Projects My 57 is home

It’s only money! What fun would it be if we actually had some! Haha!

 

I went through some of what you're doing with the trim some time ago. Like you I have a pile of it. I cherry picked what I had to get a nice set for the windshield and back then learned a lesson. Several pieces of mine had been Pulled out of the rubber instead of Cut out. This stretched the corners out and even though it set in the Rubber and seemed like it fit the Glass it sure didn't fit the Body correctly. I had to send the Glass guy home while I worked for a couple days to get the SS to follow the Body Curves correctly. This was my last major setback like 2 years ago in that I still haven't rescheduled the Glass guy to come back and install either front or back glass. Yes, my headliner is in and all the upholstery is ready to set in place. I just can't get back to it.

 

Are replacement heater cores available?

 

With a same year Chevy, windshields are cheap new and sedan rears are a dime a dozen. On the other hand, some of the Mopars there's not even a rear window gasket available new.

A friend of mine did a '55 Buick Roadmaster and had actually driven out of state to buy a whole parts car to get a good windshield, and I got to install it, since no glass shop wanted to touch it. Got it in there OK, but that was a nerve wracking job. Lots of stainless on that one too, and a very specific sequence to install the stainless, some in the rubber, some before or after.

It can be done if you take your time, but I do not envy that job at all. It feels like you're holding a baby in one hand and juggling a chainsaw in the other.

 

My buddy's Buick windshield had a tiny bullseye in it that was too close to an edge to fill (apparently) and we had to install it with that in there, and I had to beat on that old windshield pretty hard to get it into the hole. A good hook tool (like one of those bent-over pick things that you use to pull cotter pins out) works good to wiggle the lip of the rubber around on the inside, if it doesn't just pop in to place using the rope.

The key seems to be when you first drop it into place, it needs to be dead-on centered in the hole before you start getting any of the rubber lip in place. It will not want to move side to side once you start pulling any rubber into place.

 

The thing that most folks don't often realize about an old cars windshield frame is that just like any other panel on the car, the frame is a loop. Like a rubber band, it can get all twisted out of shape or stretch and distort. The glass doesn't have that much give to it. It can be a tedious adventure to reinstall especially an old FORD or similar wraparound style piece.

 

Reading the last page of posts, I sense frustration and a few other emotions. The window installation, both front and rear, is a colossal pain in the rear end along with the headliner. Just realize that you have friends, followers, and it will all pass.
And finally, just remember that you will have two of the baddest '57's on the planet. DUMP THE CLUTCH and make us all happy.

 

I pressure tested my core, easy since the dash and heater box were out of the car. The core looked like new. I dread taking my back window out and my glass guy retired last year, he did a lot of work on high-buck restorations. I'm not even sure I can source a back window for a Custom 300.

I had 2 pieces of the upper trim for the back glass. The OG one, I damaged it with the garage door, bad news. I bought another one and the little corner tab is missing. Not a big deal, I'll need someone to silver solder a tab before it goes back on. I too have a bunch of duplicate trim for the car. The best stuff I have in cardboard tubes, I'll eventually sell off the rest. I was able to source all the trim clips for the entire car.

 

I've done a few headliners in my time, they are tricky. Never got one perfect, despite investing many hours into them, but have gotten them "acceptable" by my standards. Getting one in there even and tight is almost an art.

 

I loves me some white interiors.

 

The windlacing makes it perfect.

 

Grandma’s steam iron is your friend , an old time friend if my told me he worked headliners at Norwood , Oh , GM factory . He says every seat cover and headliner got steamed .

 

Well, that explains why mine looked like doggie dodo.
Your entire interior mirrors the outside, great job.
The seats are just so cool also.

 

I read the other day that the mark of an extremely smart person is to know what you don't know. That's when you call in for help. Most of us can get by. if you want to be better than that, you ask for help. I dread your glass installation almost as much as you. I do flat glass. Curved glass beats me up. Hold your mouth right and good luck.

 

It would be so cool, for you to have go pro camera set up to capture the entire installation of the front windshield, so that the HAMB Universe can learn something about how tricky this process can be.
Even if there is a mishap or mistake, it would be valuable information visually for those that could really appreciate how the installation goes!
Thanks from Dennis.

 

I watched the local glass company do mine-front and rear. It 'looks relatively simple' and it is. You just have to take your time and go slowly. Although, the next time may be by the same company-if they still have someone who can do it. If not I will do it myself. Good luck Jeff.

 

L.O.L. Watching and doing is two different things. It always looks easy when you have experience and know what you're doing. I used to have customers watch me weld and metal finish pieces and they would say "that didn't look so hard". My regular reply was, why didn't you just do it yourself?

 

I used to do curved glass by myself, or with my brother. With glass running $40 used back then, the risk was minimal. Even being dead broke, we always sprung for a new gasket.

I had my Ford windshield done by a mobile glass guy (now retired) exactly 8 years ago in a pouring rain outside, we were in a dry garage. I was giving him a hand and cringed while he tried to slap the bottom of the glass in place... so out it came. That was a fun filled event... not. But we got it done.

 

...and don't forget to use the corect vocabulary.

 

I am fully aware of the watching vs. doing part. Which is why it will get farmed out if at all possible. I did the side glass which was not all that hard, but it is flat glass.

 

My side glass uses that welting tape, or whatever it is called. So he picked that up from me and brought it back when he did the windshield. Money well spent. He said that the glass is 100% made off shore and is a chore to install most of the time. I de-coded where my glass was made, some country I had never heard of before. It was wrapped in newspaper, I wish I had saved it. Definitely a very foreign language. I'm used to seeing Czech, Polish and Russian script, but this was stump-the-band material.

 

My windshield was made in Thailand.