More window glass today. We completed the glass on the driver side door. It went a lot easier than the rider side, mostly because we learned from the first side how to do this. Again clear glass was the choice. I'm just not a fan of tinted glass. This looks pretty basic, but you've gotta remember this car is chopped, and re-shaping vent windows is an exercise in patience. We re-visited the rear sidewindows. If you remember earlier, we deleted the sliding side windows, filled in the channels and made one large opening without a center bar. They are gonna be a huge pain in the ass, and we better get em right the first time cause five foot pieces of glass aint cheap. We discussed all the ways to accomplish them and decided that we best make a pattern out of quarter inch Masonite and fit it in place with all the weatherstrip attached. If we can get a decent fit with the Masonite, then and only then would we remove the Masonite and use it as the pattern for getting the glass cut Here we are constructing the front pattern, and the rear. These will be combined onto one sheet of Masonite, and that will become our pattern . We'll know next week if it works. We are new to the glass trade, so we're struggling a bit.
And hats off to ya for even attempting it! This is what its all about; stretching your skill level in the DIY Dept. Stay the course, men!
Getting closer all the time,when you were talking about deleting the side glass it never occurred to me just how large that piece of glass would be. Easy does it,you crack one of them tears will flow,that stuff is expensive. HRP
I like the idea of clear glass, but if you are running AC you may have trouble cooling the in side. If no AC it makes no difference.
just a tip when picking up the new glass....match it to the template at the glaziers before you leave... I got my glass home from the glazier and found it was bigger all round than the template and would not fit in the hole..so I had to cut a new template and take it all back to the shop...another 250 km's round trip and explain where they went wrongluv the wagon oh yeah once glass is tempered it cannot be sanded or cut again
Back to those long back windows.... Last week we made the front and rear window patterns, today we tied them together with some long spacers. From this point we transferred all of this onto a single piece of Masonite and cut out a pattern. This took a lot of trial and error as the pattern had to be narrowed a bit everywhere to allow the window rubber to fit underneath it. It took hours of trimming here and there. Sanding, refitting, trimming, etc. Once we finally got the pattern, we used a polyurethane sealer to stick the rubber to the inside of the window trough , and then insert the Masonite. The rubber fits beneath the glass, goes up the side (where it is glued with the polyurethane) , and then folds over the outside of the opening. Here's a shot of the rubber "gasket" Its kind of an "L" shape. Then we shimmed the Masonite against the gasket to hold the rubber to the sheetmetal until the polyurethane dries. From the outside you can see the gasket around the masonite has a nice clean line. We also realized that this would also look nice as a panel wagon if we wanted to go that way. Anyway, its a helluva big side window. Next week we'll remove the Masonite and use it as the pattern to get the glass cut and be assured it will fit.
I am building a 1950 Plymouth wagon and I need to set the rear fixed glass. Could your give me a part number and the name of the supplier for that rubber? Thanks, Don
Hi Don. The rubber was ordered from the "Dense Rubber Extrusions" section of the Steele RubberCatalog online (page 7) We cut it lengthwise with a pair of scissors for ease of install Channel filler weatherstrip p/n: 70-0241-57
We actually split one side off in order to simplify getting the panel or glass in place, We plan on slipping the L shaped piece that was cut off back onto the inside after the window is in place.
At the Salina car show, the glass man that was doing the glass for the chop top cars said to use cardboard. Trace it to the window opening, remove 1/4" from it and that is your dimension. He also suggested using 56 ford pickup window rubber for everything, cut and glue to fit.
The sideglass patterns are at the glass shop. We hope to have the actual glass soon. There wont be an update for a little over a week, as my wife has taken over my shop for her annual wreath making gathering.. A weeklong extravaganza of artful crafting and female hormones. With Brenda being in the floral business I'm sure you can understand
Well, I got my shop back from the wreathmakers today. I got a good bid from an upholsterer last week, and he wants the car tomorrow (Monday) to do the door panels, kick panels, rear panels and carpet. The seats are already done. That was a bit quicker than I expected, so we spent today getting everything ready to take over to him. We installed all the interior garnish to be sure it'd fit and got all the speakers, power window paraphenalia, door handles and everything together so he could do his best work. Here's a pic of the wagon loaded on the trailer for its ride to the upholsterer. First time the car has been out of the shop in quite a while.
