During our last trip to Hot Rods by Dean (HRBD) in Phoenix, the progress on Project Shop Truck took a couple more steps forward with the installation of the windshield and rear glass and rubber, and a windshield wiper kit.
Project Shop Truck, as you know, is STREET RODDER's '47 Chevy project pickup, with work being done at HRBD and progress being recorded right here on these pages. The buildup is unusual in that our nostalgia-style '47 Chevy pickup is being built entirely from readily available aftermarket components. Many of the parts, including the wiper kit, came from Chevs of the 40's.
Cutting and installing glass is a specialized skill, which is why rod shops bring in skilled specialists to do it. HRBD relies on Bell Glass Company, located in Phoenix, for many of their project vehicles.
Rich Williams, from Bell Glass, along with his brother and father, has been doing this for 30 years, and installed the two-piece windshield and rear glass on our '47 Chevy, using glass from JR Distributor International and rubber from SoffSeal.
The first step in installing...
The first step in installing the windshield was working the rubber gasket over the edge of the glass, maintaining tension around the perimeter to ensure a good seal. This requires a little more effort on a two-piece windshield, but not much.
This hook tool was helpful...
This hook tool was helpful for fitting the glass inside the rubber molding. Rich Williams also used it when he installed the rear glass.
Rich used the hook tool to...
Rich used the hook tool to work a length of rope into the channels between the rubber and the glass on both sides of the windshield. The excess rope was taped to the glass to keep it out of the way.
Charlie Sullens and Jonathan...
Charlie Sullens and Jonathan Williams (no relation) from HRBD pressed the windshield into place while Rich pulled the rope from the inside of the truck. As the rope is pulled out around the perimeter, it pulls the rubber channel over the lip of the frame.
Rich took the hook tool to...
Rich took the hook tool to the outside of the rubber gasket to make sure he had a proper fit on the exterior.
The corner windows of a five-window...
The corner windows of a five-window truck add more work and are a bit trickier because of the compound curves. This glass was installed in the opposite manner from the windshield. The rubber window gasket was installed first and the glass was worked into the rubber. A few shots of silicone lubricant around the rubber molding made this process easier.
There was a lot of careful...
There was a lot of careful pounding and finessing involved, and Rich's hook tool was really paying off. "The guys who did this in the old days were true craftsmen," Rich says. Same goes for the guys who do it now.
A separate piece of rubber...
A separate piece of rubber locking bead fits in the crease between the rubber gasket and the glass to secure the corner window in place. Rich used a small tool with a ringed end to work the locking strip into the crease.
The rear window was added...
The rear window was added the same way as the corner glass: rubber first, then glass. Repro bodies, believe it or not, are not always perfect and sometimes the windows are not a precise fit.
This rear glass was a little...
This rear glass was a little too tall. Rich took it back to Bell Glass for some grinding and when he brought it back it was just right.
Since we have a windshield,...
Since we have a windshield, we figured we should have windshield wipers. Our New Port Engineering wiper kit from Chevs of the 40's includes this 12-volt wiper motor, which offers two-speed with park.
Jonathan at HRBD mounted the...
Jonathan at HRBD mounted the motor underneath the pickup dash out of the way of the heater hoses and yet-to-be-installed gauges.
The motor comes wired to the...
The motor comes wired to the control knob, which was mounted in the center of the upper dash, where we won't have to hunt for it.
Looking up from underneath...
Looking up from underneath the dash, you can see where the linkage arm-which moves laterally to control the wiper arm movement-is mounted on the underside of the cowl. You can also see one of the wiper transmission assemblies (arrow) extending through the sheetmetal.
Right to left, here is the...
Right to left, here is the uninstalled transmission assembly, the chrome transmission bezel, and the octagonal nut that holds the bezel in place.
Installing the wiper arms...
Installing the wiper arms is a simple matter of pressing them onto the splined ends of the transmissions.
With the arms and blades in...
With the arms and blades in place, all that's left to do is wire the system to power and ground, finish the rest of Project Shop Truck, and hope for rain.