Notes on a roadster windshield

GB SISSON said:
OK, you guys win. I'm man enough to say I gave a soild look at the hard corners with welding them in. Pretty much the fire truck pics (and some friendly coersion) have convinced me to go this way. I played hookey from work today and got a head start on the weekend. My local lumber yard has 1/4" plexi in stock and that will do til I send a plywood template to the mainland for safety glass. I would love to come up with some safety glass here and try to cut it, but can't think of any vehicles around here. Part of me says to drop the top horizontal bars down a bit on the middle post to make the top line more flat or less of a Vee. Easy now, a beyotch later. But doubt there will be a top, or ????
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I might be inclined to agree with the rounded corners as mentioned. Pain to do, Matches the flow. Neat truck!!!
 
Gary, Run some 3/4" masking tape clear across the top about where you would remove some of the V and see if you like how that looks. Do what YOU like.
 
deuce_roadster said:
Gary, Run some 3/4" masking tape clear across the top about where you would remove some of the V and see if you like how that looks. Do what YOU like.
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I'm quite happy with how the square corners look but the overall height of the windshield is important to the look. Too low is too hot rod, too high is too Mr Magoo. I think the current height looks good, but I mounted the suburban third row seat on a stock jailbar set riser with the sub's floor hook bracket and it's about 2" higher than stock. While seated and looking through the windshield it feels a bit low. Perhaps I may raise the outer ends up, decreasing the V angle when looking at the truck from the front. Any other adjustments could be made to the seat mounting. DS post needs a new top anyhow. Stay tuned.
 
Don't give up on the windwing idea either. You may find them very handy. I also miss real vent windows on the newer cars of today.
 

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GB, Doing a Masters job, as usual. I'm glad you are getting where you want to be.
Just because tho,, I'd like to state that the 48 Seagrave is not the style of Duval.
Rather, the name that I have seen attached to that style is Hallock.
However, Hallock does not use a top rail, like the contoured Duvall.
Just Sayin'. As ever your craft is supreme.
Sorry about your wife's ear prob, mine has grave loss in both.
Keep making the neighbors jealous.
 
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So this morning I drove to my friend's place about a mile away to show him my windshield project. He is a retired contractor, blacksmith, fabricator of the highest order. Worked together for over 40 years. First thing is 'he Loves' the windshield, but " The passenger side is about and inch lower than the driver side" I says " No, all vertical heights inside the frame are 12 3/16". I had a stanley tape clipped onto the seat riser he measures the driver side verticals at 12 3/16, but the outside end of the pass side was 11 3/16". OOPS. We had a few laughs and a nice visit and when I got home I fixed my mistake and continued onward. Got a lot accomplished. I welded studs downwards at the points where the cowl was low. fixed both top corners. Ran a bunch of tack welds that will be covered by inside strap at cowl. Did some filling and grinding and bolted the whole affair back down. The studs with big fender washers pulled the large shallow dents in the top of the cowl into a nice 'fair curve'. I then ran into town for some 1/4" plexi which should suffice for a while. Smallest they would sell is a 4x4 sheet. (3 sets of windshields) should last the summer and I will bring a pattern to glass shop on mainland for safety glass when I have occasion to leave the island next. In the last photo you can see the 3/8" square key stock across the windshield's top that is a spacer for 1/4" glass and glass setting tape when all is sandwiched together. I will be adding the 3/8" spacer to sides, center and bottom tomorrow.
 

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I'm curious on the effect of the windshield without wind wings. On the early open cars I have been in the wind wings play a huge part in controlling wind and noise in the front seat, but those cars have doors. If you do decide you need wind wings you probably can fabricate something using the extra plexi as a test. Plenty of information about Model A wind wings out there for inspiration. If you got wild and crazy you could purchase new parts (some examples:https://modelastore.com/windwings), but I doubt that to be necessary.
 
A bones said:
GB, Doing a Masters job, as usual. I'm glad you are getting where you want to be.
Just because tho,, I'd like to state that the 48 Seagrave is not the style of Duval.
Rather, the name that I have seen attached to that style is Hallock.
However, Hallock does not use a top rail, like the contoured Duvall.
Just Sayin'. As ever your craft is supreme.
Sorry about your wife's ear prob, mine has grave loss in both.
Keep making the neighbors jealous.
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A bones, I want to thank you for your enthusiastic remarks yesterday. You are way too kind and when I re-read yesterday's posts this morning I see I was remiss in acknowledging this. I need to tear a page from Chris (sugarmaker's) book of good manners. Heading out for another day's progress. My wife will be on the 7:25 ferry leaving Anacortes . That gets her home (exhausted) about 10 pm tonight. I better hurry!
 
