Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks for the comments guys, they are much appreciated.

The windshield went in today on schedule, and according to plan. It took just over an hour to have it fully seated and installed, and then we spent about another 30 minutes just making sure everything was in as tight as possible. I’ll spell out all the details tomorrow. Although it went in without any particular difficulties, it was completely exhausting running back and forth to both sides of the truck to get the best angles, and using both finesse and maximum effort to pull the gasket into place. A bench seat would have made the job a lot easier.

Here’s the only after shot I have so far. The center caps are not yet in place. I’ll get some better photos once everything is cleaned up and put back together. I can't wait to see the overall image outside showing the whole truck:

http://imageshack.us/a/img715/1143/001kno.jpg

Also the new fully polished stainless wiper blades showed up today and look fantastic with the NOS polished wiper arms.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

wow... nice!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I can't wait for the full effect pictures myself, great job Mark!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Looks great Mark, now I will have to do mine, I bought a complete truck just for the chrome, a original chrome bumper, windshield trim, custom chrome, full body no engine, lwb fleetside for $200.00 Just need to get it all apart.....Kieth :gmc2:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Looks awesome. Im polishing my 2nd set of trim myself. The 1st set was the 1/2" 62-63 trim. I got rid of that for a 60-61 1" trim. Cant have enough chrome right. Be doing the same install shortly. You said you used Precision gasket co for the windshield?

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Yes I did use a Precision gasket. I bought it from American Classic Truck Parts because they could commit to sending me the brand I wanted.

http://www.americanclassic.com/

I called customer service first and then added a note in the special instructions field and they sent me exactly what I asked for. They sell 6 different brands, so you need to ask to get the preferred brand.

Got everything back together today – steering wheel, spotlights, inside mirror, etc. The upper trim cap was the hardest part and took over an hour and a lot of adjustments to the piece to get it to snap in place. I also set the spotlights to park a little bit higher this time so they don’t clobber the trim.

Ended up having a choice in the early evening between washing the truck (it’s covered in dirt) or taking pictures (I was running out of daylight). Hopefully I’ll get a chance to give it a bath tomorrow before it starts raining over the weekend!

Here’s the best before and after shots available at the moment. The trim makes a huge difference in real life. To me it was worth all the trouble it took:

http://imageshack.us/a/img819/4741/beforepe.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img854/3707/afteru.jpg

I’m still debating whether to add the chrome rear window bead. My rear gasket is like new so all I’d need to do is pull the bead and add the chrome version. Opinions either way are welcome.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

looks beautiful, Mark...really ties into your other chrome nicely...and I say go for the rear chrome trim as well! great job, as always :bowtie:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

That is a very dramatic difference. Once again, your attention to detail pays huge dividends. Well done, sir!

Just my 2 cents worth, but with that chrome trim, I think some chrome bezels on the parking lights would really pop now.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Very Nice, and yes the difference is very noticeable and adds more than I can describe via my wordsmith skills or lack thereof... waiting patiently for rear window decision...

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

now that makes it stand out..nice job

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

looks awesome mark, well done

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

when I am able to upgrade to AC I will want to go back to a factory back glass (currently an aftermarket slider), and would like to add the chrome trim to match my front window, so if you do that upgrade... I be watchin, and learnin!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

CRGRS 66....got a piece of glass you can have...just pay for the ride (if its a small back glass). Mark.....trucks looks great. Makes me drool wanting to do mine. In sure I'll have the same anxiety until its complete. Did you use the small trim or the large windshield trim?

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

very kind offer 1963, I have the BBW, thank you for the offer though

mark, I agree on the park lamp bezels, shiny ones would look good

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

hey craig (sorry mark about steppin on your thread) but i got all my glass from a local glass shop... tinted and shaded windshield, tinted bbw, tinted door and wing glass all for $280... seemed like a good deal to me, check it out.

i agree on the buffed park bezels... a little more bling is a good thing.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks everyone for all the positive feedback and suggestions, I’m pretty sure I still have another pair of polished aluminum parking bezels. If I can find them I’ll slap them on and see how they look. I’ve preferred the blacked out look for a long time because it takes away much of the Chevrolet look to the hood, and because I’ve never seen anyone else black them out. But I’m thinking with the other shiny stuff it might me a nice improvement.

Yes the trim on the truck is the wide version. I also started out with the narrow trim, but as soon as I found the wide trim I completely lost interest in the skinny set. The thin version is also much harder to repair dings because there’s no access to half of the back where the J support is folded behind the face. The high profile of the wide trim allows almost unrestricted access to the back, making repairs relatively simple by comparison.

