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One-piece Side Windows for Sedans - Coupe TrickOne-piece side windows to make sedans look sleeker From the October, 2011 issue of Street Rodder By Pat Ganahl
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In this fine example of a... In this fine example of a mild custom shoebox sedan, the owner opted not only for one-piece glass in the rear quarters, but also in the doors, plus a dark smoke tint. Smooth. In my case, I’ve kept the vent windows in lieu of A/C, and clear glass to show off the tuck ’n’ roll that comes next. Hot rodders prefer coupes. (Editor’s note: I knew it wouldn’t take long for Pat and I to disagree. Hot Rodders prefer highboy roadsters!) They’re smaller, lighter, quicker, more intimate, and sportier than sedans. Well, yes, earlier sedans like A’s, Deuces, and ’34s—especially with chopped tops—do make good rod material, but it’s the later, fatter, and especially boxier sedans that rodders and customizers tend to eschew. Such sedans too often have the word “family” tacked in front. The mild but effective transformation shown here applies to ’49-51 shoebox Fords. During these years the difference between a coupe and a sedan is that the former had a slightly shorter roof and one-piece rear side windows. Changing the sedan’s roof is not practical; changing the windows is not only relatively simple, but it really gives the family sedan a much cleaner look. In the case of my ’50 Ford Tudor, all the side glass needed replacing and the run channels were worn out anyway, so making the switch actually simplified the operation. The two-piece arrangement... The two-piece arrangement allows the front portion to roll down, which is practical if you’re hauling a family, but it looks clunky. Though this modification is being performed on a Ford, you’ll find that many ’50s sedans (two- and four-door), have a similar two-piece rear quarter-window arrangement (to allow the roll-down part to clear the rear wheelwell), and can be converted to one-piece glass in the same way. The basic operation can also be used on many ’40s-50s sedans with chopped tops. I had been planning this modification since I acquired this “family” car from my son, Bill, a couple years ago, and discussed doing it with Mike Cox at The Glass House in San Dimas, California, who has done all my custom glass work for years. My big surprise, when I finally got the car painted and ready for new glass, is that Cox didn’t answer the phone, Carson Hobson did. From the inside, you can see... From the inside, you can see that the wheelwell wouldn’t allow a full window to roll down all the way. On the Ford, the riser mechanism is attached to a screw-in panel, which makes removing the windows, channels, and crank assembly easy. Little did I know Cox was planning to retire and move to Arizona. Well, he did, and he ceded the entire Glass House business, including all his rare, early glass patterns and the several mail-order kits and accessories that he has offered to the much younger but just as talented Hobson who has been running his own similar business, called Street Rod Glass, in Riverside, California, since 1999. This made a somewhat longer drive for me to get all my glass installed and take these pictures, but the good news is that Hobson does the majority of his work mail-order, to wherever you live. If it’s standard glass you need for an early rod, custom, or restoration, he can cut it to fit from his numerous vintage patterns, preferably in tempered glass, and either in clear or in various tints. For custom glass (shown here), Hobson suggests you measure the perimeter of your window opening, then order the felt and/or rubber channel you need to fit it (which he ships in a tube). When it arrives, cut a pattern out of 1/4-inch Masonite, and then trim it to fit the opening tightly with the channel fitted in place. Make sure this pattern fits both sides of the car (mine differed by 1/4-inch—fit the smaller opening). Then you can simply trace around this Masonite pattern onto a large piece of butcher paper, which you can roll or fold up and send to Hobson to cut your glass to fit. He’ll send the glass back in flat, reinforced cardboard cartons. So that’s it. The Glass House and Street Rod Glass are now one, offering the same products you’ve seen advertised here for years, replacement mail-order glass for early rods or restorations, and even custom glass cut to fit—as shown here—as long as you can supply them with an accurate pattern. And the work is as good as ever. I can vouch for that.  The next step is to paint...  The next step is to paint the car, which should be done with the glass and trim removed.  Assuming you’re removing the...  Assuming you’re removing the glass to paint the car properly, you also need to remove these stainless trim strips, both to sand underneath them and to polish them. After sliding the one retaining clip out of the way, pull them out very slowly and carefully, so as not to bend or kink them.  With the glass and channel...  With the glass and channel removed, you’ll see there’s a 3/4-inch-wide gap where the roll-down part used to be. This needs to be filled with something for the new stationary glass to rest on. The vertical lip at the top of the dark black screw-in panel must be retained because the inner window frame slips over this to hold it in place.  To fill the gap and make a...  To fill the gap and make a ledge for the glass, I cut a piece of 1-1/8x1/8-inch steel strap to fit, and drilled it and the panel for four # 10 machine screws with nuts. Note that the screw-in Ford panel has elongated holes to allow some up-and-down adjustment to align this ledge.  Hobson taped the paint for...  Hobson taped the paint for protection before carefully fitting the trim stainless into place, again being very careful not to kink it in the corners.  Slide the clip onto one end...  Slide the clip onto one end of the molding before fitting it in place. Then, with the two ends aligned, slide the clip over them. Don’t try to snap the clip over the molding.  Measuring the length of the...  Measuring the length of the overall opening, he cut the glass slightly longer.  If you’re doing this at home,...  If you’re doing this at home, we recommend using 1/4-inch Masonite (or plywood) to make your pattern. “But,” says Hobson, “I can cut glass easier and quicker than wood.” So he uses a piece of untempered, unlaminated glass to make his pattern, starting by tracing around the roll-up section of the original window.  