How many out there reused the gl*** in their model A's weather cut down or stock ? If you had good gl*** would you reuse it if you could or save and get safety gl*** ?
Make up some templates and have a local gl*** shop cut some laminated safety gl*** for you; it's really not that expensive......Bob
Laminate is good, and you won't ever find the "popcorn" of broken tempered gl*** all through the interior.
Model A's were built with laminated safety gl***. The biggest problem with the old gl*** is it de-laminates when old and discolors.
The windshield gl*** should be "A-1" lam gl*** and the side gl*** is "A-2" which breaks into the popcorn.
Get the safety gl***! The front windsheild in my buddies 28 A was only thirty bucks, and thats custom cut to fit in a frame that was chopped 5". We dropped the frame of and picked it up 3 hours later. The safety factor at such a cheap cost make it a must.
Nuh uh! It was plate gl***. And I third (fourth, fifth?) the need for safety gl***. Just don't tell anybody that I left the original plate gl*** in the rear window of a hotrod 32 just because of the old sticker Tulsa Nationals.
Model A windshields were the early safety gl***, because Henry had seen a friend die from injuries received when he went through a windshield. I'm not sure about the side and back gl***, though.
Well, the remains of old gl*** in the pieces of **** I have floating around, are plate gl***. I stepped on what had been a good sedan quarter window and it broke into two big pieces. My AA truck seems to have that same gl*** for the windshield, too. Given new gl*** is $45 or less a shot at a gl*** shop, I'd go there and have new windows cut.
Tempered is much stronger than laminated, many places it's required.....Jim Never seen or heard of a model A with factory Safety Gl***, Henry did come out early and federal Law came in to effect in 1939....Jim All windshields are required to be AS-1 (American Standard-1) which has .030 lamination AS-2 has .015 lamination or Tempered. Neither are legal (in the USA) for windshields. AS-3 (or M-3) is the colored or privacy gl*** in trucks, Vans or SUV's. Not legal from the Drivers shoulder forward or anywhere in p***enger vehicles (I know that a stupid one) Good story but didn't happen in 31 or 32. you have me on the actual date Henry started all 35's were laminated. I've seen 34's but don't know if they were factory. Where's Squirrel when you need him dammit!
The Model A Ford was the first Ford to have a laminated safety gl*** windshield. All other gl*** was plate as all previous Fords used. Windshields were laminated safety gl*** in all Fords starting in 1929, side and back gl***es could be special ordered in laminated safety gl*** if desired beginning in 1932. 1935 Production was equipped with laminated safety gl*** in all windows and all following as well until the advent of tempered gl*** for side and back gl***es. Windshields remain laminated safety plate up to this date.
Just went and reread the section of the book "The Model A Ford as Henry Built It" and it states that an engineer at Ford was driving a preproduction Model A around Detroit and was in an accident and badly hurt going through the windshield, not killed as I earlier stated. Henry was saddened by the incident and decreed that the Model A would have a safety gl*** windshield. As pasadenahotrod states, the side and back windows were still plate gl***. Probably back in the day many windshields were replaced with plate gl***, especially in the depression and WWII, people used whatever they could get their hands on. I have several original old Model A windshields and they DO delaminate so I know for a fact that they are laminated.
The Jalopy Journal
