The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk window questions 47-53

Does anybody know if it is generally cheaper to have a local glass cutting shop cut new windshield glass or to go through lmc or classic industries? Also i need help removing the current windshield in my parts truck.our first attempt to remove the driver side glass ended in it getting cracked.Any tips?

Hard to say which is cheaper, give your local glass installer a call and find out. I purchased my glass from a GM antique parts vendor.

Here's what I did and it worked out great for me....

I bought all the glass ( windshield, rubber, side glass and vent window glass )
from Jim Carter. I got it in the green tint. You won't need the vent glass since you have a 49.

I had the glass shop install the windshield, since that's the hard one!
They charged me $50 and they did it perfectly, with all the right tools and tricks!

I installed all the other glass with new parts and tracks myself.

mike

The way to remove the glass without breaking it is to take a razor knife around the outside and cut away the bead holding it in (works on back window too). Lay the kinfe against the glass and cut around you will see when you have enough. Then very gently tap it loose from the inside or use a putty knife (carefully) to start it. Then I would advise when you store them standing them on a flat edge in a corner out of the way. laying them flat they seem to crack easier.

Any time your working with glass the possibility of breaking it looms large. Especially old glass that has been in place for 60 years? Find out if the local glass shop is willing to do the job. Consider the cost of shipping/handling, installation. Some repop parts are questionable for fit. I'd recommend new rubber/gasket as opposed to trying to reuse the old one. Main thing do you have the old glass for a pattern? If you work with local shop they can help size poor fitting window glass, nothing worse than windows that are hard to roll up & down!

Like the guys say,give your local glass shop a call.
I suppose it will depend if there's shipping/packaging costs involved too.
If you're just wanting to replace just the broken one,it may well be cheaper to go with the local guy.

Laminated glass is not very forgiving,even more so if it's old,flex it too much or apply too much pressure and you know the rest.......
An old,hard,dried out rubber just adds to the problem.

I can be done but requires patience and a light touch.

Why are you removing the glass,is it to do paint or resto work?

If you're trying to save the glass the most efficient way is to simply cut the rubber.
Replacement seals are cheap and readily available.

Yakima, great minds think alike,you just beat me by 2 minutes!

I think there was a question about removing the side window glass. After you have removed the glass with the mechanism, you need to use a chemical to remove the old setting tape. I found paint thinner or brake cleaner did the job really well. The same goes for the vent windows.

Fred, I think he means the windshield glass, he may need the side window advice too, though.

Just need to do the windshield,i'm trying to use the old/good glass on my parts truck to put in the truck that i plan on driving, the driver side windshield is the one that broke would i be able to use the passenger side windshield as a template for the driver side? We managed to pull and install the rear window with relative ease. We thought the windshield would be the same.I wish i could bring it to a local place for them to install it but my trucks kinda far away from a close big city. is the weather stripping pretty universal? that is can i buy it at a local FLAPS?

No & No doubt if FLAP would have something that fits, windshield rubber and back glass rubber two different cats. I'm priceing windshield rubber and it runs between $30.00 & $35.00, back glass rubber less than half that. All the venders carry it, maybe you could get it special ordered/overnite?

The glass is the same on the passenger/driver sides use it for a pattern. The concensus on the preferred gasket is the one manufactured by Steele Rubber.

You might not need tinted glass in your neck of Minnesota but here in Texas where the temp hits the 100's I got the green tint from LMC and all my rubber from Steele.

Yea i wouldn't need the tinted but i sure would love a windshield visor for looks and practicality, i'l have to look into the local flaps being able to order the right kind of gasket, and il bring in the old style to make sure its the right kind,especially since i only can work on it on weekends and my trucks 45mins away from an auto parts store that's opened past two or at not open at all on Sunday.

I got the driver side window cut and installed along with the window fuzzies for $20, at my local glass shop. But that was 15 years ago, and the guy had a soft spot for the old trucks, and I suspect the redhead I was with too