Wind Wing installation
- Thread starter fourfords
- Start date
mercman from oz
Well-known member
fourfords wants advise how to add Wind Wings to his 1929 Ford Model A Roadster.
David in San Antonio
Well-known member
Fourfords - I’m looking forward to seeing this discussion because my Roadster’s wind wings have been problematic, either slipping out of their brackets, or when tightened hard the glass cracks.
Question: Is your Roadster originally a Standard or originally a Deluxe? I don’t know if it makes a difference on a ‘29, but the ‘30/31 Standard windshield is a bit taller than the Deluxe. This may - or may not - make a difference re the wind wings.
Your car has the side mount spare tires (can be added to a Standard) but no cowl lamps (came with a Deluxe, but can be added to a Standard) so I can’t identify Standard vs Deluxe by the photo. And it might make no difference anyway.
One of the Barners mentioned he brought the glass to a plastic supply shop which cut new ones out of some tough plastic.
I’ve found that the wind wings make no difference when the top is up, but a huge difference when it’s down. That’s just my experience.
As I said, I’m looking forward to seeing this discussion.
Question: Is your Roadster originally a Standard or originally a Deluxe? I don’t know if it makes a difference on a ‘29, but the ‘30/31 Standard windshield is a bit taller than the Deluxe. This may - or may not - make a difference re the wind wings.
Your car has the side mount spare tires (can be added to a Standard) but no cowl lamps (came with a Deluxe, but can be added to a Standard) so I can’t identify Standard vs Deluxe by the photo. And it might make no difference anyway.
One of the Barners mentioned he brought the glass to a plastic supply shop which cut new ones out of some tough plastic.
I’ve found that the wind wings make no difference when the top is up, but a huge difference when it’s down. That’s just my experience.
As I said, I’m looking forward to seeing this discussion.
Wick
Well-known member
I'll Never install used wind wings again,I hate the things.
I HAD to install wind wings on a roadster for someone, they were in good shape but the rubber pieces were not. I probably have 20 hours into the job with multiple failures and cut fingers.
Gorilla glue,rubber cement, super glue, the darn glass kept wanting to slip, I did adjust the screws to pinch the glass.
I'm told now to use** Two sided automotive tape** I have not tried this yet,
I HAD to install wind wings on a roadster for someone, they were in good shape but the rubber pieces were not. I probably have 20 hours into the job with multiple failures and cut fingers.
Gorilla glue,rubber cement, super glue, the darn glass kept wanting to slip, I did adjust the screws to pinch the glass.
I'm told now to use** Two sided automotive tape** I have not tried this yet,
Robert/Texas
Well-known member
I'm with Wick on this. My '28 and '34 roadsters have wind-wings and I've had a lot of trouble losing and reinstalling them and It's a 2 person job. Two sided automotive tape has solved these problems for me. If the tape is too thin just use two layers of it on one or both sides.
Gold Digger
Well-known member
I've got a 1930 roadster pickup with wind wings that I could not keep tight. Someone on here years back said to drill holes through the clamps and glass and put a small screw through. Worked good for me. I had to buy a diamond bit to drill the glass.
P.S.
Well-known member
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this video on installing windings on a 1929 Model A roadster must be worth at least a million- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7GLsoWfKhg
Gene F
Well-known member
Even some modern cars have a lot of wind turbulance. I have always heard the big benefit is when it rains.
Sometimes see them on coupes too.
Synchro909
Well-known member
I've given up on glass wind wings on my Phaeton after too many failures. When on long tours, I like them so I thought about it and came up with another solution that works OK for me. I use a piece of acrylic material the same thickness that the glass was. It is softer than glass so it scratches after a while but it won't fall out because it is so much lighter. I've even drilled right through the clamps and "glass" and put in a small nut and bolt. There has been NO SIGN of movement since. Boy, those clamps are tough stuff to drill.
Dino's A
Senior Member
Here's what we are currently tested and so far it's been excellent!
From the Acehardware.com website:
SKU:9221896 MFR #: 414H
3M Scotch-Mount Double Sided 1 in. W X 60 in. L Mounting Tape Black. 30lb. strength.
Your local Ace Hardware store might stock it
You take your old rubber and use it as a template and cut out news ones with this tape.
It's even close to the thickness of the rubber & it's black too!
Works great!
From the Acehardware.com website:
SKU:9221896 MFR #: 414H
3M Scotch-Mount Double Sided 1 in. W X 60 in. L Mounting Tape Black. 30lb. strength.
