[35WINDOW]

Morning everybody,

Just a question here-on my '35 it has a hinged, swinging Windshield, and I have heard some concerns with keeping the moisture out (sealing the Windsheild Frame to the body). I have noticed more and more pre-'36 cars with a rubber seal instead of the Windshield Frame and was wondering if the reason was sealing or style-do any of you have insights (or experience) with this? I have never owned a car with this design.

I prefer the swinging Windshield but don't want a nightmare in rain or while washing the car-

Thanks for the replies-

Craig

[gmwillys]

Looks like no one has answered your post, so I'll give you my 2 cents worth.
mostly its for stylish and simplicity reasons. Plus the fact that most cars are built with AC today. If you have a new windshield gasket, and are not driving at 70 mph in a thunder storm, you'll not have much trouble. It's mostly what you like. I'm not a big fan of AC, and love that gentle breeze on my face on a warm summer night. I've even gone to the extreme of putting a crank out in a car that had none to begin with. I can only recall one time having seepage, but I had been traveling about 6 hours in heavy rain, and stopped it by pulling over under an over pass and running a line of duck tape on the bottom of the glass. I guess most will say its not worth the trouble keeping the swing -out, but I personely like them. Same with cowl vents. Most rodders fill them. but they sure are nice when the car doesn't have AC. cheers

[35WINDOW]

Thanks for the reply! I will be running A/C, but thought the look would be better using the Windshield Frame. So, it sounds like it must be very difficult to seal-

[gmwillys]

If you only want the look of the frame, a good glass shop can mount the glass in the frame, and then glue the frame into the opening. All you'd have to do is remove the hinges and weld closed the hinge openings. Cheers

[Brian_B]

I cannot add anything to this thread, but it is of interest to me. My 56 has the cowl vent in it. I wondered why eveyone filled them in (puzzled smilie). I like the air vent on nice days cool evenings.

It has a new gasket, but I have not had it out on the road in the rain yet. The windshield wiper arms are not even on yet.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by Brian_B

I wondered why eveyone filled them in ?
It has a new gasket, but I have not had it out on the road in the rain yet. The windshield wiper arms are not even on yet.

If you add A/C......under the dash........and try to get the A/C up out of sight....the cowl vent will not open. Also .....when the vehicles got older...the seal went bad and there were no replacements..........and people welded them up. Also was a " customized item " .......changed the vehicle.



My 1932 Ford 3W had the cowl vent filled.......back in the day.....and I opened it back up. It was just leaded in....and you can see the lead I got out....or what of it I could gather up.


As for the windshields.......

A new nice chrome windshield frame is 400 -500 dollars. To replate the original one ( if good ) ...can run almost that......
SO....... a lot of rodders go the cheap route and cut a oversize windshield and a get S - 10 rubber windshield seal and just glue a new windshield in. .. Also done a lot on the reproduction Fiberglass rods......because a good original windshield frame ( and a good repro ) does not fit the fiberglass body.....

[baddbob]

Duece, I unleaded a cowl vent on a 33 3window coupe a few years back. Whoever leaded it in used some newspaper to prop the vent up while the solder ran in. The newspapers had the year 1942 so it was an early rod. The chop was crude so I rechopped it. If only these cars could talk.... Bob

[Deuce]

If they could talk.........

To me that is one of the COOL things about a original old steel car......the feel, the history......

When I was redoing my 32 Roadster, I fould newspaper stuck in the doors ....for insulation I guess.....

Los Angeles Times....1941.....