Another advantage of making...  Another advantage of making the pattern from glass is that, holding the partially cut piece up to the opening (using the large suction cup to help move it), he can see through it to trace right along the window opening edge with a China marker. If you’re using Masonite, have someone hold it on the inside while you trace around the inner lip of the edge from the outside.  Given the channel he’ll use...  Given the channel he’ll use around the glass, Hobson cut the template about 1/8-inch smaller than the opening, making sure it fit both sides of the car. Note how the shape at the rear corner differs from the rounded original.  Satisfied with the fit of...  Satisfied with the fit of the template, he uses it to trace the shape, with the China marker, twice onto a sheet of clear laminated window glass. Tempered, single-panel auto glass is stronger, which resists scratching or cracking, but the tempering process (done in large ovens somewhere else) takes a couple extra days, after it’s cut and sanded to fit. I decided to use clear laminated glass, since that’s what the Ford had originally, and it could be cut and fit in a day.  With the rubber channel in...  With the rubber channel in place at the bottom, Hobson fit the new glass into the opening, and marked areas where it needed further trimming to give a 1/8-inch gap all around to allow for the felt channel.  Cutting laminated glass takes...  Cutting laminated glass takes a lot more work, since it must be scribed with the cutter on both sides, on exactly the same line, then cracked apart, and then lit on fire with alcohol to melt the laminating glue.  Since cut glass is actually...  Since cut glass is actually broken, it leaves a somewhat rough, sharp edge that must be smoothed on this large, water-fed belt sander. This process also allows Hobson to “trim” the edges to the exact size for a tight fit.  Fixed quarter windows in ’50...  Fixed quarter windows in ’50 Ford coupes are held in place by one-piece rubber moldings. But we couldn’t find anything comparable available by the foot that would fit the gap in the sedan. So we decided to use stainless-beaded U-channel around the top, the same as used on the original roll-up portion, along with matching beaded “scrapers” at the bottom. But to keep the glass from sitting directly on the metal ledge, Hobson added a strip of 1/4x7/16-inch universal rubber U-channel along the bottom edge.  The U-shaped, felt-lined run...  The U-shaped, felt-lined run channel is available with or without stainless beading on both sides. Most cars use the classier stainless-lined type (center), with matching single-sided “scrapers” or “fuzz strips” (right).  Bending the U-channel without...  Bending the U-channel without kinking or twisting it takes as much practice as cutting glass. Hobson shares his secret for making an even 90-degree bend—a handy spray can.  After a little measuring and...  After a little measuring and eyeballing, Hobson fits the U-channel into the opening, trimming the ends with tin-snips until it fits tightly.  With one scraper shaped, cut,...  With one scraper shaped, cut, and trimmed to fit, Hobson makes a second, in mirror image, on the table to fit on the inner window frame. Do this for both sides of the car.  Two felt scrapers are used....  Two felt scrapers are used. One fits on the lower inside edge of the car body’s window opening (and, in this case, over the inside edge of the stainless trim). The other is attached to the lower inside edge of the interior window frame. After a piece is cut slightly longer than needed, the ends are carefully hand-bent to match the corners, as shown, and then Hobson marks it for exact cutting.  We’ve seen installers glue...  We’ve seen installers glue fuzz strips in place, usually with impermanent results. We strongly recommend small, countersunk, sheetmetal screws, about 6 inches apart. This requires drilling slightly smaller holes through the body lip and the inside edge of the stainless trim. The piece of blue tape on the drill bit is a “stop” to keep it from hitting the outside of the trim, which would cause an ugly dimple.  The end of the scrapers are...  The end of the scrapers are cut so the fuzzy part abuts the U-channel, but about 1/2 inch of the stainless bead is left, then flattened with smooth-face pliers so it will tuck behind the U-channel.  Hold the scraper in place...  Hold the scraper in place and use an awl to punch corresponding holes through the “fuzz.” Hobson uses No. 6-3/8-inch screws with No. 4 Phillips heads. Screw them in until the head is buried in the fuzz, but again be very careful they don’t hit, and dent, the stainless on the outside.  With the wipers screwed in...  With the wipers screwed in place, and the glass cut and trimmed, Carson installs the lower rubber and upper felt-lined U-channel on the window glass, then test-fits this complete assembly in the window opening to make sure it fits properly.  This close-up shows how the...  This close-up shows how the end of the scraper is cut, trimmed, and pinched to fit against the U-channel bead. You can also see how the head of the attaching screw hides down in the “fuzz,” where it won’t touch the glass. To further conceal it, Hobson dabs the screw head with a black marker.  The fit was so snug, the inner...  The fit was so snug, the inner window frame would have held everything in place. But to be doubly sure, Hobson ran a bead of 3M Super Weatherstrip adhesive around the top and sides of the window-opening channel, then pressed the glass and U-channel assembly firmly in place.  The window frame will have...  The window frame will have to come back out to install the headliner and upholstery, so it’s temporarily attached with a couple of screws. You can see how it fits perfectly to the beaded edge of the U-channel on the glass, complemented by the bead on the scraper attached to the frame. The installed window frame sandwiches everything in place.  The last step is to attach...  The last step is to attach the already-formed scraper to the lower inside edge of the window frame (aka the garnish molding).  The finished product gives...  The finished product gives the sedan a cleaner appearance, and the stainless-beaded fuzz channels around the glass look better than the coupe’s rubber moldings, and they match the door windows.
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