Citroen XM Forum

Also; I saw this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUTNcQlHiho which makes me think that rather than gluing the broken window up, a better temporary repair might be to remove the broken glass and shape a suitable size and thickness of perspex with a heatgun, which a suitable sealant would I'm sure stick in...

If your talking about the smashed rear window Johnathon. That might be quite ambitious. Good idea, but it has some complex subtle curves, both up and down and sideways.

From experience...I did this for headlight lenses on a quarter scale fibreglass model, .....I took a mould and then you get a negative version of it. You would then have to finish it to get it smooth and suitable for the Perspex. I then laid the Perspex...which was considerably thinner, over the mould and heated it with a heat gun. It softens and falls into the form of the mould. For a full scale window, this process could be very tricky. But it could potentially work. It is a lot of work and trial and error for just for a 'fake' window. Might as well replace it with a proper one.

Unless of course there is a company that can do this. It is surprising how many new cars have Perspex windows. I can just see pound signs either way.

If it is a door window...much more likely to succeed I think.

Well done on getting some work done there, Guys.

All I managed to do was wash the Cobalt car with some heavy duty cleaner. It's looks loads better, but wow was it cold, especially as I used water from the rainwater butt.

Well I must say Russ I have to agree that in my limited experience I have found perspex a rather challenging substance to work, however I had thought that in this case it may be possible to use the broken window (which except for a small hole is intact) as the former against which to shape the perspex. As you say, a proper new window would be the best solution

That could certainly work Jonathon, so I suppose the window is strong enough to take any heat and support the Perspex then. Interesting to see if it would work. I would say the hardest part is getting enough heat to it and getting it to soften and shape properly.


I had to use a mould for my light lenses , taken from the primary clay model as the fibreglass model had holes for the lights, but the clay model of the car, from which the fibre glass model was taken from, had the correct shape. But you can't heat Perspex on clay...a lot of melting happens!!

It worked though. I was delighted.

Bit surprised at, apart from Jim, the rather negative response to the areldite suggestion.
Obviously the long term fix is new glass or to recover the glass from a scrap XM.
A leaking car needs a cheap, easy, quick temporary fix to the source of damp.
I have actually seen a particularly competent screen fitter make similar repairs.
He also had a technique for treating cracks in unobtainable windscreens.
That involved a clear areldite type glue and a cigarette lighter.

John

Hi john... My silence towards it is because I think it's the way forward for me for now. I can be bothered discussing it any other way.. It's an excellent idea and there'sno way a piece of perspex could be shaped however.. A piece of poly carbonate type perspex could be as that can be shaped.. However that IS beyond my skill so I shall be cutting a pice and arlediteing it in.

I thought it's the perfect solution...

Alternatively, use some stick on film over the top.

Paul, great to see some excellent progress by you and Jonathan

Bloody annoying when you find you're out of welding gas

That rust looks really quite serious to me but you don't seem to think so. An easy repair I assume...

So, how soon to the big day when she goes for MOT?

I agree Paul, Perspex, although probably possible, is too fiddly and quite expensive. Might as well replace the window by the time you have gone to the trouble. Like the others have said, stick to just filling the hole. I would.