Fixed rear side window install

[lalessi1]

James, did you get your rear windows installed? I just had a spare rear window cut per the template, haven't started the install yet. If the glass looks like it will fit I am going to use it as a template for new tinted glass.

BTW, my template said remove 1.375". I spoke to Auto City Classic Glass, they use National Auto Glass Specifications templates and they list the same template for a Business Coupe and a 70A/70B. The guy said they don't show a 70D for 1957.

[gasman826]

I cheated and took my Custom to a trusted glass shop to install front, rear and quarter glass and cut the door and vent glass.  They are an old 'ma & pa' shop with no access to a national database for patterns.  I had to provide old door and vent glass for patterns.  I provided them with the template in the kit for the 70D quarter glass.  I picked up the car with the glass installed.  I asked if there were any issues.  The installer said no problem.

[lalessi1]

That's cheating!!!

[gasman826]

figured if they broke it they bought it

[RICH MUISE]

When I installed mine, I just couldn't see there was any way to not have some major puckering in the inside corners.....so, what did they do?

[gasman826]

Even experienced installers had a couple of small puckers.  It is very difficult to reproduce 'factory' installations.  I am NOT an experienced glass installer but I occasionally dealer installed sliding windows in pickups.  I soon found that I had a better job if I reused the OEM gasket rather than the new gasket included with the sliding window.  Was the OEM gasket better, had it already taken a set, was the factory installer better...any or all the above.  At this point, OEM gaskets are 60 years old and can't be reused, new OEM gaskets are scarce, new gaskets are likely from one source, and old, experienced installers are just about as scarce as NOS gaskets.  The first picture shows a slight pucker at the very tight radius of the quarter glass.  The second picture is the rear glass black spline as the finish trim and not using the stainless trim.  The corners did not lay flat.  Time and training has resolved these issues.  Like Rich, I used shims as well as glue and tape to train the puckers into submission or at least acceptable.

[RICH MUISE]

rear quarter glass: I got the outside of the corners to lay down pretty well, it was the inside I was asking/wondering about. In the long post I did , I outlined how I had to pie cut the seal on the inside in several places and glue it together.
I think the difference we're seeing between our results and the factory's 60 years ago is how Dennis Carpenter makes the fixed window seals from long extrusions just gluing the ends together, and the factory probably used molds in the shape of the glass. This would have produced left and right hand seals though, so maybe my thinking can be researched by checking to see if the oem part numbers had left and rights.

[lalessi1]

In the parts book I have I can't seem to find the fixed windows anywhere.

[RICH MUISE]

May be in the trim and sealant manual...I'll look later.
It is.........and it only shows one part number for the seals. That tells me no left and right, so couldn't have been molded to the shape of the window.....maybe Carpenter IS making them as oem.
The manual also calls for a sealant between the glass and the weatherstrip/seal and a sealing tape over the upright/top leg of the glass support before it's assembled.
That mentioned Body, Trim, and Sealant manual is imho even more useful than the owner's manual. and they are being reproduced.

[lalessi1]

Well today I got one side "installed" on a trial basis. I had an extra roll up glass cut down locally per the pattern with John's brackets. I cut a template matching the grove depth and used it to set the bracket depth accordingly.  Next I taped the gasket on the inside of the window and worked the rubber gasket into place around the frame with no lubricants or sealants of any kind from the outside. It went a lot better than I ever thought it would.

Once in...the glass slides front to back at least 1/4", but not up and down much. The gasket fit fairly well, but it would have fit A LOT better had the lower corner radii had been much smaller and the glass longer.

Conclusion: The pattern for the window is wrong. The shape for the roll up window is slightly smaller than the fixed window for clearance, the lower corners need to be sharper (the template says radius the glass with no specificity) to stretch the gasket to fit.

I will make a plywood template to trial fit before having a second glass cut.

[RICH MUISE]

At one time back a few years ago, I was emailing back and forth with John Gambil about the corner radii being too large, that the fit would be better if there was more glass left in the corners to push the rubber gasket in place against the outer body. I believe he said he would think about changing the pattern. If your pattern is new, as I think, it apparently never was changed.
back in my way too wordy post here, I mentioned I cut banana shaped filler pieces from 1/4 x 1/4 balsa wood to tuck in the corners.
Not sure if I agree on the "glass longer", based on what I found. I guess I'm thinking we're basically looking at a triangle, so if it's moving front to back, it should also move up and down??
I had alot of space under my glass that had to be filled with spacers (between the glass and seal), so in my case, an extra 1/4 of height would have been real good.
I do have my replacement seal for the passenger side received in now...just need to find time to get it done, and see if I have the same conclusion as before

[lalessi1]

I spent today making a new pattern, using 1/4" birch plywood. First, I mounted John's brackets high enough to make the depth of the ledge the same on all sides. Next I took a piece of card board and traced the outside edge on it, I added the depth of the channel on all sides and transferred it to the plywood. I wound up with a very snug fitting piece of plywood. Next I measured the thickness of the gasket between the glass edge and the channel and ledge, and then cut that amount off the perimeter. I then test installed the plywood with the gasket. I tweaked the pattern, sanding the edges to improve the fit and now I have a pattern for another piece of glass.

The gasket fits much better now. It is a bear to install but once in the pattern does not move up and down or side to side. The pattern wound up pretty close to the first piece of glass except it is roughly 1/4 longer and 1/8" taller (on the straight sides). I am not quite finished with the pattern but it is close. I will post pics when done.

[RICH MUISE]

Please do post your final height and length dimensions. It will be helpful for those ordering glass in the future, and I'll be able to compare your dimensions with my glass when I take my passenger side apart to install the new seal.

[JPotter57]

I finally got mine in, had to have the set recut, as the 1st ones just would not fit.  These ones may be a little small as they seem to fit a tad loose in the hole.  I am going to see how it goes.  Lynn, if your glass fits correctly, I may have a third set cutt off your template if you do not mind.  These were only 30 for the pair, so I can stand a $30 mistake if I have to.

[lalessi1]

I hope to come up with a good solid accurate template that all can share. I don't mind redoing the glass as well if need be. The plywood is a good first pass but it isn't glass. Will keep all posted!