Finally, my build thread..

[57 imposter]

Your thread takes me back. these things are a long road. Glad i'm down mine and it looks like you can see the end of yours. anyone who hasn't done one cannot appreciate what it takes to get where you are. Nice job, it looks really good!

[JPotter57]

You are definitely right about that. Most people see these things being built in 7 days like on Overhauling, or in a couple weeks like on Fast and Loud, and think anyone can do it.  It takes a lot of time, work, money, dedication to bring one from a basket case with most of the basket missing, to a finished, or even a running, driving car.Now that I can see the end, I am even more anxious to get after it...Photos soon.

[RICH MUISE]

Anxious to see it in color. Glad you decided on the red, although yellow would have been good also. Somehow you're filling the void for another red car I felt I left when I decided to go silver, lol.

[Ford Blue blood]

I didn't know cars came in any other color then red........

[JPotter57]

I like your attitude there,  Bill, lol..

[JPotter57]

Ordered my side glass today, in smoke..Will pick it up on Friday, and put away until my doors are painted in a couple weeks.  Then will have to get my anti-rattlers, glass runs, etc.  Any suggestions on setting the glass in the window channels?  What secures it?  What are the correct measurements as to where the channel installs to the glass?  My original glass was all broken out, so I have no reference points.  Finally, how does the vent wing glass seat into the frame?  My last 57 had all new glass already mounted so I didnt have to mess with any of it.  And Rich, I know you're reading this:  How did you take up the extra space with your Carpenter 1/4 window seals?  I remember you complaining about the poor fit of the rubber around the rear of the glass.  Let me know so I can bypass that trouble.  If the weather cooperates, I will be putting the color onto the body soon.  I need to roll it out, blow it off real good, wash it again, and get it done.  The weather here has been loopy the past couple weeks, so I will just have to wait for it.  Everything is ready, except the weather, lol.

[lalessi1]

James where did you get your glass? I will be following the glass install, I would like the fixed rear windows as well... Man you are right about the weather, yesterday was crazy... we got a little rain, no wind, a couple of lightening bolts while 10 miles away a tornado hit a gym and a few other businesses and about 40 miles away another tornado hit a trailer park and killed at least 2 folks. I know that front passed your way....

The glass is held in with "glass tape" and simply pressed in the channel, I would have to get mine out. Silicone might be better..

[JPotter57]

I had mine cut at a local glass place here, Larossa Hardware and Glass...All 6 side glass pieces cut and polished edges for 179.00 plus tax..  I just dropped off my templates yesterday, they called today to let me know they were ready.  I got the smoke tint.  I started to get the factory green tint, but wasnt sure how it would look with the red.   Going to pick it up this afternoon.

[JPotter57]

The glass looks awesome, and I cant wait to get it installed.  I also ordered all the remaining stuff to assemble my doors last night...$210 for the fuzzies, the window runs, some glass setting tape, and the vent window rear seals, the small ones.  Wow, the little stuff adds up quickly.

[RICH MUISE]

reporting in from Phoenix.......lol, I'll try to answer some of your questions before I have to leave for the day.
The wing window glass......set the glass in the frame, and cut some very small spacers to keep the glass centered in the channel,making sure the spacers can be pushed in and covered with the sealant. then just squeeze in sealant both side all around and let it set up overnight. Trimming carefully with a xacto knife after it sets up. You can just let it get messy and not worry about it until after it has set up....the excess cleans off easily.
the fixed window rear quarter......gets a little involved, I'll have to come back to this tonight or tommorrow...but, I've got to ask...did you get the brackets from John Gambil for the back window, and if not, what did you use for a template for the glass? The glass is different sedan to business sedan.
I set my glass in the channel with adhesive sealant...The glass was so tight with the glass tape  in the new glass channels on the electric windows I was installing, I was worried about breaking the glass, so I went with the sealant and glued them in. I'm pretty sure I gave my old glass away with the brackets still attached, or I could answer the question about where they mount.

