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Windshield Frame Question

jbisme

New Member
No matter whatever it is I eventually build, it will need a windshield. I'm thinking of using 7/8 to 1 inch square steel stock and milling a channel down the middle of it. What would I need to cushion and secure the glass with? Also would a glass shop be able to custom fit a piece of glass this way? None of the windshield frames for buckets catch my eye as "the one" and I'd rather just fabricate my own.

By the way, the whatever it is I'm building is looking more like a Track-T with the boat nose. Nothing is set in stone, because I keep redrawing it. As Telman2 pointed out, I need to take 3 steps back and rethink it. The boat-car wasn't looking right, and I don't want to go the same direction as the trikes went (me unhappy and sold both). Paper and pencils are cheap, and mechanical drawing is fun. So for this winter, I think I will keep sketching until the plan becomes clear.


I do have another question. The greater percentage of T-buckets are open wheel. How do you keep the road dust and water puddles off of you? There's still a lot of gravel roads around here, and I plan to use them. My two trikes had fenders and I'm undecided on if I still want to use the 33 Chevy Master fenders with my whatever it is I'm building that may or may not look like a Track-T with a boat nose. (ha-ha)
 
If you take your finished frame to a glass shop they will have the felt type material that is used to install the glass or they may use a type of windshield sealant. They would also be able to cut the glass for you. I had mine done at a local glass shop and the cost was about $90 for the glass (I have a short style windshield) AND they installed it in the frame with windshield sealant. It looks like a factory job would. The good thing about letting them do the work is that if the glass breaks it's at their expense not yours.

As for running no fenders? Well, I don't and while I have not had pebbles fly up, I have run into a puddle or two. I grin and bear it. I also tend to wear a shirt that I don't mind a few drops of water or mud getting on. I thought about fenders, but I just dig the pure open wheel look. I suffer the consequences for vanity.
 
tfeverfred,
Based on your advise it seems my windshield frame idea isn't crazy. I'll go with it then and just talk to the local glass shop so I know how wide and deep the channel in the frame needs to be. Good, that's one problem solved.

This may be a long shot, but does anybody have a picture of a Track-T with front fenders? About the closest thing I can find for inspiration is the Plymouth Prowler.

Plymouth%20Prowler%200009.jpg
 
jbisme, I suggest you talk to the guys at your local glass shop. Tell them you want to build the frame and ask what size channel you should mill into it so they can install the glass. Like tfeverfred said let them install the glass that way if breaks you don't have to pay for a second windshield.
 
Never did like Prowlers, but I REALLY like the hood ornament on that one!:welcome: Oh and those fenders just don't have "tha' look". One of many reasons why I never liked the Prowler.
 
Maybe it's the hood ornament that makes me like the Prowler's fenders. That's why I'm asking if anybody has fenders on a Track-T. I'm thinking it will kill the look too. But the Prowler does have the pointy front I want, just in reverse. The Prowler's farthest point is at the bottom. Mine will be at the top.
 
tfeverfred said:
Never did like Prowlers, but I REALLY like the hood ornament on that one!:lol: Oh and those fenders just don't have "tha' look". One of many reasons why I never liked the Prowler.

What fenders? I dont see any fenders? LOL :)
 
On my last car I built a very simple windsheild frame. I took 1" solid round aluminum, turned it to 7/8" to fit the windsheild posts. I milled a slot 3/8" wide in it. Depth was half the diameter. I didnt use a top piece. For the bottom, I used a small piece of 1/2" aluminum channel from the hardware store. I milled the slot in the side pieces a little bigger at the bottom, to fit over it. I also drilled the bottom piece right in the middle, and dropped a small (#10 ?) allen bolt in, to fit thru a hole in the body, to keep it from flexing in. I put a couple small pieces rubber in the bottom track, to hold the glass off the aluminum, and squited some black silicone in it, and dropped the glass in. On the sides, I made a couple small sheet metal shims to hold the glass centered in the posts, and again, squirted in black silicone to hold the glass in. After that silicone set, i removed the shims, and filled in those areas with the silicone too. If you can do a nice job with the black silicone, it will nice. Mine looked good. A little pointer for working with silicone. Work it like caulking, but use denatured alcohol instead of water. it will clean up nicely. And shrink in a little too. This windshield is 15" tall, 1/4" thick safety glass, and never had a flexing problem.
Sorry but this is the only pic I can find of it :lol: and i sold the car so i cant get a better one...

