ESPRIT WINDSCREEN, are they off another make of vehicle please

[lotuslee]

Hi, im new to the forum, was recomended from the midlands lotus site, i have a S4s with a cracked screen, i have just replaced my locks on the vehicle which were exactly j reg vauxhall cavalier ones so my question is is the screen from another vehicle please, iv noticed but i cant find the thread that is was mentioned the esprit has to be jigged for the screen replacement, is this true, i dont have windscreen insurance so iv got to do it from my pocket so im looking for the best route, would appreiciate any help, Lee.

[Kato]

I'm 99.9% certain that they aren't used on any other vehicle!

Never heard of the Esprit needing a jig for a windscreen fitting!

They are expensive and hard to fit. Lots of guys have had people out to do them and they've bodged them up. But in theory, if the guy knows what he's doing, it can be done in front of your house by Autoglass! But you'll need to keep an eye on them.

[Mark Blanchard]

Nop, they're only from the Esprit. Mine was

[lotuslee]

Nop, they're only from the Esprit. Mine was

[mwmackenzie]

Douglas valley break Esprits... and south west lotus might also be worth a try

Hope this helps

[BadJelly350]

Just had my 2nd screen in 2 months fitted. Ok so it's a V8 (sport 350) so not directly relevant to this thread but... first replacement cracked from the bottom edge where it looked like the glass had been knocked before it was fitted. There was an inch long chip on the upper edge at the bottom of the screen. You could see where the right angle edge of the glass had that piece missing. Stress crack started there and worked upwards.

So, just be careful that the edges have no damage when you get it fitted!

On the upside, Autoglass in Swindon did mine, piece of cake, all done (inc glue cure) in about 2 hours.

Andy

[Esprit Aviation]

Welcome Lee,

I believe that makes 3 of us now!

It is unfortunate that the windscreens are not the same as G-cars, since they are the same as the Delorean, if I'm not mistaken.

Cheers, Lee

[lotuslee]

Welcome Lee,

I believe that makes 3 of us now!

It is unfortunate that the windscreens are not the same as G-cars, since they are the same as the Delorean, if I'm not mistaken.

Cheers, Lee

Hi, thanks for replys, when i saw the cavalier door handles and locks i though maybe the screen was from another vehicle to, nevermind, il source one from some where, cheers all, Lee.

[Loose Cannon]

Whatever screen you get and whoever fits it make sure they use the fitting kit from Lotus which has spacers to get the right panel gaps; its only a few quid and they will likely let you have a copy of the parts diagram showing where they go.

[lotuslee]

Whatever screen you get and whoever fits it make sure they use the fitting kit from Lotus which has spacers to get the right panel gaps; its only a few quid and they will likely let you have a copy of the parts diagram showing where they go.

Hi Mark, cheers for that, i have a friend who works for autoglass but iv got to track him down, will autoglass know about the fitting kit your refering to, cheers, Lee.

[matk]

Don't go anywhere near Autoglass! The factory were selling them off cheap in the parts sale. Try the official Lotus web site. I had a similiar prob in that my insurance only went up to

[lotuslee]

Don't go anywhere near Autoglass! The factory were selling them off cheap in the parts sale. Try the official Lotus web site. I had a similiar prob in that my insurance only went up to

[Mark Blanchard]

"Stevens" means the Peter Stevens design Esprit / post 1987 onwards Esprit. Giugiaro designed the earlier Esprit. Have a look here: Esprit Models.

Also, don't go anywhere near RAC Auto windscreens either. They

[Loose Cannon]

Hi Mark, cheers for that, i have a friend who works for autoglass but iv got to track him down, will autoglass know about the fitting kit your refering to, cheers, Lee.

I could write a (very boring) book on the problems I had with Autoglass fitting the screen - unless you trust your mate completely and he'd do an 11/10 job I'd give them a miss.

Having said that in all the tales of woe about screens on this site I can'r recall an actual recommendation so what the hell do you do?

[lotuslee]

IV posted in the wrong section by the looks of things then sorry about that....

[superdavelotus]

The G shape cars' windscreen is half the price of the later ones. I can get them for about

[lotuslee]

The G shape cars' windscreen is half the price of the later ones. I can get them for about

[ian heighway]

I have a mate of a mate that works for RAC Windscreens he fitted my rear screen in my S1 and he did a great job,

Only charged me 20 quid to

I asked autoglass how much they would of charged and they told me they couldn't do it because there bonding wouldn't stick to fiberglass. ?????

[lotuslee]

I have a mate of a mate that works for RAC Windscreens he fitted my rear screen in my S1 and he did a great job,

Only charged me 20 quid to

I asked autoglass how much they would of charged and they told me they couldn't do it because there bonding wouldnt stick to fiberglass. ?????

LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL !!

[wiseraven]

Welcome to the forum, you've come to the right place.

Just to add my 2p, the windscreen on the Esprit is a key structural component. This is why small cracks and chips quickly develop into something terminal, and why it's vital that they're fitted properly. The manual goes into extraordinary detail about how to fit them properly, and if it's not done exactly as described, you risk putting the screen under more stress than it can handle.

Personally, I wouldn't trust any of the mainstream outfits to do the job. The Esprit is such a tiny percentage of the market, with such unusual requirements, that unless you're really lucky, there's no way they'll have the experience to know how to do it right.

If you do source a secondhand screen, be VERY careful to check for chips/cracks - they may look small, but they'll almost certainly cause the whole screen to fail very quickly.

Finally, never be embarrassed about not knowing something - even the gurus ask for help and advice from time to time. As you've probably already noticed, the folks here are very helpful and friendly.

Phil

[USAndretti42]

IV posted in the wrong section by the looks of things then sorry about that....

No problem, Lee. I've moved it to the Stevens section. Welcome to the forum.

[Vulcan Grey]

Whoever does it needs to use the correct primer for the glass as well as the fiberglass body.

I use Sika products

Use the Sika 206 G+P black primer

http://www.sikaindustry.com/ind/ipd-autoglass-agr-217

The Sika Aktivator

http://www.sikaindustry.com/ind/ipd-autoglass-agr-217

and the Sika flex 220+ polyurethane adhesive.

http://www.sikaindustry.com/ipd-autoglass-agr.htm

Ask your glass installer what they use...

Btw, "high modulus" is for aluminum bodied cars like the Audi A8... Not the Lotus.

[CarlC]

I had to get my windscreen replace last year, insurance job but I asked how much the screen was if I wasnt covered and it was about

[Loose Cannon]

I asked autoglass how much they would of charged and they told me they couldn't do it because there bonding wouldnt stick to fiberglass. ?????

I hear Autoglass have now extended their recruitment campaign to zoos, mental institutions and prisons.

[matk]

Just to add on to Ian's comments, there is a huge difference between the rear and front screens. The body flexes quite a lot and if the front screen is not fitted with correct spacers etc, it ends up being fixed too rigidly, body flexes, stresses transmitted into the screen and crack! The rear screen isn't so critical as the tailgate is separate from the body.