Windsheld rubber?

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jmlcolorado

jmlcolorado

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Messages
1,839
Location
The flat plains of Elbert County, CO
Hey folks. I wanted to get some ideas on how everyone has mounted their windsheilds. I have chopped a 1950 international and then split the windshield (to make it easier to find glass) well that, and cause i can :D

The original frame has a 1/2" lip around it where the original rubber slid over to hold the glass in. Im having a heck of a hard time finding NOS or repo rubber for this truck. Is there somewhere that makes basic rubber for this type of setup?
Obviously, the rubber can't/won't 1 solid piece like the factory had, so there will be a seam I'm it somewhere. I've seen old cars with a seam in the rubber at the bottom with a little trim cover over it. Do they chemically bond the seam somehow?
Thanks a bunch!
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Different look, I like it. May be easier to bond new glass to the openings. Talk to a good glass guy or PM Gene here on RRR. He did it to his Plymouth coupe.
 
You could do the urethane bond and then put

some of that w/strip bead in....like the type on the newer vehicles..or get that universal cut to fit rubber weather strip glass channel from a glass shop, they use on industrial stuff like loaders and such and just have flat glass cut in the size you need...
 
That was my other thought too. To install in butal then trim with "modern" rubber. My only worry about that is modern cars have a "primer" surface on the edge of the glass where any butal is under to prevent UV breakdown of the sealant.
I can't just paint the edge of the glass and expect the butal to do its job. I'll be relying on just the paint to stick to the glass.
 
I like the look.....gives it an

jmlcolorado said:
That was my other thought too. To install in butal then trim with "modern" rubber.
Click to expand...

aviation type of look...like a B29...cool...you could use butyl tape but then you'd have to use sealer to hold the bead strip in...easier to use the urethane window weld stuff and then just set the bead into the urethane, wipe off any excess and tape down the bead till it sets up...usually over night is best....but as inset as those windows appear, might not get the look you want unless you rubber channel it and flat glass ...you can get the that rubber window channel in various thicknesses....so you might want to check with the glass shops and see what they have...some of the stuff I looked at for my back glass was nearly 1" in diameter and fit 1/4 inch glass on a 3/16 pinch weld.... they have a lot of sizes.....jsut a thought....
 
sgtpontiac said:
aviation type of look...like a B29...cool...you could use butyl tape but then you'd have to use sealer to hold the bead strip in...easier to use the urethane window weld stuff and then just set the bead into the urethane, wipe off any excess and tape down the bead till it sets up...usually over night is best....but as inset as those windows appear, might not get the look you want unless you rubber channel it and flat glass ...you can get the that rubber window channel in various thicknesses....so you might want to check with the glass shops and see what they have...some of the stuff I looked at for my back glass was nearly 1" in diameter and fit 1/4 inch glass on a 3/16 pinch weld.... they have a lot of sizes.....jsut a thought....
Click to expand...

Lots of good info there.
I was a bit worried about how deep the windsheilds was set into the frame too. That's why I was leaning towards real rubber trim to seal it in.
If I have to go with butal, I'm not opposed to welding a whole new lip in that's only 1/4" set into the frame. The only thing I didn't think would look good with that is the windshield would be almost flush with the body panel. I can see it in my head, and it doesn't look to good.
Thanks for your input!
 
Weatherstriping aside, I think your major concern is going to be glass itself. The '56 has a curved windshield, and even though you have removed the center section it still wraps around at the edges. Flat glass isn't going to lay in there right, especially if you are thinking about glueing it in. Not sure what to advise you to do here other than finding a stock '49-'56 windshield and cutting it to fit. Other than that you would have to make a whole new inner lip that is actually flat, and the glass would be closer to the suface at the edges than in the middle since it is in a curved opening.

On my chopped '56 Binder I wasn't able to find an actual windshield rubber. However, the back glass rubber strip is the exact same profile, but for the smaller rear opening. This didn't concern me since my cab is chopped anyways. I was able to find the back glass rubber new, so I will simply cut it to fit. I will fill the seam with some black urethane.
 
