I came across a thread about this topic but can't find it using the search function. I'm ready to order a complete set of flat glass for my 1940 Ford coupe but need confirmation on the door glass. I'm deleting the vent window, building extended front and rear run channels to guide the glass, extending the 1940 roller channel to support the glass, and using the factory 1940 regulators. Some online posts claim I cannot use 1939 window glass because it is too narrow as a smoker's window, but I'm not visualizing the issue. From my understanding, the 1939 window must be wide enough in the full-up position to span/seal the entire window opening in the door. The 1939 regulator swings the window forward as it rolls down to create the smoker's gap at the B pillar side whereas the 1940 regulator moves directly plumb. If I mount the 1939 window in the 1940 roller channel to where the glass is back riding in the B pillar-side run channel, why would there be an issue using the 1939 window glass? I can have the glass shop cut the window glass to my pattern, but I don't see how my pattern will differ at all from the 1939 window. I appreciate any feedback on the glass from people who have deleted their 1940 vent window.
Search button is the magnifying glass symbol - Upper, left corner of this page. No help on 1939 - 1940 Fords.
Basement Sweeper: IMO the vent windows on a 40 Ford actually enhance it's beauty and should not be removed. However, to each his own. A Google search came up with several ways to remove 40 Ford vent window options. Look here: https://www.google.com/search?q=194...e..69i57j0.14583j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
We did that on Dave's old 40 coupe. You will need to remove the divider in the door and add some material to your garnish molding. As you already know the window channel will nee extending. HRP
Oh no! I feel like my card has been slandered. This is all out war! An Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr duel situation. Let's have a HAMB vote to decide.
IMO the 40 door and vent look great. In my 39 deluxe coupe that I had , I used 40 doors to get the vent windows. Just find 39 pieces and use them in your 40
Just trying to stick up for the fellow who designed the beautiful 40. Eugene “Bob” Gregorie The lines of all 1940 Fords were penned by master of design Eugene “Bob” Gregorie, and those lines were facelifts of his previous design that dated to 1938. For 1939, the Ford coupe body, a five-window design, was made smoother and actually 1 inch longer than 1938 from tail to cowl.May 31, 2016
I have owned 2 sedans and 3 coupes, and one 39 convertible, I honestly thing omitting the vent window goes a long way to cleaning up the profile but that's just my opinion. The reason we hot rod cars and don't restore them. HRP
Thanks. I am looking for info/assistance regarding window glass specifically and not on aesthetic opinions. From what I've researched, 39 regulators don't directly bolt into 40 doors, and the handles are in different locations, I think I read (don't have a 39 and 40 door to compare). The 40 doors and door panels would require modification. If 39 glass can be used with 40 regulators, there's no need for all the modification to run 39 regulators.
My 40 has a 39 door installed on the drivers side with all the 40 window parts in it and working so I THINK there's some interchangeability between them. I left mine stock when I rebuilt mine, but I know what you mean about the "lopsided geometry" on the '40 doors. To me it looks OK on a coupe or Tudor, but add in all the extra "business" on my Fordor sedan and it just isn't attractive.
No, they don't. The Glass House has been out of business for years. Maybe try their phone number and email before recommending them to people? WTF? I don't get it. The topic of this thread is whether 1939 Ford coupe/fordor front door glass will work with 1940 regulators in 1940 doors, not how to delete the vent windows, recommendations for out-of-business companies that once carried guide channel kits that don't even include glass to delete the vent windows, or whether deleting the vent windows is aesthetically superior to leaving them.
To answer you’re question, you can’t use 39 glass on a Vent window deleted 40 because the 39 glass is slightly narrower because of the smokers window. It wouldn’t quite fit by 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch. That’s how I remember it when I ordered glass for the same thing 10 or so years ago. Just make patterns. Easy with some wood paneling.
Not really worthy to the conversation, but I have both a 39 and a 40. I like the sleek look of the 39, but I would never even consider giving up my vent windows in the Forty. with them positioned right, the cowl vent open, and the windows down, Vintage Air is not relevant...
I hunted down the almost-definitive answer. The notion that '39 glass is too narrow for a '40 door/regulator with deleted vent window seems to be inaccurate. This morning, I spoke to the owner of the glass shop I intend on using who claims they use '39 windows on '40s with deleted vent windows without issue. He pulled for me measurements off a new '39 window cut from the factory pattern, and I pulled corresponding measurements off both my left and right doors with and without felt installed. The widest part of the window opening is at the bottom, obviously. This point on the glass measures 27-1/4" wide. Pulling a measurement from the vertical sheet metal stop that the fuzzies mount to at the B-pillar side straight across horizontally to the A-pillar side of the window opening is 27-1/8" on both doors (with the window garnish moldings removed). Without the felt installed with the glass mounted back firm against the sheet metal stop, already the glass completely covers the window opening with 1/8" extending past the window opening at the A-pillar side. After installing the felt on the B-pillar side, minimum glass width described above shrinks to 26-7/8". With the felt installed, the glass will extend past the opening at the A-pillar side by 3/8," which is more than enough for sealing out wind. Throw in another 1/16" or 1/8" of gap between the glass and felt on the B-pillar side to allow for operating wiggle room and there will be 7/16" to 1/2" of glass extending past the window opening at the A pillar side. All these measurements don't take into account that the window garnish moldings will further shrink the window opening. There doesn't seem to be any other profile issues in glass angle on the A-pillar side up the opening toward the lid that would impact the glass fully covering the window opening and sealing out wind. I'm going to order '39 door glass, and I'll report back in this thread once i have it installed so there is a record of a definitive answer for anyone down the line. Maybe I'll run into an issue that makes the windows unusable in this modification, but the tape measure and an old-timer glass cutter says everything should work.
A thought is perhaps to make a hardboard template of the glass to set up the window tracks and to see how to get the glass in and out safely. It will show how the window will operate and find any interference. The board would take the abuse and be a good aid to installing the glass. This thread discusses the 1939 window with a different operation. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/39-40-ford-coupe-vent-windows.428466/ Another sort of discusses hardware https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/remove-vent-windows-from-1940-ford.716612/