Hi all, i have only had my matic registered for about two weeks and i was driving it on the weekend and a rock shattered my front windscreen. I have another windscreen off a clubman just wanting to know if this will fit in my 67 matic, and are any mini windscreens treated or whatever they do to stop them shattering.

Cheers Phill

Hey Phill,

That's tough luck. I've driven Mini's for lotsa years and never ever lost a screen. I know of a certain clubby in Brisbane (Hi Smegger! ) which still has the factory installed windscreen.. it's in shitty condition, but it's original.

As far as I know, the windscreen didn't change between Morris and Leyland cars.. I think it's even identical in the Rovers, but I'm not sure about that.

As for the treatment, old screens used to be zone toughened, which meant they would shatter into tiny pieces, obscuring your vision. The 'zone' toughening meant that in front of the driver's eyes the glass would shatter into larger pieces to aid visibility, but I don't think it ever worked very well.

Every modern windscreen these days is laminated, which allows the glass to break into large shards so you can still see, but the lamination prevents the shards from showering and killing you, basically.

Cheers,
--s

Back in the `60s the only Minis that got the laminated screen fitted as stock here were the Cooper Ss.
One reason for this was that without seat belts, going into a Triplex laminated screen would probably kill you. The S got 3 point belts though.

All Mini screens are same size, these days most (all?) are laminated.

My `matic still has the original zone toughened screen, one day I'll replace it...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Thats not good. I hope you have no trouble replacing.
My English teacher as a young girl was in an accident in a mini. and becuase the glass shattered, it did so much damage to her face and hands she had to have plastick surgery. She was an 8th grade pianist. Thats how she became an English teacher.

Just thought I'd share the story.

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Talk is Cheap because Supply Exceeds Demand

The zone toughened ones can't hurt you, the shattered bits are all small and dull edged.

But the Triplex laminated ones are 2 plate glass layers bonded onto a plastic core, hit these and they will carve you up. The glass shard edges are sharp.

Only real problem with the old type toughened ones is lack of visibility when they shatter, but you can usually punch the glass out without hurting yourself.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

If you have your car innsured with Shannons, you can get a brand new windscreen for free

Doogie

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I won Hay once, here's the pic to prove it..


Hay, it's not about the car, it's not about the venue, it's about the people that come here. Peter Dwyer, Mayor of Hay NSW.

SLight hijack - what's your opinion of the better screen Kev , I've always preferred the toughened ones as they seem to take a harder hit with things before shattering , a laminated one cracks easily in comparrison . Plus I have a good stock of toughened screens ...

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thanks all, ill get windscreen obriens to come fit the new screen

Phill

Before you get O'Briens - get in contact with Karcraft (in Silverwater NSW) and get a brand new windscreen rubber and locking strip. Your rubber is sure to be partially (at least) perished and the locking stips just simply go brittle.

O'Briens will also tell you that second hand windscreens are brittle and difficult to fit. They will say the if it cracks or breaks then its not their fault.

Me too. No hurry to get a laminated, but I'd prefer one if I was buying.
Yes, you can get a new screen out of Shannons- if you tell `em a white lie... if it's not broken I doubt they will replace just `coz you'd like a new one.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Most case if you are changing hands or getting registered they require a new windscreen for the "safety certificate/roadworthy" . Inspectors don't like 'sand blasted' windscreens

Years ago when Dr Mark Birrell in Victoria (Police Surgeon) was campaining for compulsory seat belts channel 9 produced a short film called 9/10s of a second. Basically it took 9/10s of a second for a body to leave the seat (in a 30mph headon) and the head to go through the windscreen pushing all the jaggered shards outward. The body stopped the forward motion and fell back with the shards coming up around the head - The Necklace of Death it was called graphically shown in slow mo on crash dummies

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

damn RWC inspectors.... my sisters 850 was a navy car, when we got it it still had its factory front glass with its original "navy vehicle" sticker and when we got it RWC they made us change the glass and nothing was wrong with it. sure it had a little "sand blasting" effect but i think it was fine.
come to think of it i shouldve kept it and fitted it back after the RWC was issued

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real men race downhill - keiichi tsuchiya

You can polish the sand blasting out, if it's only very light. I did one years ago but can't remember what compound I used...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Um... wow. That would be Bad..

That scenario is what happens with the laminated screens, whereas the old toughened ones just shattered into harmless granules. But with no belt you might keep going forward, finish up in front of the car.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.