windshield information

[64longroof]

I hope this information saves someone a lot of time. After much searching, and calling people at Pilkingtons, I have concluded that a search for an American-made repro windshield for the 66/earlier is futile. From what I have gathered, and assuming these vendors know what they are talking about, vintage car windows are all coming out of China or Mexico.

I just picked up a windshield for my 64 wagon. It was at the Louisville Swap meet in October, and I could inspect the product. It is as thick as the original, rear windshield of another A body I had. It does not have any waviness to the glass. The tint is not too dark. I have not tried to install it yet.

I had hoped for a clear windshield, but found none as repros, and only this one:
Good Morning Chris,
Re: 1964-66 Dodge Dart..All Models.
Note: When we reproduce all windshields, the demand for clear windshields is almost nil.
We reproduce what the majority demands and is eiter green tint or tint/shaded.

We can offer you the following:
New reproduction: Standard green tint W/Dark band across the top (Tint/Shaded) $299.00 + Frt
NOS Clear W/PPg Logo $468.00
Note: There is a 1/2" Slight separation at the bottom ,which will br covered by the gasket
We have one in stock

PM me if you want the contact information for the above, or for the vendor that I finally got one from.

 

[66Dvert]

Note: There is a 1/2" Slight separation at the bottom ,which will br covered by the gasket
We have one in stock

this gives me a problem. I worked in a glass plant and on all the lines in there (McGraw glass detroit michigan)that made all mopar windshields and if there is any separation in the front windshield (we scrapped it)it will de laminate there sooner and fog up. try and get a piece that has no separations or if you get shipped one reject it for a flaw(i've seen them fog up in less than a year). With the current state of windshield technology even dinky plants in china should be able to make a decent product give good spec's.

 

[64longroof]

I'd think sealing up the edges would prevent oxygen getting in, and fogging, no?

While you are here, how are the factories today making repros of old windshields? Do they have to have an original as a pattern?

At the old factory you were at, did you start with flat glass and bend it, or is the glass molded with the curves, then laminated together?
Just curious.

 

[66Dvert]

I'd think sealing up the edges would prevent oxygen getting in, and fogging, no?

While you are here, how are the factories today making repros of old windshields? Do they have to have an original as a pattern?

At the old factory you were at, did you start with flat glass and bend it, or is the glass molded with the curves, then laminated together?
Just curious.

even sealing won't stop air from infiltrating the vinyl laminate and causing it to separate after a while, remember there's air in there already and if you seal the air in it'll expand and contract with the weather causing more damage.

I worked at the Chrysler MCGraw glass plant till 2003 (in 2004 they closed it)
actually they take an original and digitize it and make a (depending on the curvature) male and female mold that's modified for the differences that pressing and bending will do to the glass and then cooling. sometimes it's a long process to get the shape right. with older car windshields it's easier since there usually isn't much compound curvature,

yup starts out with flat glass, you cut an inner (smaller) and an outer larger piece. stack an inner and outer together run them through the furnace in rings shaped like the windshield you want to duplicate. let em cool in racks the n you separate the pieces and then add in the vinyl laminate stack them together and add a rubber sealing ring to hold them together then bond em. there are 2 or more ways to seal the glass/vinyl together. most common now is the autoclave. each
windshield after it has been put together (inner/vinyl/outer) goes into a chamber, the rubber sealing ring is hooked into a vacuum connection the air is sucked out and heat is applied to bond them together. vinyl goes into the chamber whitish, with or without the top tint band and comes out looking like a normal clear or tinted windshield.

I worked in both sides of the factory (laminating and tempering) you should have seen the fun we had trying to break 65 cuda rear lights or pretty any of the tempered pieces. them baby's were tough. We could break em easy if we hit them on the edge with a sharp rap or use a center punch. but any other way and we had a hard time breaking one you had to work too hard to make it worthwhile. (they would blow up if you umm hit them with "wet anything" when they just came out of the furnace though. hey you get bored sometimes). During company tours We would put one on a rubber mat on the ground and had a 300lbs plus guy jump on a tempered rear window and it just bounced his butt off and sprang back into shape. It was funny as hell watching the people scatter and then come back looking at the glass in one piece.

 

[64longroof]

That article deserves a THANKS.

A tempered window was springy enough to bounce a big guy off of it? Wow.

I lived on the east side around Mt Elliot and 7. There were endless little job shops like the one you worked at serving the big 3, and the 318 plant was around the corner, and Mt Elliot Stamping (CHrysler) was closer. A bit ironic that I went to a plater on Mt. Elliot to have my pot metal rechromed, not Mexico, for my 64 Dart.

 

[66Dvert]

That article deserves a THANKS.

A tempered window was springy enough to bounce a big guy off of it? Wow.

I lived on the east side around Mt Elliot and 7. There were endless little job shops like the one you worked at serving the big 3, and the 318 plant was around the corner, and Mt Elliot Stamping (CHrysler) was closer. A bit ironic that I went to a plater on Mt. Elliot to have my pot metal rechromed, not Mexico, for my 64 Dart.

yeah it was a trip fooling the tour people, "Osha people" came(some snitch called em in) in and caught us darnit. we all got 10 days off for that stunt. In the middle of summer no less, that was the first summer vacation I'd ever had! in 20 years due to my time there, when I retired from there with 30 years I still couldn't get a darn summer vacation. the 35-50 year seniority guys took all the summers months and THEN didn't go. (I went on that "10 day unpaid vacation" and found a place in florida ,our home now) so it couldn't have worked out better for me.
I worked at Wyoming and McGraw right on the border of Detroit and Dearborn. to bad the plant wasn't on the other side of the street that way I wouldn't have had to pay my 1 1/2 percent of my paycheck for the ahem! "joy" of working in Detroit for 30 years.

hmm couple (ok maybe more)
is the plater still in business?
how did you like the job?
is it still holding up?
how expensive was it for what you had done?
and last but not least what was the platers name?

I'm heading up there for the Dream Cruise next year and I'm staying with my son for a few weeks to finish off a car for a friend of mine (69 charger) that I should have done last year but ran out of time.
I just might have to bring some trim with me if he's any good and doesn't rob ya blind.