Technical Old glass versus new glass?

Just a question about old windshield glass.

My Fairlane has the original 64 windshield and I am wondering if back then the glass was different, with different reflective/refractive properties? I was out at night for the first few times and man o man the oncoming coming cars headlights were blinding, almost washing out my view.

This windshield does have a small crack and I plan to have it replaced this coming summer, but will the same type be installed? or can I ask that a different type be installed?

Thanks in advance

 

I don't know for sure but my honey swears that her new to her car has some kind of "high definition" windshield. She can see so much better with it than my truck or her former car or any other car, especially at night. I don't notice anything HD about it but she sure as hell does. I notice her windshield being cleaner and without the tiny pits or wiper abuse from decades of road miles of on the outside. Also its at more of a slope. I notice some distortion in near the post curves that I think is weird. It's a debate that she will win because I don't know. I just wash it for her, rain X the outside and clean the inside well every couple weeks.

 

I notice the near blinding while meeting on coming cars. Figure cause I'm old.

 

It has a lot to do with the ride heith and your actual eye height while riding in the vehicle. I had a new 69 Camaro and a couple of sixties Mustangs that were murder on the eyes, driving at night,

 

The car in your avatar has a nearly flat windshield as well, which will contribute a lot of glare. That's part of the reason cars started having a sloped windshield--that, and aerodynamics.

 

Windshields will get 'worn' over time, with hundreds of tiny imperfections that 'scatter' the light. A new one should 'clear' things up.... pun intended... LOL

 

The headlights of the newer cars are much brighter and I'm getting older too.

 

The old windshield has been peppered with fine grit for years and that diffuses the light,,all the fine scratches add to the problem.

Polishing will help but if you have a crack you would be better off replacing the windshield. HRP

 

A new windshield fixes the problem , except the getting old part,I will wear light tinted perscription glasses at night time and it helps a lot !

 

To answer your question ... Yes, it is different. At least that's according my my glass man. In earlier cars, the glass actually contained lead, which caused the refraction differences. Matter of fact, according to my dermatologist, old car glass was much better as a filter fot UV rays, and actually helped in the prevention of skin cancer. Seriously.
For whatever it's worth, my glass man also changes his own windshields every few years as he feels that the vision through them is compromised to the point of being dangerous.

 

Nothing beats new glass. When you put in the new windshield you will see how bad your side glass is.

 

New glass really does help. Our old 1941 Ford still has the stock appearing but new glass everyplace except the rear window. . It made an immediate difference in visibilty and does not seem to glare as badly.
I drove big rigs for a large company. Even though those tractors were less than ten years old the windshields looked terrible early in the morning when driving against the rising sun. Looked like the glass had been sandblasted. Later in the day it was not visible.
Cars today with those blue-white lites and super white lights are very bright. Of course my old eyes are also wearing out. Especially the right one since I poked the lens out and went through hell getting it repaired.
Slightly tinted or glasses that changes is best for driving day, night, or rain.

 

Interesting.

Keeping all my original glass in both my cars (bubbles & all). The windshield in my pickup does need a polishing though.

 

Yellow tint shooting glasses will cut the glare.

 

Yeah, Im old, but the sales pitch is always for brighter lights to see farther. They dont take in to consideration the blindness caused to the oncoming traffic. Also, those Chevies with the driving lights in the bumpers are real killers . Sorry, this has nothing to do with new verses old windshields does it.

 

He's likely talking about the difference in older side and back glass that was laminated versus the newer stuff that's all tempered. Windshields are still laminated by law. The tempered glass doesn't have nearly the ability to stop UV that the laminated glass has.

Its the inner plastic layer of laminated glass that stops the UV rather than the glass itself. So if you're replacing flat glass in a car with new flat laminated glass you still have the UV protection just like the old stuff had.

 

I've heard complaints that new stock windshields are thinner than old stock. And that the gaskets are made to accommodate the stock thickness so filling caulk is needed. Anyone else heard or experienced that? I'm just about to do the windshield on my truck...

 

I was told years ago that Ford saved 400 pounds from each car by making thinner glass. When they went to the new body style in the late 70s.

 

That sound R E A L L Y F A R F E T C H E D .
Don't think there's even close to 400 lbs of glass in two cars.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies. Some interesting ideas to chew on.

I already own a Jeep, so if I am going to get skin cancer (god forbid) it'll be from that vehicle.
Interesting enough I have always wondered why convertibles don't have a warning about excessive sun causing damage to the skin? I suppose it's only a matter of time before that happens....

 

I think the auto manufacturers experimented with polarization but most settled for the UV filtered glass like PPG Solex. This has been around since 1952. It involves the laminate in between glass panels. They also use Sungate in laminated windshields. I'm sure that LOF glass (Libby-Owens-Ford who supplied FoMoCo) had their own name for their UV protective glass. Polarization only works well when it can be adjusted such as for camera lens filters where you can turn it different ways. Tempered glass can also be filtered with tint but doesn't have the advantage that laminated glass has.

 

Would a place like safelite be able to fill a windshield crack on a classic like they do on modern glass? I have a nickel sized crack on my '59 Edsel's and would rather have it repaired than replace the whole thing.

 

Why not ask them

 

Didn't they change the materials or tempering or manufacturing methods somewhere in the 50's to 60's to make windshields safer in accidents...to avoid crash victims from wearing a "glass necklace"?

 

Yep, the one in my daily driver looks like it has been in a sand storm and there t is a distinct mark where the rh wiper stops and goes back wiper it overlaps the drivers side wiper. It can get pretty distracting in bright sunlight or facing bright headlights especially those frigging blue ones. The windshield in my 48 isn't any better after 32 years of being in the weather and a few pits from grinder sparks.

 

I figure the 20 year old that answers the phone won't have a clue.


They just want my 100 bucks either way.

 

Really old glass has ripples in the surface. So much so that when looking at it from an angle you can see the rippled surface like water that's disturbed! My old '46 has a lot of original glass (including the windshield) and I can look at all the glass and see which is original, and which is replacement just by the lack of smooth surface.
But I don't notice any glare, or problems with oncoming headlights with the glass?

 

I was told 400 pounds, never thought about it. Maybe it was 40 pounds and I was told 400.

 

A good glass shop can polish a windshield with jeweller's rouge and eliminate a lot of glare. But if it is that old, it is better to replace it.