Windshield trouble

Discussion in '1947-1954' started by Chiro, Jan 5, 2008.

  1. Chiro

    Chiro Member

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    This thread was PM'd to coilover, but I am opening it up to anybody who can help out as well as I am stumped on this and really want it to come out right.

    I bought a Pilkington tinted and shaded windshield for my 55.1 and a new gasket from Steele Rubber Co.

    My son and I made a valiant attempt to install the glass and failed. I have had 2 different companies make four separate attempts to install this windshield and nobody can seem to get it in. Granted, it has the stainless custom cab trim to make it more difficult, but shouldn't it go in???

    The closest anybody has gotten was to get the glass in place without the trim, but even then it never "dropped" in like it was supposed to and was an easy push from inside the cab to get it out again.

    There is one other glass guy close to me who has much experience with older cars and gasket sets like this and I have seen his work (impressed) at a local shop that does a lot of older cars. Proprietor of the shop is a real classic car and Corvette nut and recommends this glass guy highly. This glass guy and all the others have said that new gaskets are a real b*tch to get in, but that he can definately do it.

    Anybody have experience with the one piece curved glass? Which company do you buy your rubber from for such a job? Any experience with such difficulty? I have communicated with some other guys with the one piece windshields and every one of them has experienced problems and have a final product that really doesn't fit right (especially around the corners) and leaks.

    Thanks,

    Andy
     
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2008
  2. coilover

    coilover Member

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    Andy, you have about the best after market rubber in Steele. The other domestically made rubber is by Metro in Minneapolis. All the other is import and even if it fits it has no durability--usually about 2 years. We had a heck of a time with the last 54/55.1/ Steele Rubber job that we did. A man that retired after 40 years from Sportsman Glass in McKinney, Texas comes to the shop for our glass work but he couldn't get it all the way in after much effort and decided that it might need to be shaved down some on the wet belt sander at the glass shop. We took the truck to the glass shop and the owner waited till after closing time to install it, which took 3 hours. He said he didn't have to shave it down any but that it would not seat down into the groove all the way till he radiused the edges with a portable belt sander they have. The sharp edge would hang on the side of the groove enough to keep it from seating and this wouldn't let it lip in. Once rounded it seated and the flap could be lipped in with the plastic lipping tool. The man that owned the shop retired and sold it in December and said he would do work at our shop so I may pick up a few more tips. I'll buy whatever tools are needed because it is much handier to have it done in house rather than trailer the project around. Hope this helps; Evan
     
  3. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    What Evan Said ~

    It is now time to carefully lay the glass into the body opening sans rubber and see if Pilkington in fact trimmed the edges correctly ~ once in a while they need minor grinding .

    Just remember : if you cut or trim the edges of the glass , you MUST then re-seal the edges with Pinchweld Sealant before you install it ! this is very important to prevent the sandwich glass from fogging up in a few years ! .
     
  4. Zig

    Zig Member

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    Nate!

    Have I ever said "Thank You" for all you do to keep us on the straight and narrow? I am a big fan of your advice after all these years!!!;)

    I swear, I win the lotto, there will be an AD Hall of Fame, and your bust will be there! (and my big bro's for all the web sites he comes up with!)

    Evan~ you too. You ROCK when it comes to smoothing out and manipulating the metal of our beloveds!
     
  5. Chiro

    Chiro Member

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    Finally

    After many months and many attempts by many glass guys my windshield is in on my '55.1. But...I'm not real happy about it. I finally got an appointment with the glass guy that does a lot of clasics in my area after three weeks of trying. Even he had a rough time of it and had the truck for 2 1/2 weeks. He thought that the roof had been replaced at one point because the glass was "too big". However, the glass measured the exact same as the original glass that came out of my parts truck. He wound up grinding the glass down 1/8" all the way around to make it fit in and boy did it cost me. When done the corners of the rubber did not lay down on the glass the way they should, the rubber did not fill the area around the windshield the way the old stock rubber did, the stainless "deluxe cab" trim does not sit like it did in the stock rubber and I am certain that it will leak as no sealer was used because the guy didn't want the windshield sliding around while he was installing it. I will have to silicone the glass later and put the sealer under the gasket myself. I am certain he was sick of the truck lying around his shop. He said that nearly everyone that came by wanted to buy the truck and one guy even said "15,000.00". I said, "sold" but didn't really mean it cuz the kids would have killed me:eek:.

    Anyway, I'm thinking that if the aftermarket windshield would not fit in the rubber and the stock windshield would not fit in the rubber then the problem must be with the rubber!!! I used a Steele Rubber company gasket. I tell you all now that I have had nothing but good luck with them in the past, but when I have the truck painted eventually, I will buy yet another windshield and a gasket from Metro to see if their gasket fits better because the fit on this one sure is not show quality.

    Andy
     
  6. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Well ;

    As the glassman said he wondered if the roof had been replaced , I remember that GM was slapping these trucks to-gether and out the door as fast as they could because there was a waiting list a mile long when they were being built.... the jig work on the cabs was just _wretched_ as no one cared , Chevrolet division was turning a healthy profit and that's all GM cared about...

    They knew the new Task Force line was coming out and would drop kick you-know-who into the weeds vis a vie truck sales and that's just what happened . the other brand had to run three shifts and drop prices in order to sell more trucks. (GM didn't run three shifts in the pickup plants until the late 1970's or early 1980's)

    Maybe it is just a bad grommet but I wonder , having sweated bullets on some old timey windshield installs over the years .

    It should slowly but surely settle in all the way from vibration as you drive it....

    Eastwood Tool & Supply Co. has a sale on a set of glass toold going on right now , they're all super stiff plastic or nylon ~ I just have the one that says " Safelite Glass " on it , it works fine and is just the ticket to seat those balky grommets .
     

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