Has anyone ever had a windscreen let go?
Turbo Mini Forums

I was out for a casual drive on a B road yesterday, driving a little spiritedly and my windscreen just shattered, I didn't see anything hit the screen but it was very scary when it went. Just wondering if there could have been another cause for it to go?

It was the original toughened screen that came with the car, I have since put a laminated screen in its place, but want to make sure this one isnt going to just break on me as well. Oh and temps round here were well into the positive, around 6 degrees and very little wind

Cheers gents,

Ant

It happened me in october. It was at night and on a clear length of road, so i was shocked to say the least.
I was the original 1972 screen.
The bang when it went was quite loud, at he time i thought someone had fired a rock or something, but i didnt see anyone or evidence!!
I wont happen with the laminate, which i put in this time too.
I have to say, i was going quite hard, but as i was going straight and have a cage i didnt put it down to chassis twist.
I cant remember if i passed a bad section of road or anything though.

Mine went in Feb last year in the Mk1, toughened glass so had to take it out and drive home 20 miles about 5pm. Freezing.

Paul

I seriously doubt it!

Angus that sounds just like what happened with mine, but no cage so was a little confused and the bit of road was dead straight and fairly smooth

Only ever had the rear screen go. The wife got in the passenger side and closed the door, and at that point, the rear window exploded

the freezing weather and spirited driving may ? have contributed ? ant

It wasnt driven at all over the worst of the weather Steve, but I understand where you're coming from

Is there any proof to say these windows become unstable in some way after a while? Apart from this thread

I've had demijohns go bang for no reason after they have been stored outside over winter.

I think freezing weather does something to glass.

Glass is a supercooled liquid, cool it more and it contracts, something the shape of a demijon will generate a lot of tension as it cools. It is also toughened which has a great deal of stored tension anyway.

Toughened glass again by nature of how it is toghened stores a lot of tension, which is why the glass explodes rather than just breaks. Any small flaw concentrates the tension, then anything that would cause further stress on the glass, whether it is temperature change , impact or bending force, all of which windscreens are exposed to, the glass will explode releasing the stored tension.

Its all on one of those ' how do they do that' tv programs. I have also done work at Pilkingtons special glass and research sites

ive had a sunroof expolde before now, i was driving along at about 40ish and it just wiped out over the top of my head, very stange i must say...

I was at the tip at the weekend, there was an old aluminium sliding door in the metal skip, still with glass intact.

I bunged a lump of metal at it, smashed into a million pieces, AWSOME. Well made me feel better anyway!

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

A teacher at my secondary school had a smash in his mini, the wind screen fell into the car and basically gave him a chelsea smile! He adores minis too but saod he would never get in on again after that!

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

My favorite (and sorry about the topic but it seems to have been answered already) was when I was chucking away an old bog. There was another bog fully intact already in the rubble skip, I aimed straight at it. BANG! two ceramic bogs exploded together. Not something I'll probably ever see again.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

Lol i think wils been sniffing the bostik

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

That could almost be a new sport Wil. Khazi wars!

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

While ripping out our lav i got the satisfying pleasure of hittin it with a hammer as it was stuck to the floor. Unfortunately for me there was a log lurking in the bend

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

Honest mate ask our lass next time yer see her!

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

This thread has gone way off topic

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

I belive you. I'm just chuckling about it.

Anyway I've never had a windscreen let go. But all my cars have had laminated screens.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

Speaking of random acts of destruction this reminded me of the time when me and a mate were out one Saturday minding our own business. (fair enough we were nicking strawberries from the field at bottom of my street)

For some reason the scrap man decided that we had been in his yards piching (we hadn't!) and shot at us with rice gun. I copped for a full on shot on the back of my legs. Needless to say I was mighty pissed off and vowed to exact my revenge.

So Sunday afternoon after me and my mate made our way to the scrap yard with the intention of causing a "little" mayhem.

My finest achievement being using a big forklift to push over one of the double decker buses they were dismantling. Ah so many windows were broken that day. I still smile when I think about it. :)

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.