Windshield in a classic..anyone done it themselves?

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Windshield in a classic..anyone done it themselves?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

You are planning to do urethane, not the original butyl tape? If so, yes you need to make some little blocks that will make the glass sit at the right height.

Otherwise, a proper application of the urethane is all that's required. It's a challenge to get it to seal well without the urethane squeezing out and showing when you are done though.

I know 65wagon did glass for a living but he's so seldom seen around the forum. He might have some tips for you. I don't know if we have any other installers on here.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

At this point in my life i have done over ten including side glass but always for 1955 1956 1957 Chev/Pontiac vehicles. I have never done the glass on vehicles other than these three years. This includes helping my buddies out with their cars of these years. Today's cars look like a very simple breeze compared to the cars of the 1950's. There is so much more to deal with when doing the glass on a fifties car. Good luck with your project.

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

Butyl tape was never used from the factory. The body manual specified thiokol adhesive. The factory installation used a foam rubber dam to stop the sealer squeezing out and being visible inside the car. This dam is what is mistaken as butyl.

Paul

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Interesting. The US certainly had it unless the rear window I cut out of a 66 Grand Prix a few years back had been replaced. It certainly had butyl tape in it.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Well I helped with the installation of glass in a 1976 Fleetwood Ambulance this spring and the owner is fastidious about originality so he used Butyl. This was a horrific job, just think about the glass in an ambulance of that vintage, huge side windows and huge front windshields. He had me stripping the hold down clips and priming them and painting them before installation. We spent all afternoon on one side window. Anyway it was Butyl.

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Swapped the windshield on my 1970 Skylark when I was 16. Used Butyl back then and it went well. If I could do it then you can do it now!

Taylor55 · Poncho Master!

I just helped a friend do the front windshield and rear glass yesterday on a 1970 Camaro We used a strip type material from parts source. The main concern is the preparation and cleanliness of the channels. He did not want to use urethane. The installation of the missing/ broken studs for the mouldings was the longest job. The two setting blocks are important for the centering of the glass. We made sure the shop was warm 70F and used masking tape on the body and glass for line up points. You need two people to do the job and we had glass cup installation tools but did not use them we set the glass in by hand.

If you use urethane there is a special way to cut the opening of the tube to get the correct flow pattern so the urethane sits correctly and does not squeeze out too much and make a mess.

As George mentioned older cars especially tri fives are more difficult to install. Some of the mouldings on the front windshield have to be installed in the rubber channel before installing the windshield in the car.

Preparation of the channel and rust removal is the tedious part of the job.

Al

-- Edited by Taylor55 on Saturday 28th of September 2019 07:50:29 AM

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Thanks for all the reply's guys, my confidence has been boosted.

I'm thinking along the lines of Urethane, with some kind of damming seal to keep the sealer from coming back into the car. The video below describes it very well. Of course one would have to use a seal of a certain thickness to get the right set depth of the glass. But this way of using the seal would make for a very clean install seen from the inside and outside. Next best would be some kind of butyl seal tape in the correct thickness. I'm not concerned about originality in any way.

I plan on welding two little stop tabs into the lower channel to set the glass at the correct centered horizontal position. I'll mount rubber on them. What I have noticed on the original factory install, these rubber stops actually appear to block the flow of water across the channel, or at least restrict flow out to to the sides. The idea is to allow the best drainage possible. This could have been a contributor as to why it likely rusted out originally. I plan on mocking it all up and shimming it in dry to find the right position and height that will allow the trim to sit right.

Anyone know where this "Damming seal" material can be bought? I suspect the Urethane can probably be bought at Carquest or the like?

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manuals/FisherBody/1966/3-FrontEnd.pdf

Here is the page from the body manual. I know that butyl was widely used to replace glass in many cars starting in the 60s. The early polyurethane adhesives had problems with adhesion causing water leaks. I have removed the trim and literally lifted the glass out when the original urethane had failed. It was always stuck to the glass on none on the body and the flange would be rusty. Glass shops used butyl to ease installation and have fewer comebacks. Properly done urethane is stronger than butyl and butyl tape may not be legal to use now.

Paul

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I've discovered that a factory installed windshield in a 65 B would have the damming cord installed. So if its missing, it's probably a replacement windscreen. My LOF shield date codes to 66, so it was replaced early in the cars life.