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PostPosted: June 25, 2016, 7:04 pm 
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The windshield starts off with a 58" width.& cut it down to 41"
I have bought 3 windshields and tried cutting numerous different ways. The first thing I learned is if the two pieces of glass that are glued together aren't the same shape and their is stress in it there's no way of cutting it without it cracking. I finally ended up getting a water jet company to cut it & still had it crack.
The next time I'm going to build a 2×4 support structure so the glass has no stress at the end of the cut.
So far it's cost me $600 or so and still have a cracked windshield.


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PostPosted: June 25, 2016, 11:39 pm 
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Now THAT is good to know. Thanks!

But the measurement I was looking for was not the width (it will assuredly be too wide for my car too) but the angle from hood to the top edge, and the height from the base to top of the glass. i want to get an idea how high this will put the top of the glass, and how far forward I'd need to put a cross brace.

Good information either way, but with your input, maybe I will go back and reconsider the Porsche speedster or corvette glass. Did you ever get measurements (in this case width) for any of these?

Thanks again!
Terry

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PostPosted: June 26, 2016, 1:41 pm 
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As my great-uncle Debbink said about being the master Carpenter for building a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Milwaukee "there isn't a 90 degree angle in the place."
some rough mesurements are 1 3/4"-curve of the scuttle.
10 1/2" tall on top of the above mesurement.
15" long ( front of windshield to a plumb bob line down from rearmost of windsheld )
Of course rocking it forward or back changes all the dimensions


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PostPosted: June 26, 2016, 2:02 pm 
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Thanks, vey helpful.

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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 1:46 am 
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Digging through my memory I recalled the perfect windshield for small cars needing curved glass.
I remembered them because I used to have one of the cars they come from.
1959/60 Simca.
Image
Unfortunately I have not found a source for them and suspect they will be expensive if found.
Unless some one knows of a stash in an old Chrysler dealership or warehouse?

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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 9:32 am 
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mkejim wrote:
The windshield starts off with a 58" width.& cut it down to 41"
I have bought 3 windshields and tried cutting numerous different ways. The first thing I learned is if the two pieces of glass that are glued together aren't the same shape and their is stress in it there's no way of cutting it without it cracking. I finally ended up getting a water jet company to cut it & still had it crack.
The next time I'm going to build a 2×4 support structure so the glass has no stress at the end of the cut.
So far it's cost me $600 or so and still have a cracked windshield.

Even when done right it can still be wrong; years ago someone at work bought a brand new $60K Caterham so I checked it out. The windshield glass follows the curve of the cowl at the bottom corners, tapering to points. You can imagine the stress on even a flat windscreen with teardrop corners and sure enough, one had already cracked about 2" from the corner - on a band new car.

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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 12:54 pm 
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So let's share some brain dump here on the windshield. I'm seen totally custom windshields (where you basically make a fiberglass mock up of the thing and send it to them to fabricate) for $5-10k. Not very "locost".

I'm keeping a list, checking it twice, on glass that I can find (Simca would be great, but even Google can't find it), on possible donors. Note, I'm using pictures online for these guesses:

48" x 24" sheet of flat windshield glass, Speedway auto, $219.00

1940 1941 1942 1946 1947 Ford truck -- 2 piece, flat, split window.
1937-1952 had lots of Ford vehicles w/ split glass.
1957 1958 1959 1960 Ford Truck -- 1 piece, nice side curves

1954-1955-1956-BUICK-OLDSMOBILE -- 1 piece, nice side curves, but expensive and would have to split.
1947-53 GM Pickup Truck -- flat, split window
1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 GM pickup truck -- one piece, nice side curves
1960 1961 1962 1963 CHEVROLET GMC TRUCK -- one piece, nice side curves

Spridget, with 2" or so chopped off of the top (looking at the MG forums to see those). Looks fairly flat, for better / worse.

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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 1:06 pm 
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There's a lot to be said for an aerodynamic OEM curved windscreen but the reality is that they just aren't out there in the sizes we need. As a data point, I bought two flat windscreens, waterjet-cut to size and shipped for roughly $100 each.

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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 2:34 pm 
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Don't forget to look at glass originally intended for the Rear window!

For my Dio Tipo project I'm probably using a Triumph Spitfire/GT6 windshield.
Not as much curve but the width is good (No cutting!) and cost is only $109.00 new.
I have a couple of used ones for practice making custom frames.
The original frame is also easy to mount and is made to take a convertible top header bow.

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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 2:43 pm 
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RichardSIA wrote:
Don't forget to look at glass originally intended for the Rear window!


The only problem I see with that is that the front wind screen must be auto safely laminated glass, DOT approved. And I think that most rear windows are tempered glass?

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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 4:46 pm 
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many family glass shops can MAKE a flat laminated safety glass windshield based on your template. FYI, I had mine made locally and installed for ~ $60, 6 or 7 years ago. I even has them etch the required ASTM rating in the glass. Inflation has been low these last few years. I can't imagine it being over 100 and may be quite lower. As for curved glass....... I have no idea.

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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 6:08 pm 
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rx7locost wrote:
As for curved glass....... I have no idea.


What I saw online for the curved stuff started around $5k and required you to make a rigid plug (same as if you'd be doing fiberglass bits?) that the vendor could use for a pattern. The vendor basically replicates what you sent 'em in steel so they can then heat up glass and have it contour to the shape.

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PostPosted: October 3, 2016, 5:33 am 
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Two more windshields that should work well.

1992 Ginetta G33.
Not that old and Ginetta are still in business IF you can get past their front page to inquire.
Maybe some of our UK folk can help?

FIAT 1955 - 1958 1100/1200 TV
Just about perfect and even readily available, a bit expensive at around $1100.00
I believe it's #GS-1500-021
"This windshield has a 38 cm height in the center and 114.5 cm width from end to end."

I've asked the retailer if the price might come down with a quantity purchase?
Other links for the FIAT glass.
On sale, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fiat-1100-TV-Wi ... 4833bd9518
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fiat-1200-TV-Tr ... 0109529335
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fiat-1100-TV-Wi ... 4833bd9518

Some folk might like the Porsche 906 glass, Pilkington # A2119

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PostPosted: October 3, 2016, 9:13 am 
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rx7locost wrote:
many family glass shops can MAKE a flat laminated safety glass windshield based on your template. FYI, I had mine made locally and installed for ~ $60, 6 or 7 years ago. I even has them etch the required ASTM rating in the glass. Inflation has been low these last few years. I can't imagine it being over 100 and may be quite lower. As for curved glass....... I have no idea.

AFAIK, they just cut the desired shape from commercially available flat laminated safety glass, if that's what you mean by "make." The Sanders glass place in Vancouver BC uses a water jet and shipped mine for about $100. As for you guys trying to find curved glass windshields in the right size, good luck. As is being found, the only glass out that that'll fit our tiny cars will be from oddball European models that were never imported to the US. Possible to get the glass, yes, easy or cheap, no. Personally, if I ran into this I'd redesign the car around flat glass, but that's just me.

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PostPosted: October 3, 2016, 11:13 am 
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There may be a compromise here. Mkejim used a pickup windshield that he cut in half himself, but he had a little trouble doing so. If one picked out a curved windshield, a glass shop that cut cut the safety glass with a water jet could perhaps do a good job of taking a piece out of the middle of the windshield. They might even be able to do other things if you built a jig to hold the glass the right way.

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