I was messing around fitting the windshield om my roadster and for the first time i looked at the rubber for the windshield.
Does it sit flat on the body or slide into the groove on the frame?
Also how far up the posts should it go.
It looks as though it sits flat and the windshield sits on top of it although I've never paid much attention to them.
If it went in the groove it would have to be cut at a 45 Degree and then run up the posts.
Thanks for any help
Jeff
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Jeff Reid

The rubber is a "T" shaped extrusion is it not?

The T goes into the groove and the long straight piece sticks out.
You should have enough to go completely across the bottom of the windshield frame from one end of the notch to the other.
Same deal on the sides.
Go as far up and down as you can.

The lower piece hangs down and contacts the cowl eyebrow (raised portion at the rear of the cowl) overlapping the front side.
This so that water coming straight down off the windshield will run out onto the cowl and not back onto the dash if the rubber was on the other side.

Far as the side rubber goes, it helps in keeping the wind out - specially if you run a top and windwings - but it's main use is to keep water from flowing in between windshield post and windshield frame.

The only place I worried about water coming in on my 32 was the lower left and right corners of the windshield frame to cowl juncture.
It's open there, but if things got really tough a rag or similar stuffed in there should stop water flow.

Granted, it's a roadster and I have yet to drive it in a clouburst, but so far it's done well on an 80 mile trip in moderate rain.

The top helps, but even without the top, if you can keep the speeds up - should be easy on the highway - you'll find that even running topless the water pretty much stays out of the car.

I'd post some pics, but cannot.

C9
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C9

Once again C9, you give a answer that clears it all up.
It is exactly as you describe.
I've also got the gap along the right and left corner as you described.
Just one question though, you did have to cut it in the lower corners didn't you so it would make the corner.
Just on a side note,
going through my papers that I printed from the old RRT and 6 out of 7 of the threads I saved were from your posts about building a 32.
Thanks a bunch and if I ever meet up with you I'll buy the beer
Jeff

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Jeff Reid

Where can I find the notes about building a 32 that you are refering to? Also putting a Deuce highboy together and can use some guidance. Thanks Roger

You can't cut it in the corners so it will bend around the corner.
(Provided I understood your question correctly.)

I just went out and looked at my roadster and realized that if you cut the rubber at approximately a 45 degree angle - or more - you could but the ends together or better yet overlap them.
Probably best done to have the windshield frame laying flat on a table or bench when you do it and trim the excess lengths so as to overlap.

The way I did it and the way I see a lot of them done, the corners get cut at a 90 and you end up with a gap.

Granted, it is a roadster and by definition they're not much more than a rolling air leak and you're not really gonna get it completely sealed up, but the area in the corners is where water collects and due to airflow off windshield and cowl the water comes in there.
Really bad in heavy rain from what I understand.

I've seen the same thing when I spent the day driving the mountains as passenger in a friends new Truimph TR 4 I think it was.
During a heavy rainstorm.
Water came in the corners like nobody's business.
We did ok with rags stuffed in, but if you cut the rubber correctly in your roadster, that should take care of most of that problem.

Far as that beer goes........ I'll be at March Meet on Friday.
Look for a black 32 highboy with black top.


HB, if you've got a specific question fire away.
I have a lot of the build on the 32 as well as my present 31 A on 32 rails roadster documented photographically and otherwise.
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C9

Slowly putting my Harwood bodied Ford powered car together and am having difficulty placing the windshield lower stanchions in place. Already have filled and moved holes and still seems to be incorrect. Any hints, tips or just plain ole good advice. Thanks Roger

What you're probably gonna find - or already have found - is that getting the stanchions lined up so the windshield tilt is the same on both sides is not too bad.
Where it gets tough is getting the lower posts set up so the stanchion to windshield frame gap is equal both sides.
You can get close here, but absolutely equal is tough to attain.
Mine are a little different on each side gap-wise, but no one has ever noticed and if they did, they didn't comment.
It's not a problem.

In fact, I know a pair of twin brothers who run virtually identical Deuce 2 doors - cept for color - and one of them has built a whole lot of Deuces.
Specializing in roadsters.
He says that getting the stanchion/windshield frame gap is a bitch and his cars have ended up similar to mine.

Where you may be running into trouble, specially where the tilt of the stanchions on each side is concerned is that the cast swivel stop step on the lower post does not match.
Making the windshield frame tilt further back on one side than it does on the other.
Thing to do here is, get happy with how the stanchion to frame gap-fit goes, make sure the lower stanchions are close as far as the tilt-back bit goes and take a file to the lower post that keeps the stanchion too far forward.

