Well easy if you have a sandblaster with a nice tight small tip. The front glass is safety glass, it's new, just ordered and out of a box. What I did was lay fiberglass over the windshield and the back glass, made a template...(well covered the glass with masking tape first, then a healthy coat of Johnson's floor wax for bowling alley lanes, then I laid the fiberglass over that, after a few layers, I had a template. Now cause I laid on the outside of glass I needed to make up the thickness of the glass on the inside, I used layers of cardboard and resin. This is what I've cut down to fit in my opening. ***side note another to chop a top with curved glass is to cut the glass first then match the roof to the glass When my templet was fit into the rubber gasket (which I had to remove some length out of...I'll end up fitting the gasket in with silicone so split shouldn't matter and it is at the center bottom of the windshield) I traced butcher's paper over my template and had a pattern from that, which then was traced on my glass. Everything not being removed glass wise was covered with sandblasting tape, (duct tape, extra thick and cardboard) to protect the glass. When blasting, small tight tip. trace the line and keep removing material. until you get to the plastic (safety part of the glass) then turn the windshield over and follow it on the other side until the top part being removed is hanging by the plastic. Then you need a razor blade, I heated mine up as if I were cutting ABS plastic (like a bedliner) and trimmed away. The glass edge is smooth from blasting, and I moved fast enough to avoid heating it o explode, yet slow enough to penetrate the glass. On this windshield I had to remove roughly 4" off the top and some down the sides and follow the curve as the sides got skinny. It took a few months of research and another few months of asking questions and double checking what to do if this doesn't work. Then a few weeks of sucking up the balls to do it, but I wanted to do it myself....and learn. As for the backglass, that's tempered, and you can't mess with it. It's looking like my template for that will be used for Lexan (aviation glass) and will be a custom made piece, but they can do it and located near Flint, MI. I'll post some pictures of this when I get to it
Not that it was "easy", it took time and trial and error to get it, but that's everyone's hang up with a car with a curved windshield, is what do I do with the glass. The front can be cut, the back can't...but there's option for the back one, I choose Lexan. Some chose other types like Acrylic (MoonGlow used acrylic in the first build and the second, infact he did that in his mom's oven) use a different back window, etc. Another good question will be what did 2Hep do about the side vent windows? Stay tuned...
Mark, right now I'm trying to figure these stupid air scoops out. I started making little fins (like on a '64 Olds) to follow the lines of the chrome mohawk on the "98" taillights down the rear quarters, and I'm applying primer to the firewall. What car you thinking? It took me many weeks of deciding if I should do it or not, but my boss pushed me when he said I didn't have the balls to cut the roof-Brian
Here's some extra shots... Really my Corvette Grill that s now in my Olds grill. The Vette grill is an extended grill, made from 2 '57 Vette Grills I picked up cheap at a swap meet and teeth at various different meets... anyway lined the two bars up to get the right plan view to follow the curves of the bumper. Then I split it and welded it together under the center tooth.
Vette Grill.... I used the center tooth from the stock grill opening to make a templet to make a bracket to house the vette grill making it a floating grill. That will be painted black
That scoop idea is neat-hope it come off like you want. I really like the front end on those cars-reminds me of an F-86 Sabre. Looks like it would suck up pedestrians.
Pedestrians beware! The scoops still some working out to get them to where I want them, but hopefully it will be cool. Thanks!
More pics to come, as of now everything is sitting on my desktop... The engine is Rocket 324, Trans is a '55 Hydra. The trans I had rebuilt and beefed up as much as it could, Kevlar bands etc. The engine I'm waiting for the heads to be finished but for the most part is assembled. Pict of everything on the way! Thanks for all the encouragement!
So much to do so little time to do it all... Well, playing around with scoops and subtle fins, The shot of the fin is more upright to follow the flow of the rear alittle more. Exhaust, I'm building scavenger pipes, all individual so six of 'em shooting out for the underside of this beast. and the firewall is ready for final coat of primer before shooting it with paint. Welded, smoothed, filled, and sanded ever piece of metal on that firewall (heater/vent boxes..etc)
Thanks for the info on the windshield, Ive done it several times that way on Pickup trucks mostly. but I really like the way you made a template out of fiberglass. You really going to have a sweet ride when your done, I like the wide whites and disc caps.
Why not just omit & discard the crank "Wing" vent windows? Since the doors uses straight/flat glass, recut new door glass so that it is 4" wider. When you crank up your window, it is one big wide glass.<? With a '56 Hard-Top like yours, with both front & back windows rolled down, what do think about the clean look of no "posts"? Food for thought.<o></o> <o></o> Also, could you use the '56 windshield on the back, instead of the back tempered glass. Both glasses are curved and close to the same width. I was wondering, if your fiberglass template of the back glass was laid on a front windshield, would you be able to mark out & sandblast a new back glass out of it? I have a '56 Chevy & I am curious on your findings!<o></o> <o></o> Thanks,<o></o> 56Chevy4Dr <o></o>
Great project!!!!!! <O></O> I was wondering if you could lay the back deck-lid glass at a slightly different, maybe sharper angle and just fab new metal around the original uncut tempered back glass?<O></O> <O></O> Also, could you use the '56 windshield on the back, instead of the back tempered glass. Both glasses are curved and close to the same width. What if, your fiberglass template of the back glass was laid on a front windshield, would you be able to mark out & sandblast a new back glass out of the original front glass? <O></O> <O></O> I am perplexed with similar decisions on my '56 Chevy and look forward to your thoughts & future pictures! <O></O> <O></O> Thanks,<O></O> 56Chevy4Dr<O></O>
56Chevy- at least your posts on the forward part of car will be a bit more easy then the Olds/Buick as the Chevy/Ponchos are more upright and do not pinch as much. Hope this post will be an aide of trial and error
56 olds custom, Did you lay the windshield back or leave the front posts slanted, its hard to see in the photo
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