Blue Eyed Devil said:
Weatherstriping aside, I think your major concern is going to be glass itself. The '56 has a curved windshield, and even though you have removed the center section it still wraps around at the edges. Flat glass isn't going to lay in there right, especially if you are thinking about glueing it in. Not sure what to advise you to do here other than finding a stock '49-'56 windshield and cutting it to fit. Other than that you would have to make a whole new inner lip that is actually flat, and the glass would be closer to the suface at the edges than in the middle since it is in a curved opening.

On my chopped '56 Binder I wasn't able to find an actual windshield rubber. However, the back glass rubber strip is the exact same profile, but for the smaller rear opening. This didn't concern me since my cab is chopped anyways. I was able to find the back glass rubber new, so I will simply cut it to fit. I will fill the seam with some black urethane.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the curved glass has been bouncing around in my head since the day I bought this thing. My theory for that, and I stress that it's a theory, is that I will make a cardboard template of the curve of the glass. One thing on my side is it is flat from top to bottom, only curves on the horizontal axis. I'll then fold up that neat little template, put it on my back pocket, then head to the junk yard. If I can find glass that there that I can use, it will become my new windshield. Of course, it won't be tempered, just laminated.
Thanks kinda part of the reason for splitting the windshield, so I'll only be looking for 2 smaller pieces rather then 1 BIG piece with the right radius.

As far as using the rear rubber, my "new" windshield, that might not be a bad idea! Was your rear window 1 piece? Mine was split. If yours was 1 piece, what year was yours? I could make a coupe new pieces out of 1 rear piece.
 
Mine's a '56, like I said in my post. Same cab, just a one piece backlight. The rubber seal is still the same. You can cut it to fit.

As far as the glass itself, folding up a flat template isn't going to help you. You will need to match the curvature of the glass if you hope to find something close. Even then you're still risking a broken piece of not-quite-right fitting glass after you buy it and pay to have it cut. Besides, there's a lot of those '48-'56 Binders out there, especially out your way. Shouldn't be too hard to find one in a boneyard with a decent windshield. Carefully remove it, make your templates for size and then have it cut. At least then you know it will fit properly.
 
Blue Eyed Devil said:
Mine's a '56, like I said in my post. Same cab, just a one piece backlight. The rubber seal is still the same. You can cut it to fit.

As far as the glass itself, folding up a flat template isn't going to help you. You will need to match the curvature of the glass if you hope to find something close. Even then you're still risking a broken piece of not-quite-right fitting glass after you buy it and pay to have it cut. Besides, there's a lot of those '48-'56 Binders out there, especially out your way. Shouldn't be too hard to find one in a boneyard with a decent windshield. Carefully remove it, make your templates for size and then have it cut. At least then you know it will fit properly.
Click to expand...

Sorry, forgot you said the year. I've read a lot of threads tonight and their all starting to jumble together :D

As far as the template I was going to use, Im not sure how to explain it better, but it'll look like this:
e0906ec3.jpg



You can bet if I could find a cab up here that they would part the windshield with, I would jump all over it!
I've seen a bunch of the same model truck, but everyone wants to keep em in one piece :( :)
 
no one has mentioned this, but i will....:eek:

first i see a really cool look, but one that creates a blind spot that may get johnny law's attention...

as far as my next rat build, it will probably wind up with lexan "race car style" windshields...

u can cut them yourselves, use rivets to hold them in (a cool look to accent the work you have done) and use silicone or windshield sealer on the lip for a more waterproof seal...

someone will say that is not "legal" for a street vehicle, but the window divider probably is not either;)
 
hotrod preacher said:
no one has mentioned this, but i will....:eek:

first i see a really cool look, but one that creates a blind spot that may get johnny law's attention...

as far as my next rat build, it will probably wind up with lexan "race car style" windshields...

u can cut them yourselves, use rivets to hold them in (a cool look to accent the work you have done) and use silicone or windshield sealer on the lip for a more waterproof seal...

someone will say that is not "legal" for a street vehicle, but the window divider probably is not either;)
Click to expand...

Aw crap. I didn't even think of the legal aspect of it :rolleyes: Thanks for bursting my fun bubble :)
It's not a huge blind spot since I sit so close to the windshield. If someone did this on a modern vehicle, where your eye spheres are 3 feet away from the glass, I could see it becoming a huge problem! In this case, I sit so close to the glass it's negledgable.
It can't be much worse then having a giant supercharger and high rise intake in front of my face.