I’m going to go ahead and order the chrome bead/rear gasket today. I’ll probably keep the black bead seal in case the chrome version goes bad, but I think the chrome looks so much better it’s worth trying. My only concern is having lived through the snap-on “chrome plastic rain gutter trim” period back in the 50’s. It was also added to door edges, wheel wells, and other odd places on some cars. The snap-on plastic chrome looked like molded stainless steel when new. A short time later it turned yellow, then tan, and finally brown before it started cracking and peeling. The only solution was to peel it off and throw it away. I imagine in 50 years they’ve likely improved the technology. The new stuff is probably urethane and may very well last indefinitely.

Shortly I’ll post the steps we used mounting the windshield. The last couple of days have been consumed attending to the truck and getting everything back in working order. That and standing around admiring how nice it turned out, and being thankful we didn’t break the glass!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I was extremely disappointed, the stuff I used yellowed in months. I dug the look, until it yellowed.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks for the input, that has been my concern. I'll definitely keep the black rubber bead so I can put it back in if the chrome stuff yellows. And like so many aftermarket parts it's impossible to know if one brand is any better than the others, or if they're all made by the same source.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I like your blacked out signal trims, I am thinking for any more chrome, your wheel wells or something like that in the lower half of the truck will balance you out nicely.
I am not sure there are chrome trims out there just for that application for these trucks, but if I were you, I would trust in your skill set enough to modify some from a large A body GM car like say an Impala or GTO that are easily available.
You know, just a thought....

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I retract this comment, forgot that you have a chevy hood on there

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

My first windshield installation was back in 1966 on my 1954 Chevy high school car. A local wrecking yard was going out of business and a friend of mine had a 430 Lincoln engine that had spent most of its life as a stationary engine. It was traded to the yard owner for anything we wanted. Along with a whole bunch of other stuff I pulled a mint condition blended windshield out of a 54 Chevy Bel Air. With no training, books, or experience I popped out the black gasket stocker and slapped in the new stainless trimmed model with no trouble whatsoever. Here are before and after photos:

http://imageshack.us/a/img268/9631/1954chevy01.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img841/9839/1954chevy02.jpg

Since then I’ve installed more windshields than I can remember, both the type with gaskets and the later models adhered with urethane. I always did them by myself because they were easy enough help just wasn’t needed. Back in 1998 I attempted to reinstall the damaged original windshield in my truck after painting the cab, and for the first time ever I broke the glass. It did crack at an existing good sized star chip, but this failure really shook my confidence. Not so much because I failed, but more because I never did figure out how it needed to be installed. Every windshield I ever installed went in bottom first. Trying the same approach with the wrap around windshield caused the top of the glass to collide with the roof overhang and before it could be worked into position it split.

So for this attempt I spent months reading and watching everything I could find. And after reading every thread and comment I wasn’t remotely convinced I could pay a professional and receive a perfect installation.

After watching every video I could find on the subject, I bookmarked this one and watched it a couple of more times the morning of the install. Even though it is for a newer series truck it’s the most thorough I’ve found, and extensively uses a hook tool, something I’ve never seen demonstrated before. I don’t know how long it will remain available on YouTube, but here’s the link:


After watching the video I picked up this set at Harbor Freight. The tool marked with the arrow is the only one I used:

http://imageshack.us/a/img189/5643/image15151.jpg

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece...set-93958.html

For anyone interested, following are the steps we took to actually install the windshield. It took a little over an hour and ended up being one of the easiest I’ve done.

Last minutes steps were removing the steering wheel and rolling down the side windows for maximum access.

I had my helpers watch the above video from 14 minutes to the end, so they’d know what I was going to be doing in the cab. I also ran the last minute instructions checklist:

1. Remove all rings, wrist jewelry, and belt buckles (which they did).
2. After the windshield is located on the cab, only use open hands to press on the glass.
3. Don’t bounce the pressure.
4. Don’t apply any pressure on the sides of the (wrap around) glass. Press only on the flat face of the windshield.
5. Don’t slap the glass. If that is needed I’ll do it.
6. Don’t touch the glass with any tools.
7. Let me know immediately if a piece of trim pops out. If we don’t catch it early enough we’ll have to pull it back out for correction and start over.