GB SISSON said:
A bones, I want to thank you for your enthusiastic remarks yesterday. You are way too kind and when I re-read yesterday's posts this morning I see I was remiss in acknowledging this. I need to tear a page from Chris (sugarmaker's) book of good manners. Heading out for another day's progress. My wife will be on the 7:25 ferry leaving Anacortes . That gets her home (exhausted) about 10 pm tonight. I better hurry!
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Don't forget to hide the pizza boxes before she gets home. Assuming they deliver pizza on the island?:cool:
 
51504bat said:
Don't forget to hide the pizza boxes before she gets home. Assuming they deliver pizza on the island?:cool:
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We added a jar of spaghetti sauce to the leftovers on hand and the other two guys were outa here just before she showed up.[ They are both 70's bachelors and car guys... I am most likely the bad influence.. As for pizza delivery, 24 mile round trip, you do the math. I just now woke up on the couch, it;s 1:25 am here. Can't wait to share my installed WS pics. Hint, the top corners now have a 1 1/8" radius. PS my wife is totally fine with the two very fine gentlemen nI invited for leftover spaghetti. OK, trudging up the stairs.,...,
 
Well it's final (for now) and I'm liking how it looks. This is a tough vehicle to get in and out of on the driver's side. You have to crouch down to get your knees under the steering wheel from the running board, but your hind end has to be above the safety bar. At this point I found the windshield corner was right in my eyeballs. Thus, form follows function. I am considering adding a ridge, perhaps 1/4" square stock up the outside face of the posts and easing the edges. Right now I'm feeling like it looks too plain, like a simple stamping. Still considering through bolting two layers to sandwich the glass, but maybe with 10-24 oval head machine screws. IIRC some military vehicles used oval head screws to attach armor plating. For now I need to get back to building a dining table for a seattle client down in the wood shop. Here's the WS in primer.
 

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Windshield looks good but I hate to ask. What about a windshield wiper(s)?
Cowl mount or top of the frame like a '30's roadster? Or since you're in the PNW maybe adapting a marine unit?
 
The marine units are just right. Funny, when this was still a 4 door landcruiser wagon, the wiper motor quit and had been discontinued by the dealer so I drilled a hole above the driver's side and bought a boat wiper assembly on a blister pack at the napa store. Worked great. In fact I might go to my wrecking yard tomorrow and I bet that assembly is still attached to the roof I cut off with a sawzall. Never throw anything away!
 
Lookin good GB. I can see how you might have to wiggle a bit to get in with the safty bar on the sides. Lower it a bit maybe, or its ok ? For fun, its story time again. In my wilder youth I thought a convertible PU was a necessity in life, so I cut the top of a 57 chevy PU. That first one was pretty crude, mostly torch cuts ! Took off the roof and door tops, left the stock windshield and frame. Had big fun diving around on moonlit nights with a couple cans of beer along, but it really was a pile of junk. Doors would open on every other bump as the back wall of the cab had no strength at all due to the rusty rotten truck I started with. So, next one, a 52 chevy, was really quite well done, wish I still had it. All the cuts were done with the wiz wheel, ground smooth to be safe, and even filled in the jagged corners of the windshield frame with handful's of bondo so no sharp edges. The best part, I welded the doors shut, then cut them off about half way up and rolled that tin over and welded it to the inside door tin so it was all smooth to climb in and out. About leg high when sitting in the seat, and the back wall of the cab around to the door jamb was still there so no safety bar needed. I drove it about 3-4 summers until one day a friend needed a head for his chevy, that motor was really bad wore out, so I sold the head off it thinking I would put a better motor in. Never happened, so one year when scrap was high, I let her go thinking I would make a better one...never happened. That truck was white, and looked very much like the good humor ice cream trucks of the era. Wish I still had it today oil smoke and all
 
cas3 said:
Lookin good GB. I can see how you might have to wiggle a bit to get in with the safty bar on the sides. Lower it a bit maybe, or its ok ? For fun, its story time again. In my wilder youth I thought a convertible PU was a necessity in life, so I cut the top of a 57 chevy PU. That first one was pretty crude, mostly torch cuts ! Took off the roof and door tops, left the stock windshield and frame. Had big fun diving around on moonlit nights with a couple cans of beer along, but it really was a pile of junk. Doors would open on every other bump as the back wall of the cab had no strength at all due to the rusty rotten truck I started with. So, next one, a 52 chevy, was really quite well done, wish I still had it. All the cuts were done with the wiz wheel, ground smooth to be safe, and even filled in the jagged corners of the windshield frame with handful's of bondo so no sharp edges. The best part, I welded the doors shut, then cut them off about half way up and rolled that tin over and welded it to the inside door tin so it was all smooth to climb in and out. About leg high when sitting in the seat, and the back wall of the cab around to the door jamb was still there so no safety bar needed. I drove it about 3-4 summers until one day a friend needed a head for his chevy, that motor was really bad wore out, so I sold the head off it thinking I would put a better motor in. Never happened, so one year when scrap was high, I let her go thinking I would make a better one...never happened. That truck was white, and looked very much like the good humor ice cream trucks of the era. Wish I still had it today oil smoke and all
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Now THIS was a great story! A kindred spirit for sure. Glad you posted this here tonight!!!
 
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