Dangit. Now I'm questioning it :(
 
Frankly, the blind spot issue probably would not..

even draw attention....our state no longer even has an obstructed view law for things hanging from the mirror....(not sure what your state might say) if it looks like it was made that way, they (coppers) probably won't bother you...heck most of them don't have a clue...lol at least about the truck....lol if it had been me, I might have made the divider a bit smaller but you obviously you like the look too and that's what counts... what I guess I don't see is this curved glass issue...those pinch welds around the glass area don't appear to be curved...now if the glass was one piece I could see it curving around the center area where you have the divider....maybe the photo isn't showing it....[S could you move the pinch welds..or glass channel or whatever you want to call it ahead in the opening and make it lay flat that way? Just a thought.....I just don't see the curved glass thing...[S
 
sgtpontiac said:
even draw attention....our state no longer even has an obstructed view law for things hanging from the mirror....(not sure what your state might say) if it looks like it was made that way, they (coppers) probably won't bother you...heck most of them don't have a clue...lol at least about the truck....lol if it had been me, I might have made the divider a bit smaller but you obviously you like the look too and that's what counts... what I guess I don't see is this curved glass issue...those pinch welds around the glass area don't appear to be curved...now if the glass was one piece I could see it curving around the center area where you have the divider....maybe the photo isn't showing it....[S could you move the pinch welds..or glass channel or whatever you want to call it ahead in the opening and make it lay flat that way? Just a thought.....I just don't see the curved glass thing...[S
Click to expand...

Aren't you a "copper" yourself?! :D

There is a little curve to it but not much.
185a7c41.jpg


You have a great idea about moving the pinch welds to make the glass flat! There's lots of room in the frame I bet I could make that work. I dunno how it would look, but trim might hide it a little.
 
Yeah, I sure see it now....

you've got a crap ton of room to move in there.....those recessed areas are huge....do you really want to re-fab all that I would guess is the question....can it be done, I would say yes....would it be possible to just redo the curved areas and not the whole thing? And Yep I'm a cop, but I use logic and common sense to accomplish my appointed tasks....most cops are not car junkies like some of us.....lol :D
 
sgtpontiac said:
you've got a crap ton of room to move in there.....those recessed areas are huge....do you really want to re-fab all that I would guess is the question....can it be done, I would say yes....would it be possible to just redo the curved areas and not the whole thing?
Click to expand...

They are pretty big! It really wouldn't be too bad to just modify the rounded parts. That would cut the mod in half. I'm just not sure how the trim outside would look with the body still curved. The glass would be deep in the channel in the middle, then really shallow at the ends.


sgtpontiac said:
And Yep I'm a cop, but I use logic and common sense to accomplishing my appointed tasks....
Click to expand...

I've heard rumors there are ones like that around :)
 
I don't think that it would look odd at all...

even with the rounded sections to the outside....the trim around the glass would fill the void...wish I was good at drawing but I'm not great at it....but I think that with the glass somewhat to the edge of the outside curve would be ok....kind of like a flat port hole on a tapered boat hull....doesn't look out of place, just flat...the / any space can be filled with trim...JMHO.....I think you'd be surprised at how it would look.....

and most cops are good people doing a very unpopular job...a few bad apples spoil the barrel....for the most part, we're just average guys....and gals...sorry
 
sgtpontiac said:
even with the rounded sections to the outside....the trim around the glass would fill the void...wish I was good at drawing but I'm not great at it....but I think that with the glass somewhat to the edge of the outside curve would be ok....kind of like a flat port hole on a tapered boat hull....doesn't look out of place, just flat...the / any space can be filled with trim...JMHO.....I think you'd be surprised at how it would look.....

and most cops are good people doing a very unpopular job...a few bad apples spoil the barrel....for the most part, we're just average guys....and gals...sorry
Click to expand...

I think I'm going to try a mock up version of your idea. To see how it looks. It just might be worth the effort of reworking the metal now rather then struggle to a point of rediculious frustration.

And really, no need to apologize. We owe our free and safe country to people serving our communities despite their sour reputation. Crappy job but someone's gotta do it.
 

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