might consider relocating your battery to the trunk. That might help to maintain your weight distribution.

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[Cloud9...68]

Good idea, but not a trivial task, from my understanding...

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[flash]

the glass weighs less than 40lbs.



i've seen the gt racing unit, and unless they have improved it, it does not fit well, and is not suited for a weather seal like needed on a street car. it's fine for a race car though.

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[MB968]

If your car is a street car as I assume, I wouldn't use a polycarbonate hatch. Polycarbonate is great for absorbing energy, and thus a very tough material. But, it is easily attached by a lot of chemicals, and probably UV (though I'm not sure of UV as all out applications were indoors). And, I'd suggest the coating may be OK for a track car, but not sure it will last years on a street car. If at all possible I'd wait for the insurance company to find a glass unit.

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[paulzebo]

I haven't given up on the insurance company finding a hatch, but would like to drive it if it takes a long time. I read up on the Deutsch Nine hatch. At 4mm it's thinner than most of the others on the market including the GT Racing one. Plus, theirs would take up to a month to get built and shipped. It's pricey, but Porsche still offers the 1991 944 S2 hatch. MSRP $6462. Looks the same except the spoiler is missing the third brake light which I could take from mine. In any case, I intend to keep the car a long time so if glass ones are scarce and getting scarcer, a polycarbonate one may be what I'm stuck with. With only 28 days of rain per year in Scottsdale, I'm not too concerned with having a weather tight seal. We have three other vehicles I can drive on rainy days <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/EmoticonCar.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



1991 - Porsche - 944 S2 - - - L4 - 3.0L - GAS BODY HARDWARE / LIFT GATE / GATE ASSEMBLY / Gate assy 95151292901 - Gate assy PORSCHE w/wiper w/spoiler, w/aero wing

MSRP $6,462.90 Core $0.00 Online Price $5,091.17

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[Dubai944]

Great for a race car, strong and light but the problem is they scratch very easily.



I have rear and side windows on my race car now several years old (Deutsch 9). They are structurally fine and I wouldn't be without them for racing but in some light, like below, you can see all the scratches -not a look I would want on a street car.

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[paulzebo]

Is your hatch margard coated or regular poly? Most of the others I called on are regular poly and scratch easily.



Lexan Margard FAF sheet is a two-side coated Lexan polycarbonate sheet offering long-term anti-fog performance, excellent scratch

resistance, formability, impact resistance, dimensional stability, and optical clarity. Lexan Margard FAF sheet also exhibits chemical

resistance, tintability, and anti-static properties. It has been specifically developed to offer excellent performance in the visor/eye

protection industries and a variety of other applications.



Typical applications include:



• industrial visors and goggles • sunglasses

• sports eyewear • instrument lenses and display panels

• motorcycle visors • mirror and windows

• face shields and windshields • appliance fascias

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[ryker]

I was sitting in my car one summer morning working on something with the garage door open, and suddenly it got unbearably hot in the cabin. I turned around to note that the sun was shinning into the rear hatch. That is when I realized how much heat is generated through that huge section of glass, and pauzebo, you live in one of the hottest spots in the U.S. I have always liked the Strosek rear hatch, and I'm sure the car would be cooler with this hatch. I saw people talking about this hatch in a recent thread. There was a guy selling on in Craigslist in the Bay Area recently for around $4,000. Not cheap but I sure think it would be a good look. I would have purchased it if I did not have so many other pressing "improvements" to make!

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[Dubai944]

Mine are lexan two side hard coated polycarbonate, tinted as well. As I said they came from Deutsch Nine. Scratch resistant , but not very... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[paulzebo]

Well, I'll be the test mule on this one. The worst that can happen is a supplier starts to make the rear hatch glass and I have to cut out the GT Racing one. Not a big deal. Scratched or not, it beats letting the car sit. By the way, it's not hot until it get to 105 degrees. I wear a light coat when it gets below 80F. Heat is my friend.

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[MC968CS]

If you can afford it, the quality of these is very good. I have used them on my 968CS for years all around (except windscreen). I have the ($$) scratch resistant ones, even on the wind up door windows, and its still like new. It costs though. Good luck



http://www.lexan-windows.com/all-product...&model=420

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[Dubai944]

I think that might be the same place Deutsch Nine get theirs from and the reason they charge so much as a middle man. I remember they had stickers on from a UK manufacturer.



I can certainly attest to their strength. My rear hatch actually blew out once during a qualifying session at the end of the front straight doing 230km/h. According to some mates watching it flew up in the air at least 20m and landed back on the track right side up. My car is so noisy, I didn't realise until a group of us nearly ran it over next lap around!



It was recovered with only a couple of scuff marks at the end of the session and I riveted it back in.

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[robinlarry]

Have you checked with the other used parts vendors around the country? I would expect someone would be willing to ship or deliver to a UPS store for packaging and shipping.

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[paulzebo]

Tried the auto salvage route. Nothing.

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[blau]

There's a used hatch for sale right now on pelican parts:

http://forums.pelica...parts-sale.html



I would, however, note that with any used hatch, it may need a re-seal job on the glass depending on the condition...so factor that in with the insurance company too...

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[flash]

i think daryl has one too

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[ryker]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pts/4122084097.html

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[paulzebo]

GT Hatch installed and car is back on the road. Met with the insurance adjuster Tuesday who took over for the glass claims adjuster. Hopefully they will be able to find me a new hatch. In the interim, the GT Racing hatch looks and fits very well. More to come this weekend.

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