59 Chevy truck windshield install, alternative method

Hello fellow car enthusiasts!  This blog is about the problems faced in getting a windshield in my 59 Apache! I had put this off, and as hind sight would go, I should have had this done in the beginning. I felt there was something not quite right about the windshield opening and I knew it!

I bought my windshield through a company called Deep Ellum auto glass, they’re based out of Dallas and they for sure had the best price and it was right here in Houston!  The windshield rubber I bought from Steel enterprises, supposedly the best.

I decided to let the pro’s do this installation. I didn’t want to take any chances and wanted the windshield installed right!  Here the first company, the guys are wrestling trying to get the glass installed, but it wouldn’t get all the way in! They tried it twice and finally gave up, about 3 hours worth : (

However, my way of thinking, they just weren’t doing it right! ha ha!  So I took on the job myself! Though I wasn’t 100% sure that I could install it, I had to try!  I knew up to this point, there was something wrong with my windshield opening on the upper pinch weld, but I had to try! Here below, the glass is set in without the rubber to see what the relationship of the glass to the pinch moulding revealed.

The upper pinch weld was all out of whack! What was I supposed to do! I have to get this windshield in! I have to!

After several tries over several days, with the rubber around the windshield and being unsuccessful, I tried with the rubber on the truck then put the glass in, didn’t work! nothing worked!

Anyway, one last try, IT BROKE!! It broke! I broke the windshield!  I was distressed and a little upset at myself! I got the windshield out, and I went to the side of our garage, and THREW IT!  I THREW IT HARD! IT FELT GOOD! Great therapy indeed!

Here are the remains of my first windshield~! darn! 🙁  150 bucks, gone!

Now what?  I bought another windshield of course ; )  Luckily they had one more in stock!  So thinking that the first set of pro’s couldn’t install it, and I for sure couldn’t after EIGHT TIMES of frustration~ I called on my buddy that I’ve known for a long time in the paint and body business~ Corby Genzer.  He gave me the number for Two Stars Auto Glass, said they’re the best at classic car glass installation.

What a neat group of guys, get along great, work as a team and didn’t mind me helping! Here they are assessing the situation after the first installation failure! OH, I was so depressed, and he showed the problems of the windshield opening~ now I was more depressed than ever thinking what it’s going to cost for a body shop to fix this! ching ching!

So, the owner said he could try something he’s never tried before on a classic~ and that is install the windshield like a newer model car. Ok, he had my attention! (vs sending my truck out to a body shop and spend thousands of dollars!). Basically, use one of my windshield rubbers, cut it in half, one half for the outside of the truck, and the other half for the inside of the truck. They would lay a bead of whatever they use to seal the glass to the windshield opening, then seal it to the truck! Below they were doing just that!

I’ve never been so happy! and happy to have met some guys that think out of the box and willing to try something new! They didn’t give up! That my dear is IMPRESSIVE! Darth Vader couldn’t say it any better!  These guys are my hero’s, they saved my project and saved me a lot of grief!

The windshield is installed~ I can go ahead soon to install my engine and transmission! I wanted the windshield installation done before proceeding on anything else!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this, I’ve had quite a run on this windshield installation. Though it wasn’t  installed to the original specs, I’m happy! and that’s what matters! Maybe years from now, someone else will own this truck, and take it all apart and fix it their way! ; )  dne’