The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Rusted out windhield frame

I have a 1939 chev pickup and have the lower windshield frame area that has rusted pits and some holes rusted out. How is the best way to repair this? I had a friend that has body work years ago come by today and looked at my mess. We discussed the easy way of using fiberglass, however I would like to use a more permanent repair.
We think that a person could replace the metal with a lot of work.It is not a straight line area. I am sure that this is possible to repair, except that I am new to sheet metal repairs.So far I have been lucky that all my other repairs have been on easy flat panels.
I know that this is long winded. Thanks for the help.
Ed

One of these days someone is going to make a patch panel for this but until then your only option is to fabricate what you need. It shouldn't be too difficult if you have the correct gauge sheetmetal, a sheetmetal brake and a set of shrinking/stretching dies. It'll be a bit of a project but with I doubt anything else, like fiberglass, will hold up to the installation of the windshield gasket and all.

So, hurry up and get that done because no sooner you're finished than someone will start selling those patch panels and I'll buy one... I'm in the same boat as you.

If it's structuraly ok but has pinholes I'd be ok with fiberglass. Of course new steel is always the ultimate. I have some pinholes in that area on my 55 and will use glass. My concern is distorting that area trying to weld patches and not having the glass and seal fit properly afterwards. I've welded new metal on all other places on the truck. I'll also use the fibergalss(ground glass and resin)over all welded patches to waterproof the patch. There are always pinholes and you can do more damage trying weld every last pinhole than it's worth.

Good luck,

Keith

Sounds like a good plan to me.

Thanks for the help. Looks like it is time to go to sheet metal class. If I hear of someone making these I will pass it on.

Thanks again Ed

Would JBWeld not be better than fiberglass in this situation...if you did repair it?

Or maybe melt lead into the area to fill the small holes??..just tossin here.

interesting!

What's JB weld?

Actually I have filled pinholes with lead.
I personally like that solution in general.However melting lead against gravity sucks big time. Also some have expressed concerns that if you don't clean the lead properly afterwards you might get some type of lifting later on..after painting..personally I think that's something that can be handled thou.

Just my $.02

Keith

I had the same issue with my '40. Was rusted at the centre post and outside corners to the point I couldn't open the crank out windshield. Once I got it out of the truck, it was pretty bad. The splice bar that holds the two sections together was even rusted. The cross-section of the window frame is pretty complex to duplicate in a sheet metal shop - curves in ( 2 ) directions and has the groove in it for the glass / gasket. After looking o E Bay for a couple of months, I finally bit the bullet and purchased a new frame from Carter, and new rubber from Steeles. Reused existing glass. All fit OK.

Eastwood has new lead-free body solder kits, its basically ingots of the new no-lead electrical solder adapted for auto body use, and they offer flux for use with it. It would be good if you were concerned about the health effects of lead, and its still metal. You can grind and sand it safely with just a respirator.

I just found the link to the Eastwood lead free body solder. It's right here should anyone else be interested.

Don -- still puttering

actually the lead free plumbing solder at yer hardware store works fine for fixing pinholes using a soldering iron

Bill

Well that can't be right as it makes perfect sense!

Thanks,

Boy that is a lot of very good info that I hadn't thought of. I will dig into that idea of tracking down some new things to play with. My little bride will be impressed that there is more ways to invest her money.

Thanks again for the great ideas Ed