[RICH MUISE]

James..the rear quarter windows. They are a pain, but I believe can be done right. As mentioned, the glass grove is too wide. That seems to be everybody's opinion except Dennis Carpenter's.
Mine will be redone at a later date. I did not get them in as good as I believe I can, but finally gave in to "good enough for now".
What I did was to use a glass edging that the glass companies use for 1/4 shower door installation into the alum. frames. I trimmed it short, so it wouldn't show, figuring I'd fill it with sealant. That didn't work so well in the actual final installation. Trying to fill that gap with something as fluid as sealant just doesn't work well.
My next attempt will be to use a product I wasn't aware of when I did the glass install. 3M makes a thick rubber tape with a strong enough adhesive I would think will stick to glass no problem. I'll try it when I get home to Texas, but I'm thinking filling that space with something solid should work better than the too-fluid sealant. Anyway. The edging I talked about I have used will be replaced with a layer or two of the rubber tape the full depth of the seal's groove. I got that tape a Lowe's or Home depot in the electrical dept. I'll get a pn for it when I get home.
Glass pattern.....when I got my glass brackets from Gambil, I had the glass cut to the template he supplied. What I found out, at least in my opinion, was the corner radiuses on the template were too big, so that the glass was not pushing the seal into the corners of the body. I built up the corners of the glass using GOOP, so I was adding maybe 1/4" of material. That worked good as far as pushing the seal into the corners tightly. I talked to John a few years ago about it, and he said he had a similar problem, so was going to change the template. I don't know if he did, something to check when your doing a dry test fit.

[JPotter57]

I got the kit from John, but made my own template from the top of an oem glass, with the amount John specified removed from the bottom. I then fitted my template to my car to make sure it was right.  Fit the rubber ok, but you can tell where it is going to be a pain, so I bought a roll of glass tape for that.  I will tackle that as soon as my quarters are painted, hopefully three weeks from today, my car will be completely painted.  WIfe and all kids are going on a road trip to retrieve some heirloom furniture and visit friends for a couple weeks, and I plan to pull several midnite shifts in the garage, as well as some all nighters on the weekend nights.  Should have some progress photos very soon.

[JPotter57]

As most of you know, everything changed with my job about 2 days after I made this post.  Still presently unemployed, waiting for the call back from work which should be Monday, next monday at the latest.  If it doesnt pan out, I will probably start beating the ground for a career change.  At any rate, the planned trip for my wife and kids was greatly abbreviated, lasting only 2 days, and I was gone during it, so no work was done on the car.  However, I did finally get some paint on it.  will post the pics when I get them off my phone.  The red looks awesome, and as soon as I am finished with the quarters, etc, I will start installing the headliner, glass, etc.  In the meantime, I loaded up a bunch of stuff to take to the Columbus Spring Swap, in hopes originally of buying a bunch of parts for my car, but instead, holding the proceeds in hopes of being able to wait out the contract difficulties a little longer.  As everyone knows, the swap meet sales are slow, lots of people walking around, no one really buying anything.  Bargains were commonplace, for instance, I was able to buy an NOS day night mirror, in the FoMoCo box, for a 58 Thunderbird, will bolt in to my 57, for $20.   Found a scattershield for my FE which typically sells for 350 and up, with the plate, for 150.  If sellers were willing to deal, they did ok.  I made enough to pay for my trip, gas, hotel, food, etc, plus buy a couple choice parts, and come home with a little under 800, so I was happy with that.  Now that I have some paint on the car, apparently rainy weather has set in, and has rained hard for three days now.  Eventually, I will get to paint a little more, still have trunk lid, doors, fenders and hood to go.  Will have to order more paint, as I wasted a 1/3 of a gallon of mixed paint, the roof had to be redone, plus the waste from that.  Lesson learned.  Dont mix more than you will use in a session.  I also need to replace my respirator., the elastic has stretched out, and it  is becoming unsafe.  Before I spray anything else, I will be replacing it.  I still have some work to do on my passenger front fender, but it is almost there.  Also have to get my hinges sandblasted and check to make sure they;re both good.  I am certain that my passenger side upper and lower are good, the drivers, I may need to rebuild.  Then, the final blocking on the doors, after which I can install the seals and hang them for the last time.  It is finally about to look like a car again for the first time in the 8 years I have owned it.  As soon as I get my pics off my phone I will post one or two.

[Jeff Norwell]

James...Completely understand about Job uncertainty!.... happens with me...weekly!
Don't stress,it will all work out.
Yea... get some pics of the car here.... need some eye candy.

[JPotter57]

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