Hot Rods Windshield without a frame, can it be done

I did some searching, but didn’t find anything to quite answer my question.

I am building a ‘29 Model A roadster and was wondering if it is possible to run a windshield without a frame. I’ve seen them without the top rail on the windshield all the time, but I’d like to run no top rail and no bottom rail. I was thinking I would bond the side channels of the windshield frame to the windshield gl*** and attach that to the windshield stanchions. No top frame, no bottom frame just the sides (No seal under the windshield either). The windshield gl*** will probably be 6.5” to 7” tall. Up to this point I’ve been running with no windshield at all, and just wanted to change things up a bit.

My brother who builds hot rods professionally said he has never done that, and doesn’t know if the windshield would just flex and crack under the pressure from the wind. He said simply
that nobody has ever asked him to do that before.

What are some of everyone’s thoughts on this? Would it just crack, or would it hold up?

 

I think it would break very easily. Why do you want an air gap at the bottom?
A 3-piece windshield with a center divider would offer more support, but I think it will still break.

 

i .think a vee d windshield would work.modern adhesives are extremely strong.gl*** would need to be cut accurately.how fast were you thinking of going?

 

That's one of the highest air pressure points of the car when it's moving. You'd also need inviting it to resonate and whistle with a gap underneath, the air will be very turbulent on the inside without. I wouldn't imagine a laminated pane lasting too long before developing cracks from the stress.

 

Asking a bunch of traditional guys about something that is far from our way of building hot rods is really not the target demographic for something as edgy as floating windshield.

I would think some of the street rod sites my have better knowledge on a subject like this. HRP

 

I saw a roadster with a curved gl*** once that was set into the cowl with only a couple inches of support above the cowl. I dont know why it couldn't be done with a flat gl***.

 

Because a curve is much stronger than a flat.

 

Talk to a gl*** guy.

If you kept the bottom gap tight, buffeting or turbulence should not be that bad.

it’s not like it’s a 10’ length of gl*** , might need to go with a thicker pane the normal , but I think it could work.

 

@Kevin Lee had a great front windshield on his modified that he built back in the day. I will do a quick search to see if I can find it in the archives.

Chris

 

I did just that. I annealed some aluminum channel then riveted and bonded them to "boxed" posts. The window was glued in with a T seal on the bottom.

 

Yes, you could. I'd reccomend. looking over some Brit sport car w/s's. If you borrowed some A or '32 side curtain mounts, they have single pivot axis (it is vertical) and rotated these down to closely follow the cowl. The mounting bends, as needed, used, to match each gl*** upon a centerline. Typ these appear as googles on Brit cars. A rubber gasket seal used on 3 lower sides. Can even use cowl mount wipers. The axis of mounting must be slightly above, max air pressure 'line' at your upper cruising speed.
Think about it!

 

Talk to a gl*** guy, ask about using tempered gl***. You can have tempered flat gl*** made. Not technically legal in the US but does have the needed strength. Safer too; in the event of an accident, do you really want to risk coming in contact with a broken edge of laminated gl***?

 

Ok I have used 1/4" Lexian, no top,bottom, or sides message me if interested

 

I am a gl*** guy..............

Laminated toughened gl*** would be the go. That way it would meet code. Increase the thickness a little to increase the strength. Adding a curve will make it much stronger.

By the way, how much do you think something like this will cost? Whatever figure you have in mind, I will guarantee you it will be surprisingly more than you expect.

Polycarbonate or acrylic sheet might be worth investigating........

 

Mine was normal laminated gl***. Held up fine under everyday driving. My cowl was braced for cowl steering which helps. I did crack one by jacking one corner of the car up wayyy to damn high. I made a matte board and my local gl*** guy cut it out and sanded the edges. I think I paid $35 for it

 

This one works ...................

 

Thanks for the replies and stuff to think about.

With both technically not legal, I'd probably do polycarbonate before tempered gl***. I have a friend that owns a gl*** shop, so I will be talking to him about gl***, as he would be the one cutting the gl***. I wont be running windshield wipers so that's not an issue, and turbulence inside isn't a concern either. If the gap is too big or too small, it might whistle though, that is a good point to think about. Although I almost always run the windshield on my M35 cracked open at the bottom and it doesn't whistle.

 

I had less than $100 bucks in mine after finding some swap meet T posts. The aluminum was from the hardware store, About $10.

 

^^^ Sorry, went to edit my post and accidently deleted it. ^^^
Yours is a nice result for the money you spent.

 

Thanks!

 

My thought would be to do a cowl mod and create a channel perhaps 3'' deep that the gl*** would slide down into and glue in place. There would be no gap at the bottom, and it would be frameless.

 

That would work, and would really look schmick............

The gl*** would probably have to be thicker. Two sheets laminated with an automotive interlayer giving a total thickness of around 7/16ths would be heaps strong, and I think the extra thickness would add to the appeal.

I would look into somehow clamping the gl*** into the channel with the fixings hidden under the cowl, and then run a sealer bead around the edge between gl*** and cowl. If fully glued in it will be a major pain in the *** if it breaks.

 

Couple of options. You could do the so-called "hi-tech" (Hahahahahahah... ) which was the center cut out of a very low-dbl-curved w/s, like say, a chev pu/van from the 70's?-80-90's or so. Appeared almost flat till you looked at it correctly. Hey, cheap used gl*** is cheap for the budget. I doubt I'd spend the coin for new. For all the "if it ain't old, it ain't here" folks, look for an old, say 50's IH truck maybe 2.5T. W/s were rather curved, could cut out the center easily. & the fkn thing is pre-'65. Only reason it didn't get back done then is due to it not being thought of. Custom car guys all wanted 1-piece curved w/s. Hotrod guys never thought that far ahead.

If you absolutely need flat gl***, ask your gl***-buddy about w/s gl*** for an older(80-90's)Gillig Phantom bus. At least 1/4"(+) thick, properly legal laminated stuff. Nothing spl in terms of material(s). I'd try old bus-yards or semi-yards to see what they had, unless your buddy has it sitting somewhere. Should be stupid-cheap at a yard, if there's any around. Very heavy, & lots of area to cut what you need, incl the tinted top if you want. Not gonna bend when it's as short as you want it. Personally, I'd like to see the w/s bottom edge supported by at least a rubber sealing strip against the cowl, as it provides a couple of benefits but that's just me.

Or whatever he suggests. A 7" high w/s is like a ribbon, not much there.
Marcus...

 

What would Boyd do?

 

@X38 you beat me to it. Boyd pretty much invented it

 

A very slight curve if the windshield is big enough to cut it out of would be a FCW 173. VW beetle.

 

that's exactly what I did for a track t that I did

 

Seems like something a restoration guy would say.... guys did all kinds of stuff back in the day! He didnt say put a 1995 ford wimdshield on, he said remove a part. Not sure how that qualifies as bein non traditional... i still see rods unearthed all the time with things done ive never seen before

 

I did it on a 32 roadster almost 40 years ago. Made some milled side posts with a slot, urethane d the sides to the post and did a tidy urethane job on the cowl and left the top edge frame less, Lasted over 20,00 miles, was still solid when I sold it.

 

That's what he wants to leave out, hence the question.