Chuck,seeing the wagon outside on a trailer really gives you a different perspective..that mild chop is the cats arse! You guys rule. HRP
Once again, I'm so pleased at watching something being built! You guys did everything so smooth that only experts will know it was modified. To me, that's when it's right. Congratulations on your achievement! Let's hope the upholstery guy is nice to it.
Wow, have not seen an update on this for awhile. She sure looks purty!! That will definitely be one looong chunk of glass. JT
Those side windows are still being cut, now we have to find someone local or close that can cut the windshield or else we have something else to learn.
We brought the wagon back from the upholsterers shop. They did a nice job on the carpets and side panels. Here's a shot of one of the door panels. As you can see we still have to paint the garnish moldings. They also carpeted the wagon as well. I chose a brown color rather than something light cause I'm kind of a slob and brown is a safe choice. Here's a shot of the rear tailgate carpeted. I cant seem to rotate this picture, so you'll have to lay your monitor on its side to make it look just right The rear glass also came back this week and we installed those almost 6 foot long windows in the rear. If you've been following along , we previously installed half of the window weatherstrip to the car. Today we used black silicone to adhere the glass to the outside half of the weatherstrip. Here I am applying the silicone. The window glass was then fitted into the opening. I bought a couple of those suction cup glass holders at Harbor Freight to help us hold the glass to move it around. Probably the best eight dollars I've spent in a long time. Then we braced and shimmed the glass into the weatherstrip. It worked like a charm. I'll let it sit like this for a few days until the silicone has set up firmly. That's a hella lotta glass! Everything is moving along really well now, Its too bad Christmas is getting in the way!
Chuck,you guys are really on a roll and the upholstery looks great! I can imagine that the glass was heavy and most likely expensive being that long but it looks unlike all the rest of the Ranch Wagons on the road. I've said it over and over put you guys have elevated the bar so high it will remain there for quiet a while! I hope this is the way you wanted the photo. HRP
Well, yesterday's euphoria was shattered today when I went out in the shop and there was a large crack going down one of the windows we installed yesterday. Damn! Not only is the glass expensive, but I now have to remove all that silicone from the weatherstrip. That'll take the better part of a day I'm sure. What amazes me about safety glass is it doesn't just crack when you are working with it as you'd expect, but it can take a day or so to break. I'm not sure why that is. This hobby can sure be frustrating sometimes.....
I feel your pain Chuck,I got that same sinking feeling when I saw the passenger side door glass cracked,and it waited more than a week and no one was around. HRP
I wondered about that long side glass when you first talked about it... The window opening has to be dead-nuts straight/flat to prevent any stress on the glass, and if there's any body flex going down the road or when jacking that may not even help. I'd look into tempered glass, or at the very least, soft foam type weatherstripping rather than any type of solid rubber. I'd also cut the glass a bit 'loose' if you haven't already. Worst case, there's always Lexan.....
Thanks for your input Steve... I'm afraid you may be right. Might be time to step back and re-think our approach... We're not glass guys - obviously. I'm afraid to go out in the shop today and look at the other window!
Come on Chuck,as bad as it is it ain't anything you guys can't overcome,when you remove the cracked glass make note of where the crack start's and ends....there must be some sort of obstruction to prevent the glass from laying perfectly flat. Truthfully you guys have been pretty fortunate considering chopping a top that most would have avoided like a visit to the oral surgeon. You guys never disappoint,go out in the shop and show that wagon who's the boss. HRP
I'd check to make sure there's no 'twist' in the opening, i.e. the top/bottom edges are perfectly parallel in both planes. By 'twist' I mean like what you'd have if laying a square frame on a flat surface and lifting just one corner. More than a 1/16" 'twist' may be too much, although if you can find a really soft gasketing material, you may be able to cheat that some. I'd look for a durometer of 15 or less (about the same as a Styrofoam cup), and I'd avoid using any silicone sealer as that 'glues' the glass into place and may not allow enough movement. You may not get the best weather seal this way, but as you stated that this is a fair-weather car so it shouldn't matter too much. Tempered glass will probably be the best answer, although the $$ involved will no doubt be more; ask your glass guy what he recommends...
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