Windshield Restoration tips, Any?

Terry NJ

Terry NJ

Well-known member
I'm trying to restore the windshield frame on my 30 T.S. and I'm looking for tips, suggestions, and guidance. It's pretty bad with heavy pitting and even separation in some areas. The hinge part (Top) is not too bad and I have fixed it up pretty well. Most rust damage is to the bottom of the frame (Curved part) Also, one of the right angle Clips (?) is broken and stuck in the frame. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
T I A Terry
 
Second hand info, have not done it yet, but I boght a fairly sad '32 roadster WS frame which will someday replace the repro one on the car; the guy said best way to fix the pits and holes on the light metal was lead, as it could be plated and the temperature needed would not cause all the problems of welding light stuff.
 
Find a better one. They are a fairly common item for 30-31 as they are mostly the same.

I am sure if you asked around you would find one.

The windshield frame is an out front item and functional. It is worth spending the extra bucks to get a better one.

That being said, there are many ways to fill pits. You first need to get all the rust out of the pits. Any little brown spots in the base of the pits will blossom into rust later. Electrolytic rust removal is one technique and sand blasting will do the job.
A MIG welder and a 1/16" rod will quickly fill pits with holes. The trick is to start the arc on the rod so it takes the heat. If the pits do not have holes then a good coating of epoxy and then plastic filler or filling primer in the epoxy recoat window should give a lasting finish. Look up Southern Polyurethane (SPI) epoxy paint.

The problem areas are the thin sheet metal rubber retainers spot welded on the back side. They would be hard to repair nicely.

Just my 2 cents.
 
If there are just a few holes a MIG will work fine but if there are too many holes you could warp the window frame. A TIG with silicon bronze welding rod would melt and fill the holes at a lower temp and cause less warping.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top