The frame is a little ruff but the chrome trim on the front is in good shape. All of the screws in the frame are frozen in the back of the frame or broken off. I'm not sure how the frame go's together and don't want to start drilling on it. Maybe a really good chrome shop? If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated and yes...I did search. Thanks, Dave
Did all you 37-39 guys have perfect windshield frames?? Maybe mine is extra screwed up from the norm....
Hey, Dave - Sorry, can't help you with any shop info. But I can tell you how I addressed that problem. On the inside of the frame, the side that faces the interior of the car, on each side toward the bottom of the frame you'll see a split or seam in the windshield frame with an oval-head screw on either side of it. That's where the frame comes apart. Those screws are threaded into a piece of solid metal about 5/16" square that looks like a piece of keystock. That square piece slides inside the hollow windshield frame, and the screws thread into it to hold the whole thing together. Make any sense so far? What I had to do on both the '39's I built was to carefully drill out those screw heads, as the screws were frozen and I'm betting yours are too if it hasn't been apart. Be VERY patient and liberal with penetrant. I'd squirt it down into the frame, wait a day or so, then tap each half outward with a plastic hammer until I could see it was starting to move, then tap it back together again. I just kept working on it, didn't get wild with the hammer or too much force, worked it back and forth while dousing it with penetrant and it eventually came apart. I then drilled out the rest of each screw and re-tapped the holes in the square pieces. When I put it back together I put anti-seize all over the inside of the windshield frame, the square piece and the screw threads. At least, that's how I remember it - it was somewhere around 20 years ago! And I should also mention that I had no glass in either one of the frames when I did it - having glass in them that you want to save might be a whole 'nother deal. And there's also a tab on the end of the center piece with a screw in it - that will have to come out too. Knowing the braintrust that hangs out here, I'm betting somebody can come up with info on a better way - or the name of a shop that will do it. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Thanks for the help Terry, With all that in mind I might be able to get it all apart and just send the trim to the chromer. As you know the frames are hard to find and expensive so I didn't want to screw it up. If anyone has any pics of what was described above that would be helpful also.
The pieces that hold the frames together are nothing but common 1/4" square key stock that you can get at any hardward store. Drill and tap for 10/32 screws. Get some P'Blaster brand penetrating oil and spray it around the screws a day or two ahead of time, maybe a couple of applications before you try to remove the screws. That stuff is amazing in its ability to wick itself into very tight spaces and unfreeze frozen bolts and screws. When you put it back together, put some anti-seize stuff on the screws.
And when done with new seals, the closing mechanisim redone and hinges free, the damn thing will still want to leak on the restored gauges. Was going to try a visor. We finally put sealer on the rubber and clamped it shut. '39 truck
They leaked when they were brand new. There is actually a Ford part number for the leak around the windshield frame and another for the leak around the cowl vent. Seriously, while it won't completely stop it from leaking if you get caught in a goat floater, there are a couple of things you can do to minimize leaking around the windshield frame. Near the bottom corners of the windshield opening on the body, there are two drain holes. Run some stiff wire like coathanger wire through these to make sure they are open. Crawl under the dash and make sure you have hoses run from these drain holes through the firewall to the outside. Then take a dollar bill, open the windshield, and close it again clamping the dollar bill between the frame and body, see if you can easily pull it out with the windshield closed tight. Do this all around the windshield and find the areas where it is not tight to the body. There is a good bit of adjustment up and down on the windshield hinges, some adjustment where your windshield regulator attaches to the body, also you can shim under the hinges if you need to in order to get the windshield frame tight to the body when it is closed. All of this assuming you have a good gasket and a regulator that does not have stripped gears.
You must be a low-buck rodder - all the guys I know use twenties or fifties!! But seriously, folks... good advice. Adjusting the fit is a big part of the w/s frame resto on these cars. A leak now and then didn't bother me too much 'cuz I had a roadster before that and I thought a roof in the rain was great! I guess I put up with a few leaks because I always liked to crank the windshield open when I was cruisin' around town on a nice evening. Bottom line to "bottomedout39": pain-in-the-ass though it is, leaks or no leaks, if I ever build another '39 it WILL have a stock-type, crank-out windshield. To me, it's worth keeping. Your sweat will be rewarded!
Thanks for the info guys. I have been working the hell out of the hinges up top. I too want to keep the crank out w/s, but the leaks will make a mess of my dash I'm sure.
Great thread! I have been fiddling with my window so far it looks okay. I found the gear mechanism and it works and the hinges move. A rusty extra frame came with the car.
No matter what you do..BEFORE you chrome or paint your frame get every last bit of old rubber out of the seal area. You will most likely need to use a cut off wheel to get down inside the groove and get ALL that shit out. If there is any old rubber stuck down in the groove, your new rubber will not go in and it will suck very badly....ask me how I know.. -Abone.
UPDATE: Hey Guys- I'm still trying to get all the old rubber out of the damn frame, anyone have any great ideas on getting the old rubber out? I'm not sure about the cut off wheel because I can't get in underside of the channel area, I'm currently using a curved pick tool from harbor frieght, It should only take a month or two at this rate. ANY IDEAS ???!?!?!?! IT CURVES BACK IN LIKE A ? MARK
Around the window take some 1/2 round by 3/8 wide rubber seal and put it right were the window comes onto it, I found that the real killer flood causer was the windshield wiper hole. I clear siliconed that in and its a lot drier now. Use a dental pick or a scribe to cut that junk out of there, or chase it with a soft brush.
Theres not really a spray on product you can use, tossing it in the campfire is not a good thought and I dont know if a dunk in a hot tank would work, window frame is one of those pain in the azz parts, wait till you put the seal on, the wife helped me and walked away three times, with a whole orchestra of MF this and MF that while I smiled at her and helped it around the bends.
Heat it up, not too hot and it will come out easier. I have redone mine several times pretty much like described. I need to do it again order to paint the frame, no chrome for me.
Yea, that is exactly what I ran into and it sucked ass. I used the cut off wheel trick to get everything I possibly could out and it still wouldn't go... If you look at the rubber gasket, you will see the part of the lip that goes down into that crevis you can't get into. I cut that part of the lip off with a pair of sissors all the way around the gasket. Now it fits nicely and still kind of snaps into the frame. I used windshield rubber cement just in case, but it really wasn't nessessary. This is a dicey move of course, with an 80 dollar gasket, but it was the only way I was ever gonna get mine to work. Good luck, -Abone.
I'm redoing mine and it's the way flamedabone did his. Good luck, the replies here are all good ,so get to work.
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