Photo_071809_004.jpg


But it does kinda tie in with the prowler pic LOL
 
Looks like you kept the best pic.... of your windshield and car, I mean.:lol:
 
tfeverfred said:
Looks like you kept the best pic.... of your windshield and car, I mean.:lol:

No the best one has her in that same position, but facing the other way :cool: didnt think I should post that one.

I think I am going to build the windshield frame for my latest car next week. So I should have pics up week- week and a half in my build thread.
 
Thanks LKE, your write-up is just like what I had in mind. I'm not sure how good I am at working with silicone, so I'll check with the glass shop and get their suggestions before I get that far. 15 inches tall sounds about right on the glass too.

First things first, build a rolling car frame.
 
Here is a neat setup for mystery windshield posts. All you will see on top of the cowl is a space below the bottom rail. The bottom metal frame is below the cowl. I do not have a pic of the windshield on the car. You would definently need braces for the windshield or else a very strong cowl area.
 
blownt said:
Here is a neat setup for mystery windshield posts. All you will see on top of the cowl is a space below the bottom rail. The bottom metal frame is below the cowl. I do not have a pic of the windshield on the car. You would definently need braces for the windshield or else a very strong cowl area.

That is how I am doing mine. Except I dont plan on a space under the bottom rail.When I was windening the cowl, I welded in some 2 x .188" flat bar underneath to fasten it to. With my car having a top, I can support the posts off it. There are pieces welded in up there too. I machined the frame parts yesterday. I am going to work on it a little more today. Probably finish it up tomorrow or the next day.
 
You would definently need braces for the windshield or else a very strong cowl area.

Blownt, thanks for pictures of your frame.

I'm building a steel body, reinforced with more steel. :lol: I've been talking to a welder buddy of mine to take care of the complicated stuff I'm not as good at. He helped me build the complicated stuff on the yellow trike. He also has the machine tools I don't have, so I will rent his equipment to build the windshield frame.

LKE, post pictures of your frame when its done. I'd like to see it.
 
The frame is done. Here are some pics taken yesterday.

100_0598.jpg


100_0600.jpg


100_0601.jpg


The frame is 7/8" OD 6061 aluminum. I milled a 11/32 slot in it, 4 tenths deep. At the bottom miters, I drilled it and bolted it with one 10-32 flat head allen on each side (up from the bottom). That held it during fitting, and allowed me to disassemle it as needed. After it was all fitted, I welded it up, and sanded it smooth. The bottom piece is drilled and threaded 1/4-20 in three places, with 1/4-20x1.5" long set screws put in to bolt it down to the cowl. A few pointers if you chose to do this... first is brace up the cowl, so you have something solid to fasten to. 2, you do not want the set screws (or whatever type of fastener you use) to hit the glass. When I tapped this, I clamped a steel block into the milled slot, and tapped from the bottom with a plug tap. A plug tap has 5 tapered threads. That stops the screws from going all the way into the glass. And provides a stop to tighten them against, so they stay in. 3, my windshield agles back slightly, instead of angle drilling for the set screws, I used mis alightment washers. They are a two piece washer set, one concave, one convex, that fit together, and allow proper tightening of the nuts.
At the top, I used a piece of aluminum 1/4" channel, from a hardware store (home depot or lowes, i dont remember which. It was the left over piece from the bottom track on my previous car.) it keeps the posts from spreading. Also gives me something to mount the rear view mirror to, instead of glueing, or clamping to the glass only. Also gives me a way to tie into the roof. The flat steel supports that go over to the roof, are where the mirrors will mount.
Lastly, by leaving off the posts, and only having the windshield frame set on the flat part of the cowl, it makes for a narrow windshield. About 4" narrower that the one on my last car. It may not look bad on an open car, but on mine the roof is a lot wider than the cowl, So it looks small. I have mirrors going on, hanging from the top windshield supports, and wind wings also going on to take up that space. If you choose to do this, think about how you are going to keep it looking right.
 
Thanks LKE, you've given me exactly what I need to see. I figured you would post these pictures with your build thread, but to have them here will help give me a quick reference. I like how you got the frame attached to the top of your C-cab. I wondered how you was going to pull that off. It looks like I shouldn't have any trouble building my own frame.

Oh if only I didn't have other irons in the fire keeping me occupied until March.

4 tenths deep

I know you mean .4, but say this to the wrong machinist and you will get .0004.:lol:
 

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