Any tips for replacing the old non-safety glass windshield glass in my 1915 Runabout? Looks like i have to take the windshield off and remove the glass from each section first. Can this be done and preserve the brass windshield channel or do i need to have a replacement windshield channel kit on hand? Any words of wisdom from the experienced is appreciated.
If you have the old glass you can bring it to the glass company as a pattern. While the brass channel is out is a great time to polish it. The new glass is 1/4" thick, same as the old glass. You need to lube up the brass channel with some Vaseline before installing it. Clean up afterwards with isopropyl alcohol.
what is the trick to get the old glass and window channel out without having to break the glass or damage the window channel?
Patience and perseverance. The upper frame is pretty easy. The lower part is also easy if separate from the car. Bolted to the car makes the lower part hard to pull apart from the glass / channel.
Squirt some WD40 or other spray lube around the area of the channel and glass. Generally the channel comes out with the glass. Then you peel the channel off the glass.
Thanks for the reply! great advice on how to get the glass and channel out. i am going to take the windshield off the car. thanks again.
The parts houses advertise a filler block for the windshield. what is that used for? BTW, i finally got around to removing my windshield and the glass. the lower glass retainers put up a fight due to rusty screws. one finally came out, the other broke off in the windshield frame. uhg. i guess i have a drill and tap exercise in front of me now. the glass and channel came out okay. on to the top section tomorrow.
-David
The filler blocks are tapped to accept the windshield hinge screws.
So the project is started, glass out of the lower half. brass channel not in great shape, and also rust in the channel. considering a new lower frame. vendors state they are a 3 piece lower frame that requires rivets. i don’t see that on the frame i have. need help understanding the lower half 3 pieces and how difficult it is to rivet them together. still may be able to clean up the rust.
I would try calling Mark at Model T Haven to see if he has a used lower windshield frame from a 1915- 1917 touring or roadster that is in better shape. The repro stuff is just not quite right.
I thought the original glass was 3/16".
No it is 1/4” Larry.
I need some help from you experienced T guys on my 1915 Runabout windshield. I started down this project to replace the glass, and found the frame to be rusted nearly through in quite a few places. After debating, I decided to order a new windshield replacement from one of our prominent parts houses. To my surprise, the lower half came in 3 pieces. As I previously posted, the lower frame I have is just one piece, with nice angled, welded corners. it attaches to the car with 2 screws on each side throught the bracket on the car and into the frame filler blocks. It does not appear that this new frame will work with my attach brackets on the car. Now for the upper half. Identical match with the frame, however, the holes for the hinge screws to filler blocks are too high on the frame (or i don’t have the right hinges). Refer again back to my previous posts with pictures. Do i have a different model windshield frame, aftermarket frame, what? Is this even correct for a 1915 open car? If I go by the new parts I just got, I need different hinges and mounting brackets on the car that the lower frame will rivet to.
HELP! I can get some pictures of the car brackets tomorrow.
Thanks in advance,
David
I got my questions answered. It appears i have a 1918 windshield on my 1915. Correct hinges, but the lower frame and mounts to car are not 1915, they are '17-28. Need to decide now if i replace the frames with a 1918 stuff or try to find correct mounts for the car. hinge holes on the new upper frame are still not right, as they are for the “unequal” length hinges with a longer upper part. my hinges are equal, upper and lower.
Thanks,
David
Mark Freimiller probably has a correct original 1915 - 1916 lower windshield frame with brackets. Most of the reproduction windshield parts are very poor quality.
What is it about the reproduction windshield frames that is poor quality?
So far as I know there are none that are made like the originals.
Shame upon me for not reading this forum often enough the past couple years! I seem to have missed this one.
Doing my occasional looksee and came along to find this thread.
The 1915/'16 and earliest 1917s had the lower windshield frame riveted to the cowl brackets (front to back direction), not screwed in from the sides. Those earlier brackets were also different from the mid 1917 and later ones in how the oil lamp brackets were cast into place.
The windshield frame for my 1915 runabout had been “partially restored” before I got it. Parts of it were actual early pieces, like the upper frame and part of the lower frame. But the lower frame turned out to be badly rusted out, I welded and patched, and filled, and primed over. I had to cut out a couple of the worst areas, and brazed in a couple pieces out of an even worse frame I had only part of. I added brazed in splints inside the frame’s tubing out of sight for greater strength. After all that, I re-riveted the repaired and painted frame back into the original early style cowl brackets.
It was a lot of work, but now it looks nice and should be strong enough to last longer than I will!