With the glass completely assembled with the gasket, trim, and rope as shown again here:

http://imageshack.us/a/img687/1508/001bsg.jpg

KY personal lubricant was smeared all over the entire windshield cavity and the gasket/rope surface of the windshield. One tube was sufficient to cover everything. This was done immediately prior to placing the glass on the truck so it wouldn’t have a chance to dry out. In retrospect, soapy water would have probably worked just as well. One benefit of the KY is it makes a nice glue once it dries.

Rather than trying to install the glass bottom or top first, I had them almost place the glass flat against the cavity. With the entire gasket within an inch or so of the body, I had them tilt the top in slightly, and I started pulling in the top of the gasket with the hook tool. It pulled over the pinch weld easily. As I was doing this I kept watching the sides, as my biggest concern was the gasket would rub against the body and tend to bend the glass outward causing a stress crack. This turned out to not be a problem. As the glass was seated against the upper pinch weld, the sides slid directly into position in perfect alignment with the A posts. There was no side pressure at all. As more of the gasket seated, I reached down and pulled the lower gasket over the pinch weld again using the hook tool. The mating surfaces were so slimy everything fell right into place. I also had a spray bottle of Dawn dish soap, but didn’t use any.

This process was simple, with very little pressure applied to the glass. I just kept working the sides of the gasket until almost everything was in place and eventually the windshield snugged up against the body. I finally pulled the rope out where it remained, which was almost a nuisance and unnecessary. By the time I did pull the rope the glass was almost completed seated by use of the hook tool.

Final tune up was going over every inch of the gasket again (from the inside) with the hook tool to make sure I had even coverage and the second lip of the gasket flap was clearly inside the pinch flange. I spent a great deal of additional time trying to completely pull the inside gasket flap in place to completely fill the body cavity. On the upper inside corners I never did get this fully accomplished, when it occurred to me this is exactly what the old gasket looked like before I pulled the windshield. I assume this has to do with the size and shape of this particular windshield, rather than having a “bad” gasket. Regardless it is completely seated and sealed.

Here are a few last minute observations:

The hook tool was my best friend. I performed almost the entire installation with it. I recommend adding and using the rope, but it was virtually unneeded on this job.

If the gasket is installed on the bottom edge of the glass first, it must be stretched at least one inch on each side (as shown in post #367 of the build thread photos above) to provide proper fit along the upper edge and corners. If it is not stretched it will pull off the glass taking the trim with it, and no amount of tape will help.

When the trim is installed in the gasket the gap between each end should be nearly the same (about 3/8”-1/2” between each piece). If not, the trim will restrict the movement of the gasket during the windshield installation making it more difficult to fit the corners in the cab correctly.

I bought suction cups but found them unnecessary. I’ve watched videos where others do the job by themselves and use the cups on the inside to pull on the glass. It worked on YouTube, but I wouldn’t attempt that on my windshield.

Sorry there weren’t any photos taken during the process. All three contributors were too busy working and there wasn’t anybody left to operate the camera. That’s about all I can think of for now. If I forgot something obvious please let me know.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Awesome documenting as always, keep up the great work!!!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks Don. I strive to build on the library of information the forum offers, hopefully making it a little easier for the next person.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I’ve also listened to everyone’s input and considered adding polished parking light rims, but after several days of study I just can’t bring myself to embrace them. Looking through dozens of examples, I find I don’t care for the amber lenses with silver rims against the dark paint. To me this combination breaks up the symmetry of the frontal line of dull black paint along the front of the hood.

http://imageshack.us/a/img209/8042/a01p.jpg

So I considered switching the lenses back to clear to make them look more purposeful, like an upgrade feature.

http://imageshack.us/a/img32/5940/a02aq.jpg

But again I don’t find this as attractive as the black rims which blend in and radically minimize the park lights unless they’re illuminated.

http://imageshack.us/a/img545/4563/a03c.jpg

Unless I can think of something even more creative, I think I’ll just leave them alone for now. I do appreciate everyone’s suggestions as this was something I had previously considered myself. I’m always looking for new ideas on how I can improve the appearance of the truck, but I’m also trying to use caution to know when to quit and leave it alone.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

We’ve owned many different stick shift vehicles with different shift patterns, and my wife drives the truck so infrequently – the smooth metalflake shift knob has been making it time consuming for her to find reverse on the rare occasion she uses it. So today the blue knob became another display item, and the Hurst black knob and chrome handle went back in. I had forgotten how much I missed the feel of the Hurst handle and knob, so it will be staying for a while.

Morning

http://imageshack.us/a/img88/150/mat003w.jpg

Afternoon

http://imageshack.us/a/img88/6657/postaa01.jpg