Hey guys, Did a search, but could not find anything. Looking for some advice on measuring for windshield & rear (fixed) glass after top chop (3") My initial idea is to make an exact template of the naked opening, & take off 1/8" all the way 'round to account for the rubber mounting gasket. Anyone? Thanks.
Templates are a good idea. Best to contact your glass guy that will be cutting it. @Lloyd's paint & glass may have some input
I would make a cardboard template and take gasket and template to the glass guy. He can figure it out, that's what he does.
Yeah you're going the right direction. If it's already chopped, and you have the gaskets, put them in and check your templates. And I might go a little heavy on the 1/8" allowance, it would be better to be a little loose, than to break it when you're trying to slap it in. You can always seal it easy with some black silicone.
The universal rubber I used on my '36 Ford pickup needed the glass to be 1/8" larger than the opening all the way around. it held the glass outside the pinchweld. I made my pattern out of masonite tempered hardboard. Gary
I don't know how the guys who did my glass did the pattern, I just towed the truck there and left it. If you have the old back glass you might trace a pattern off it, mark the amount of the chop, cut and tape and transfer that to a piece of 1/4 Masonite. Front you can probably start the same way, make patterns using the old glass, cut the patterns down and make your Masonite trial piece (s) and check the fit and go again if needed. I didn't extend the roof when I chopped mine and that made the laid back glass a bit more challenging. The back was pretty straight forward.
Thanks for the reply guys, I will transfer the cardboard to Masonite or plexi if I have some laying around. I'm using original style Rubber gasket, so glass must be smaller than the opening. I'm gonna try it, will post results.
now I'll have to go out and check but am pretty sure that with the stock style rubber like I have on my 48 the glass is slightly taller than the opening. I know that the rubber shrinks after you have it in a while if you don't get it cut just right. That rubber in my truck was cut in 1981 though.
5-30-22 Update: Some Success. I figured the windshield right, I figured the back window wrong. Using Masonite for the patterns was a good idea, easy to work with. Windshield: I installed it this morning, went real smooth & I was able to do it myself. I made an exact pattern of the opening & added 1/4" all the way around. I decided to butt the center seam, so I left a 1/4" gap. I used the rope method (3/16" rope, you install the glass in the rubber first, then set it in place), & started at the bottom so gravity was my friend. went real smooth. After install, I ended up with a 1/2"-9/16" gap at the center butt, which I figure too large to silicone, so I took a leftover piece of the back window rubber, modified it a bit, & used that as a center channel. I like it (much thinner than the original center strip). All the videos suggest sealer between the rubber & glass, and rubber & body. I prolly should do it between the rubber & glass on the bottom & sides. Rubber to body is sitting real nice, but maybe along the top & sides, I'll see. Back Window: Totally my F up. I made an exact pattern of the opening, & took off 1/8" all around (not enough). I never double checked the measurements after I made the pattern. After trying to install it I took it out & measured, was 1/4" - 3/8" too tall (same all around). So I trimmed the pattern, & installed it in the rubber to test. I'll have it re-made this week, should only be about $50.
Center strip detail. The 2 pictures or the rubber show the original back window channel, & the modified version. I cut the pinchweld side so that it was wider, & matched the glass side. Using a new razor blade it was not hard, took about 10 minutes at most.
6-5-22 Update. All glass is done. I had the rear window re-cut, & it went in nice. Installing the lock bead was a bit tricky, but not too bad with the proper tool. The passenger vent window was a bit too large, so I sanded on the belt sander (50 grit), & was able to remove just enough to make it fit nice.
Before installing the passenger vent window, I had to move the pivot point back to it's original position ( I chopped this frame in a different way & the pivot wound up too low), so the new rubber would fit right. Not bad at all (was easier than installing the door glass)
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