One small reason that it's a good idea to get the lower posts in the as-cast state and not chromed until after fitting.
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C9

Thanks for the info C9 that helps alot.
HB I've got a bunch of old threads saved from the old RRT so if you need a particular idea or info let me know.
I had little trouble lining up the windshield on mine mainly because the stanchions came mounted from Wescott.
I did find that if I left the 2 smaller bolts out and lined it up with just the 2 larger studs it worked out much easier.
Then I went back and enlarged the hole for the smaller bolts.
I also found that the studs on the stanchions are too long so I trimmed about a eighth of a inch of them.
My gaps if anything are too tight on the side and it's going to be a bitch getting the weatherstrip in like C9 has described to me.
It likely will never leakthough so then I'll only have to deal with the noise and rain from the big hole over my head!!
Won't be at the March meet C9 but one of these days I'll make it down to your end of the universe.
Later
Jeff




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Jeff Reid

I would really appreciate some info on the threads you do have as one can never have too much info!!! I find on my Harwood body that the bolts holding the lower stanchions in place are too short, due to the thickness of the body at that point. My gaps appear to be good but, I cannot seem to get the windshield up very high off of the cowl.Also the frame does not want to lay flush against the upper stanchions, guess I am to particular... its that aviation background! What brand of windshield frame are you using, Brookville at this end. Thanks Roger

I've got a Vintique frame and stanchions.
My frame fits quite tight against the middle of the cowl but with the weather strip installed like Jay mentioned it looks really good.
My lowers have threaded studs so I don't think it would be a big deal if you got longer bolts or studs to make them work.
With the weatherstrip on the sides I ran them from the lower corner up to the upper threaded stud and ran the loose edge on the inside.
Looks real clean and will seal it pretty good.
I left a good 2 inches on the lower corner with both the strips and then trimmed them to meet with a razor blade.
One thing i found with building a glass car is that there are no set ideas or rules to follow.
I've yet to put anything on it that I didn't have to modify,grind cut or weld.
The threads I've got from Jay range from mounting the body and rad to wiring and rear diff. install.
Sometimes it gets disheartening when all you do is work on it and see no progress but it's worth it after things get painted and you put pieces back on for the last time!!
If you need any help let me knoe
Later
Jeff


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Jeff Reid

"Sometimes it gets disheartening when all you do is work on it and see no progress"

True, but there's always that day when you do see progress.
Set the body on the frame, lean the wheels against it and see if your vision is on the money.

Then there's roll-out day.
That's a good milestone and it helps to keep the enthusiasm going.

Then fire-up day, kinda funny to hear your creation come alive for the first time.
Now you know how Dr. Frankenstein felt.

And the best day of all..... when you look around and realize you can fire it up and drive it around the block.

There are other days as well.
First trip to town, first rod run, first car show and best of all just running around the countryside with the darned thing.
This last, the best part of all I think.

Two words of advice here, one from me and one from another.

Treat it like a hobby and don't set a particular time limit for it.
Enjoy working on it just for the sake of working on it.
Building a car is not like maintaining one.
A whole lotta difference between engineering stuff, making stuff and learning new skills as compared to say, simply replacing a water pump in the daily driver.
That can be a drag.
That's my advice, worth as always what free advice costs, but it works for me.

The other, a quote from Pat Ganahl I believe it was.
"Building a hot rod is simply an exercise in problem solving.
Solve one problem at a time and after a while you'll have a running hot rod."

Paraphrased a touch, but I think you get the idea....

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C9

So true Jay,It's hard to believe the amount of work that goes into one of these cars.
Up here I find it even tougher due to the fact that here in this city of 15K, I'm the only one with anything resembling a rod.
The internet and magazines are almost my sole source of info.
The odd rod show helps but they can be scarce.
Now with the body painted and the frame on it's way to being sprayed it is much easier to get up at 6am to work on it.
Some of the low points are working on someone elses daily beater for extra cash for your car, but knowing that there is stuff you could be doing to yours.
I like your advice ,very fitting!


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Jeff Reid

Actually something on mounting the body and rad would be most excellent. Kinda concerned with the hood and rad shell fitment also. Thanks Roger

I'll scan some stuff and fire it off this weekend
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Jeff Reid

Thanks. Roger