Everyone knows that I have glassguys 51 merc. It has a 50 merc back glass in it. (which had plexi installed when I bought it). The plexi is yellow and scrached and hard to see through. When I purchased the car it came with an original 50 merc back glass. So now I decided it was time to put the original in. I had a local glass guy come over that said he has put glass in old cars before and tried to install the original back glass. no luck. he swears that the orginal back glass will not fit. Note: yes the top has been chopped. (just in case you didn't pay attention to the title) What is wrong? Are there certain tricks or black magic? are 50 windows really that much of a pain in the ass to install? I talked to glassguy and he said it would go in, and that this glass has been in the car before. Anyone installed one before? Anyone near Memphis, TN. thats done it before and that could help? Know of some place near memphis I could take it to?
it sounds suspicious to me. if the glass was in it before why replace it with plexi? i would assume the window opening got changed when the chop was done. if you cant get the glass to fit you can always cut another piece of plexi until you figure out the problem.
I talked to Glassguy allot when I was chopping mine and he told me he had the original back glass in it but it looked like a bubble and preferred the look of the plexi as it laid nice and flat. The chop on mine is very similar to yours and I know I will have to make the same decision when the time comes. I think you may want to get another installer to take a look at it. I miss that car you need to post up some pics of it more often.
they are actually pretty easy to install. i would say the opening has been altered or its tweeked from the chop and the glass doesnt fit so he went for the plexy. post up some pics of the window opening.
Wont the old shoelace trick do the job? I assume you laid the glass along the back and measured every which way to confirmt that it actually will fit, right? I'd image a 2-man job to do it, but if it's the right glass, it can be done.
It was lexan, and due to what eyeball said. Flattened out look more, that thing is chopped hefty, the stock glass might look wierd. Only thing I can say is try some dishsoap, that makes it easier... installing that glass is a pain in the butt. Sometimes it goes right in, sometimes tells you where to go for an hour or so.
the re-pop back glass is laminated and can be trimmed if needed. it also comes in clear or green and grey tinted. if you can't find them local. check my website the chopped 4 door merc got a smoked grey one Jim
Someone on here (wasn't it you noname?) Showed a post on how to cut down a windshield to make a custom back glass...may have to do that if you want glass with a nice profile!
The guy who looked at your car is a wussy! The glass should drop right in. You need two people, one to position it from the outside and push when the time comes and one on the inside to pull the cord out of the rubber and do a little convincing of the rubber here and there. At least one of the two people has to be experienced or the glass might get broken. The lay-down will make the inside guy's job much harder, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. Find another glass shop that does automotive glass. Ask around. Someone will do it.
My darling bride and I did mine and it SUCKED. She is just a bit over 100lbs and just doesn't have the heft. I did mine from the outside pulling into the inside. Start from teh bottom with lots of dish soap and about a 3/16 or 1/4 rope. After it was in there, I still had to go around the gasket with a pair of pliers and suck teh window all the way in place. It took an entire saturday afternoon... By the way, it is no secret that I LOVE your car. It was one of three Mercs I had in my minds eye when I built mine. Good luck, -Abone.
This is most certainly not chopper error. Dave has chopped many a car and they are perfect. So put that out of your minds. The Merc in question is so radically chopped (as Mercs go) that it may be a bit different. Traditional thinking may not apply here, you might need to be as outside the box as Dave usually is. BTW, one of my favorite Mercs as well. Especially when Van Hagar is blasting from the speakers. My other fav was built by the guy who posted just above me...
If your still in doubt about the actual fit, Lay the Glass in without the Gasket and check that it lays in contact all the way around the opening. You should also have 1/4" to 3/8" gap for the rubber around the edge. If it all checks out right the Glass will go in. It's also a good way to see if you like the profile of the Glass prior to actually installing it. The Wizzard
If you lay the glass in the channel without the seal it touches on both sides where it is rounded and the original glass would have to be trimmed about 1/4" on both sides. Now on the top and bottom the glass is too short about 1/2". If I lay the plexi that was in the car when I bought it, on the original glass it is bigger by about the same on the top and bottom, and short by about the same where it is rounded on the sides. So i don't think the original glass is going to fit. What are my options? lexan is a cheeper temp fix but i will have to replace about every 2 to 3 years. How much would it cost to have custom glass made? Anyone know a custom glass shop near memphis?
now I'm not knocking dave's craftsmanship, cause the car is killer. just confused because he says it should fit. so is the glass guy that was here today a wuss or is the original glass a no fit?
The old rule of chopped tops in the hot rod world was "If it is done right the glass fits, sure you may have to cut 6 windshields to get one that doesn't crack while cutting but, it fits." The rule is this, a simple one, "If the glass is plastic the chop isn't right." No excuses, no whining, the steel wasn't cut or handled right and now you're in deep crapola, and the easy way out is plastic, not the right way, the easy way. I felt a rise in the BS tide, and a disturbance in the Force, when you said the cutter said "the stock glass just didn't look right and the plastic gave it just the right look". Yeah right. An ego is a terrible thing to bruise. In those Mercs where the back glass is just laid down rather than cut down the ONLY reason the stock glass won't fit is because the window opening was not properly braced before cutting it loose...oops!
Try reinstalling it with someone who isnt afraid of giving it the ol Polish glass installer hand, smacking it around to get it in. Scary at first haha. That is untrue above about the gap, the rubber is staggered so there is no perfect gap around it, look into the rubber you will see what I mean. It isnt like installing a V butt windshileld.
Or...people on here know the car and builder and know why there was lexan in there. Easy there Matlock...
if the glass is abit oversized, trim it down with a grinder, i shaved some glass with a 4" grinder and some 80 grit, no prob. if its undersized, your f*cked when i had the glass made for the ford <------ i watched the glass guy finish up and he was thowning the glass at a 60 grit belt sander, when i got home it still needed a little massage.
Yea...try that with tempered glass and let us know how long it took to clean up all the little pieces.
When OLD BEET installed the back glass in My Sons chopped Merc it looked WAY OFF at first. The glass had been in the hot attick laying face down all summer. It opened up damn near 3/4 of an inch. BEET layed it in the hole and let it set a while the MUSCLED it in with great finess and success. It fit perfect. Maybe You have the same problem. FEDER
the 50 fourdoor went all dark glass. it was the first laminated one I'd installed and he wanted to delete the chrome trim. I used two "wbl 685" gaskets, from 67-72 chevrolet pickups. I cut them and made two splices in the center top and bottom. they filled the gap nicely and had room to move around a bit. after it was in. I pushed the gasket tight to the body and sealed between the gasket and the glass with Ureathane and it's set for life. i think this might work for you......Jim
Lol. He's got it all figured out from halfway across the country. Ya know seeing the car, knowing the builder, knowing all the other cars he's built, knowing that he owns an AUTO GLASS SHOP. If Dave says there was glass in it, he can put glass in it.
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