Technical 1957 Ford Meteor Chop Information

I hate to even comment because I know so little about so much. But, I had a conversation a long time ago with a guy that explained that you can shorten tempered glass by covering what you want to keep with multiple layers of duct tape and sand blasting the unwanted portions off. I don't know if it works or not, but if I were contemplating trying this, I'd get an old glass and try it first.

As far as should the OP do it or not: His car, his time, his $!

 

Huge difference between building floor and rockers in a 60’s station wagon, and chopping the curved-in-every-direction roof of a 50’s fordor. Floor work does not make you a master fabricator or bodyman. So, I say now is the chance to become one. Jump in with both hands and start cutting up that fordor!

 

Nope, not doable. A semi recent thread from a guy who bought a crappy set of tempered glass, then tried to fix it, proved the easiest way to get yourself a pile of glass pebbles.

 

The wagon was a bit more than "band aid patch panels". Nobody makes jack for C-bodies. I fabbed the bottom of both quarters from scratch, the entire cowl with all it's compound curves, the driver's side footwell/firewall and it's compound curves, converted a rear fury floor section to a wagon floor, made the entire tailgate sill, D pillar guts, remade the bottom half of the tubs from scratch etc.

I'm perfectly capable of bodywork. I did the body and paint on the Thunderbird. I Just don't want to this time because i'm also building the motor for the wagon and my DeSoto Airflow at the same time. I also have to do the headliner on my Jaguar before concourse season, and doing that properly means taking the windshield out to extract the fibreglass shell it bonds to.

I actually want all the cars on the road this summer and i don't feel like shitting up the garage with filler dust again, so yeah I'll take it to my paint buddy to 'salvage' it.

I like big projects, I volunteer to do work for historic rail societies too, don't get bigger than that. If I fuck it up, y'all can say 'i told you so'. But the more I'm told it's above me, the more motivated I am to do it.

Would you be so kind as to compare the two rear windows for me?

It turns out there is a laminated rear window available. JR Imports stocks the Fairlane glass, part No. DB487, and it is laminated. So the chop could be done the simple way as i originally thought.





It looks almost the same in shape, apart from the side edges which appear radiused. But it needs cutting anyway, so that could be made to work.

If you're willing, could you verify the overall width, and radius of the curves are the same? Both the curves along the sides as well as the corners at the bottom. Plus overall width/depth at the top and bottom openings.

If they're as close as they look, this would be the cleanest way to do it, for sure. Especially since both the front and back is already cracked and needs replacing regardless.

 

for new glass check https://www.autocityclassic.com/1957-1958-ford-glass/

they have an ebay store also.

 

I checked with them first, dude said their glass was tempered.

Which is weird, usually stuff you can change the tint on is laminate, but the guy on the phone said it wasn't.

 

Dennis Carpenter says both 300 and 500 series use the same back glass weatherstrip part number 57A-6642084-A

 

For an interesting vid on windshield lowering check out on YouTube “Killer Kustoms” as they had an episode about doing it in a unique way about a month ago.....

 

If it is 1.5" shorter that surprises me. That'd mean the outer circumference is somehow the same between the two panes.

Unless DC just expects you to cut the rubber down for the 500 and glue the ends, which would not surprise me.

 

I'd say that raking the rear (or front) window isn't only something you'd do from necessity. It's for looks too.
Your original idea seems to resemble the old spread chop - quarter the roof and add strips of metal to take up the slack. These rarely, if ever, look good in my opinion. Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick and this isn't to criticise you. Just want to see a good outcome.