[B]New Glass 4 Chopped Top[/B]

[maxdog51]

I'm looking for a Good glass guy in the Chicago area to help guide me through the process of replacing the glass in my 51. Any advise would be greatly appreciated! I would like to do the job myself even though I've never done it B4.

I know there are plenty of guys with chopped rides out there so I would think I could get some good advise from someone?

Has anyone here cut and installed there own glass?

Frank

[MARTINSR]

I assume you are replacing the rubber, if not cut the tops off the vertical section. You can once you get the windows cut to size shorten those top pieces so they meet at the center vertical You can cut a few small sections off that piece just an inch long or so to stick on the body in it's place on the pinch weld at the bottom of the window opening on the cowl. Make a template out of cardboard of the original windshield and then stick it onto the rubber on the cowl just as the glass was installed. Then trim the cardboard down so that the gap between the cardboard and the metal is the same all the way around as it is at the bottom where the rubber is holding it in place. You now have a template to cut the glass that you can bring to any qualified glass shop. This glass is all flat on your truck being you don't have the quarter windows. The back glass has a slight curve to it but laminated glass will bend that much.

Same goes for the door glass and the back glass, use the original as a template then make a template of the lowered hole using that cardboard.

I do have to say, I learned my lesson years ago to partially cut the top getting it tacked into place then cut the glass for it. Sometimes the top needs a little "massaging" to get the glass to fit. But with your truck having all flat glass it's not a big deal.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Installing the glass is pretty easy, there are Youtube videos on doing it.

I just did one in the back of my '59 Rambler and made these three tools that a guy on the Hotrodders.com site told me about. HOLY CRAP are these valuable tools! I thank him so much for the idea. I made them from three old screw drivers I had around the garage. Went to the hardware store and bought three ballbearings sized 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8" and welded them to the drivers after grinding the end flat. I heated the driver with a torch to bend it, tried it without heat and it snapped like a twig! I ground and filed the weld nice to it's a nice transition. I am not kidding you, the old trick with a rope wrapped around the rubber is also used but these tools are REALLY good with a little dish soap on them to pull that rubber round without tearing it.

I was surprised that the different sizes came in handy too.

Brian

PS: I'm doing a chopped top AD too, my second.

[OrrieG]

Time to get out the torch... great idea, do you just slip the bulb into the groove where the rope goes?

[MARTINSR]

You simply use it to pull the rubber out from under the pinch weld from the inside.

Brian

[mr48chev]

Best idea, find a guy who works in a glass shop that takes on side jobs to do the installing.

pick up a sheet of 1/4 inch Masonite at the lumber yard and cut patterns out of it.

It shouldn't be too hard to figure out how to trace the old glass with ______ inches cut out of it for the chop. Note: the front usually has less taken out than the back as far as glass goes. If the back window is cut 4 inches the windshield will be cut something like 3-1/2 if the roof is still level and not cut on a rockabilly slant.

[MARTINSR]

The tempered masonite is a great choice. You can even install it in the rubber prior to glass just to be sure. But start with the cardboard as it's much easier to shape.

The thing is there isn't as much wiggle room as most think in that rubber. Just cutting them down isn't always what is needed as the posts did get raked in on the bottom and out on the roof.

Patterns just can't be beat.

Brian

[maxdog51]

Thanks for the great advise.

I will be sure to post some pics on my build thread.

Frank