is this window or hatch worth getting? tried to search on google weight difference and it say rear window saves 60% over stock dont know about hatch. 320 for window 550 for hatch worth it? so far i have both front and rear jdm bumper supports, cf hood, ac/ps out, no sunroof, 1 sparco speed seat, rear seats out. the window and hatch is going to be the last of weight saving. opinion please
Well it will save you a bunch of weight but it is expensive. No one can tell you if its worth it to you or not except you. The only actually constructive thing I have heard is that the fal glass scratches REALLY easily… like from washing it. I could be misinformed but I remember hearing that somebody had to remove their rear fal window because it was scratched so badly they couldn’t see out of it. Good luck
yea its kinda like plexiglass. but it reminds me of some convertibles with that crappy rear plastic window. where u can’t see thru it and its like covered in deposits or mold or whatever. looks like that afterwards. umm, i think using a cutting polish helps but i aint got experience with it.
yeah ive heard about the window scratching up. just from washing it? appreciate the replies
So if you just want the CF hatch look… can’t you use a window window with the CF hatch instead of their plexiglass window?
going on his original post i think hes going for weight savings… which is definitely going to save a substantial amount rather than just going with a CF hatch w/ regular OEM window.
The rear hatch is a waste of money. If you search a little deeper you will find that the CF is only gonna save you about 10LBS or so. The FAL window has a protective coating on it so it doesn’t scratch as easily. Unless your trying to save every ounce there are a lot better ways to cut the weight instead of the CF hatch.
VIS trunk FAL “glass”
The CF hatch isn’t going to cut a whole bunch of weight, however the FAL window will. The stock glass is the main reason the stock hatch assembly weighs so much.
But as mentioned, the FAL material is not super durable. I wouldn’t recommend it for a daily driver, and never on a car which gets parked outside. With proper care it’ll stay clear and relatively scratch free.
Is that weight savings worth it to you? Like the others said, that’s up to you. I personally think price to weight savings is worth it for the FAL but not the hatch - it’s extremely expensive for the amount of weight you save. The hatch is bling, the FAL is utility.
i agree with Colin.
i personally had one of the first CF hatches that VIS made back in the day, it really wasnt that much lighter. probably ten pounds as stated above. also, if this matters to you or not, but if fit like complete crap. none of the body lines actually lined up, big gaps where it was supposed to sit on top of the rubber seal.
i can also say that if you live in an area with a large temperature change, the FAL window may crack. i have a buddy who put them (sides and rear) into his focus hatch, he has been through 3 sets because of the temp. differences. not worth it , i think, unless you are strictly racing the car.
i have the FAL window on my car…
weights I recorded:
OEM rear hatch with OEM glass 65lbs
OEM rear hatch with FAL 44lbs
OEM hood 35lbs
VIS CF hood 18lbs
based upon this information, you can see that the rear hatch, even with the FAL window still weighs more than the OEM steel hood. I figure if the CF hood is a 15-17lb difference over the stock hood, a CF hatch is probably similiar.
I would assume a CF hatch with FAL window weighs in around 28-30 lbs
currently my car is 2330 lbs w/o driver; LS with sunroof, no rear seats/sparetire/jack and slight weight reduction
That weight seems pretty good Brian. Do you have access to a scale somewhere? I would love to get our LeMons car weighed.
i used the scale at fontana when i hit the strip.
i’m sure i can get the integ under 2300 without removing the heatercore or blower under the dash. the DC guys that run in Street stock drag class are about 2300 W/ driver!
now I really wanna know what our lemons car weighs… that thing is stripped! But the cage does add quite a bit of weight.
pics of the lemons?
Before anyone talks shit… learn what LeMons is…
Car is currently undergoing a bit of a rebuild. We blew the other motor on the 2nd day and that took us out of the race. We’ll be back this christmas with a new engine and a new look. We did some painting this last weekend, base color is down just need out numbers and some extra accents and we’ll be ready to go.
i know enough about it. i gotta read up on all the lemons rules n stuff, but i thought lights were needed. front and back. but i’ve seen some b4 of guys making the whole rear wing of beer cans n stuff. was pretty cool. definitely seems like lots of fun. except for the whole endurance part… thats a lot of driving hours. mad props to u guys tho, i hope u guys do well next month.
i love the prize and the penalties tho. seems like fun.
It was one of the best experiences of my life - probably helped that it was my first time doing wheel to wheel racing.
Lights were not mandatory, and in fact all glass except windshield must be removed. All plastic must be removed or taped. But each race is different because of different track lighting conditions and different hours of the day which the race is run.
The Thunderhill race was supposed to be run partially at night, so originally lights were mandatory. But now we will be stopping as soon as the sun goes down. Tailights are now mandatory but headlights are not.
freaking sweet is all i gotta say. gots to be hella fun. and what’s nice is that DA’s have a pretty good platform if u wanna stay under the $500 mark. and its nice that safety equipment, brakes and tires isn’t part of that $500, cuz if it was… i really dunno how u guys would’ve came up with a car at all. aiight i was reading more of the rules last nite and yea glass and plastic had to taped or removed. so basically u guys are running a safe gutted da. freaking sweet.
makes me wanna try out this one derby called “potato sack derby” (not 100% on the name). but its a destruction derby, where the driver has to wear a potato sack over his head, and the navigator (passenger) has to tell u where to go and when to hit the gas and everything. AND DRINKING IS ALLOWED DURING THE COMPETITION!!! its a redneck out in ohio or montana or some state like that.
That ghetto racing sounds pretty fun. Ever seen bus or trailer racing on TV? They do crazy figure 8 tracks with trailers - it’s nuts.