Your local Ace Hardware store might stock it
You take your old rubber and use it as a template and cut out news ones with this tape.
It's even close to the thickness of the rubber & it's black too!
Works great!
springerpete
Well-known member
My wind wings have been on for a long time and been very secure. I learned from a friend who had trouble. Use a couple drops of super glue to fix rubbers into the metal holders. Wait a bit to be sure rubber is secure. With some help position glass in rubbers and add 2 drops of superglue on each rubber surface. Tighten adjustment and let set for a while. A stone from a gravel road cracked one wing and I had no trouble replacing the glass.
Planojc
Well-known member
Practice mounting the brackets to the glass to see how to get the best adjustment and tightest fit on the glass. Then mount the brackets on the glass, making sure that they are positioned to mate with the hinge on the stanchions, then trace around the brackets with a sharpie. Removed the brackets and etched or scuffed the glass inside the tracing with a dremel. This gives the cement something to stick to. I used contact cement to glue the rubber and brackets to the glass. During normal car maintenance, check the clamp screws for tightness.
Last edited:
Marshall V. Daut
Well-known member
Buy a cheap ping pong paddle with the pimply rubber faces. Try for a dark color, or even gray. Peel off one side of the rubber pad and trace the shape of the windwing brackets on the smooth side of the rubber. Then use a pair of scissors to cut out the eight pieces (four per side). Glue the smooth side against the metal clamps and allow to cure. This leaves the pimply side facing the glass, which will provide a little more grip than a smooth piece of rubber. When compressed, even a little suction action will assist as the air in the small open areas around each pimple draws against the glass. As recommended above, use a couple drops of Crazy Glue (NOT Gorilla Glue, which expands as it cures!) to each pad, slip the glass in between the clamps and then tighten the screw in each bracket. Be sure to back the serrated little tension screw out a ways beforehand. This puts a tilt in the outer bracket for added vise gripping power. It helps to have a friend hold the glass while the glass is placed between the bracket halves and the screws tightened.
Another tip: don't do this with the convertible top in the up position unless you have previously marked the brackets' location on the glass with a marking pen. If you don't do that, once the top has been put back down over the windshield posts, you might find that the glass is either too high (hitting the top's edging) or too low. Make sure both sides are even in height and adjusted for appearance and function.
Yes, it's a pain to mount these things so that the glass doesn't fall out. But Ford managed to do that in hundreds of thousands of open cars, albeit with better clamps and rubber pieces designed to anchor inside the brackets. 100 years later, we modern men should be able to come up with a solution to the Repo Parts Blues and secure the glass pieces inside their brackets.
A final note: Do NOT use regular glass! Pay the extra money for safety glass. You may wonder why I state this obvious fact. I have bought Model A's, whose previous owners took the cheap way (Surprise!!!) and installed regular shelf glass windwings. I still have the scar where one broke while driving on the highway, its glass shards flying back into my left arm. Ensure that you are dealing with safety glass before going through all the above steps. Or you'll have to do it all over again with the proper glass.
Marshall
Another tip: don't do this with the convertible top in the up position unless you have previously marked the brackets' location on the glass with a marking pen. If you don't do that, once the top has been put back down over the windshield posts, you might find that the glass is either too high (hitting the top's edging) or too low. Make sure both sides are even in height and adjusted for appearance and function.
Yes, it's a pain to mount these things so that the glass doesn't fall out. But Ford managed to do that in hundreds of thousands of open cars, albeit with better clamps and rubber pieces designed to anchor inside the brackets. 100 years later, we modern men should be able to come up with a solution to the Repo Parts Blues and secure the glass pieces inside their brackets.
A final note: Do NOT use regular glass! Pay the extra money for safety glass. You may wonder why I state this obvious fact. I have bought Model A's, whose previous owners took the cheap way (Surprise!!!) and installed regular shelf glass windwings. I still have the scar where one broke while driving on the highway, its glass shards flying back into my left arm. Ensure that you are dealing with safety glass before going through all the above steps. Or you'll have to do it all over again with the proper glass.
Marshall
Fuzzyfurry
New member
I just brought a 1930 roadster back to life. I added VHB glass tape to the inside wind wing clamps. Not something you could do in 30 but can in 25. Rock solid but warning, VHB will stick tough so you need to be sure of your position. Takes seconds to mount many minutes and more to remove. So strong a helper is not needed. Very High Bond from 3M.
Dino's A
Senior Member
Just do this and be done with this!