The large part of glass over ply structures that I have seen look like ca-ca. By the time you factor in the cost of the wood, glass, the chore of sanding and painting, custom windows and such, just get some taller windows from AJR Windows, send them your measurements (They are in Vancouver). They are of top quality, and make OEM windows for just about every boat company in Vancouver.
Then you make a mold for your hardtop, and glass that if you want. I have worked with Arborite while helpting to repair large hull damage on a friends boat by making a "mold in place", the results were great, and there was very little final faring work needed. If you use glossy Arborite, the gelcoat will come out as shiny as a new boat.
Or better yet, just get a large piece of 1/4" Starboard, roll the corners over a 2" Raduis with a heat gun where it comes down to the sides to bolt it to the windows, install some gussetts for strength if you are going to mount something up there, and call it done.
Probably around $1200 for all that, and it looks nice. Unless you are an acomplished craftsman, who has worked with glass a LOT, I suggest getting something made so it looks and works well. Sanding glass-over-wood for hours is not my idea of fun, and since you will need fairly thin frames to allow you to see out of a smaller 17' boat, I'm not sure it would hold together. Not to mention all the fun little surprises you will run into glassing around all of those nice tight little radiuses.
Windows for my H23 were going to be around $1300, so I'm guessing for your rig, MAYBE $900.
And my final grinchy $0.02, glassing Aluminium does not work due to the vast differences in expansion and contraction between the two materials, as well as Aluminium's teflon-like ability to have almost nothing stick to it.
EDIT: Or maybe a pipe frame from someone like Liquid Metal with vinyl windows? Be nice on a hot day, there is one on a 20' Wellcraft in Renfrew that looks and works quite well.
