Windows ...

[LateApex]

Starting to get a little bit more serious about body / fiberglass work ...

I am building a coupe without side windows. I am sure others have done the same :-)

Have any of you trimmed out the fiberglass "lip" in the door frames (leading and top edges) that is basically used to anchor the side windows? If you trimmed those out, are you pleased with the results? If you considered and rejected trimming those out, could you comment on why?

Thx!

[edwardb]

First, I'm assuming you're talking about the lip on the body itself. Not anything to do with actual doors. Those shown in this picture from early in my build. Not sure what your purpose of trimming them is. Strictly for appearance? I personally don't think it would change much of anything or look better. But if you look at this picture, you can see that lip actually also frames the roll cage inside. So now you'd go from seeing the painted body around that perimeter to seeing the exposed roll cage. Is that a better look? I don't know. You can decide. You're not going to gain any extra space getting in and out if that's your thought. Again, the roll cage is right there.

Personally I'd strongly recommend against doing something that prevents adding windows in the future. You may not think you want them now. And maybe you never will. But you're making a decision that you could never go back on. Very easily anyway. FWIW, we find due to sound and better efficiently of the heat and A/C, we now leave ours in all the time. Drove it briefly without them for a bit. My better half hated it. I wasn't a fan. They haven't been out since. Two seasons with them in.

[J R Jones]

Excellent advice from edwardb, and I will add that many features provide multiple function, in this case window and also structure. There is beam structure that would be reduced by eliminating this flange. The result could be movement, rattle or fatigue/stress cracks.
jim

[LateApex]

Thanks guys - I appreciate the insights!