I can't get the vision of a chopped top 50 something Chevy someone posted out of my mind. It looked good. So, I told myself, there are some scratches on the front windshields so they need to be changed anyways, the rear quarter windows have a through and through bullet hole in them, so why not chop the top and be done with it. That made me think about where to find the glass to do such a project. The flat glass side windows are no problem. But the windshields are something else. I've called just about every glass shop within a couple hundred miles and nobody will touch custom glass, and for that matter they say they can't get the windshields either. What does everyone do for glass after they chop the tops? I know the back glass can be laid down and keep the stock glass, but what if they want the back window smaller as well? Can you take the 51 to a one piece windshield?
Just google how to cut windshield glass, and you'll be amazed. There's even a thread on here that pops up. If you can't find a procedure you're comfortable doing, there's probably someone within driving distance of you that can do it. The sandblast method seems to be the easy way for a novice to make it happen. And remember, cut the glass first, then make the opening fit the glass. you can bend/manipulate metal. Try that w/ glass & see what happens.
Front windshields are laminated and can be cut down. Basic same process as laminated flat glass, just harder since it it curved in your case. Rear windows are typically safety glass and can't be cut down. They shatter into thousands of small pieces. To get smaller, you need to swap in a smaller rear window and frame from a different car. I agree, cut the front windshields down first and cut metal to fit.
Bob's Classic Auto Glass. Bob is great to deal witha ND will give you a discount on Steele Rubber. https://www.vendio.com/stores/bobsclassicautoglass/
In a pinch curved back windows can be made of Lexan or Plexiglass. Won't work on windshields because of wiper scratching.
I pondered this exact problem when contemplating chopping my 49 Buick. Then thought about what to do if I pick up a rock and bust my newly cut down windshield. So when I chopped it, I cut the cowl the amount of chop so it dropped the glass and wipers below the hood. I extended the hood to fill the gap. Now I have hidden wipers and use stock glass, should it get broken no problem. Also I have seen cars where they made a trough and dropped the stock glass down into the trough. I have seen this done with windshields and wrap around rear glass.
The first thing I think about when I see a project for sale that has been chopped but still needs glass is that the chop didn't go well and now the owner can't find a shop that will do the glass work. Great suggestions above. Hope you can complete the project without too much trouble.
It's easy to cut it yourself if you have a sandblaster and duct tape. Blow through both sides, cut the plastic inner layer with a razor blade, and dress the edge with a belt sander. If I can do it, anyone can, my old Caddy is proof of that. Cut the glass FIRST, form your opening to fit the glass. Side glass is flat, any glass shop can cut it if you provide templates.
I would see if you can find some old glass from something else to practice on before trying your good one. Glass has a way of suddenly going from perfect to cracked, so I'd practice first.........
Sandblasting is something id like to give an attempt.....Mopars up till 1952 are mostly flat glass , except for back glass after around 1940 ....
Once upon a time in Hambland there was a thread wher a guy cut his with an angle grinder & a fine glass cutting tile blade. Squirt some water as you go to keep it cool and Id bet that would work well. Ive cut glass tiles w the same method. Just another idea thrown out there.
Cutting glass w/s isn't all that tough. But... (Uhuh, you knew that'd be coming...) I was told, & found out, that while old glass tends to be brittle, new, like as in just purchased - not nos - can get weird too. & there isn't any way to tell before hand. Friend of mine was a pro glasier, & we discussed cutting. He warned me. Sure enough, the practice one cut nicely 3 times(was cracked already). New one got only partway thru the 1st cut, & "ran". Ooops... well, shucks-gosh-darn-anyways. So we did practice cuts, like 3 more & they were fine. After that, he told me I could cut 'em as well as he could, & if used - the large belt sander would go thru a couple hundred bucks of belts. Nope. I got another used one, cut it perfectly the 1st time, & used a wet DA to smooth off the cut edges. I doubt it matters, but here is how I cut it: put the glass on some carpet, or foam to keep it from getting damaged, I used a masking tape edge on the front of the glass for a line to follow, but I cut(oiled-up the cutting wheel w/kerosene - & make *only 1* pass for each cut, tap it from underneath quickly while the run is still "hot") the inside 1st, so I could "bend(flex)" the glass at the cut outwards, then cut the outside & "bent" the glass inwards. Alky'd the cut, set it on fire, & used a razor blade to slice thru the plastic, sanded the edges. Marcus...
I have a glass cutter (small hand held tool) But, I doubt it will go through on one pass per side. In the past we (the guys at the shop) occasionally ran into a problem when we cut in the middle of the frame after cutting the glass at the top or bottom. The problem we ran into was that not all windshields have the same contours across the spans. This really puts stressors on the glass or takes a ton of work to blend and make it fit right. The shop had a glass company that could cover those rare occasions. But, I'm gathering that having a glass company make a customer windshield is out of the question in today's market. We started making a mold of the windshield with fiberglass and release agent. That way we got all the contours. Then used that to mark where the glass was to be cut. We then used the templet to cut down to the size we wanted the frame. I think the template concept will still work. I can practice on the old windshields, as I think I have found a one piece for it. Once the template is made, cut the glass and then trim the template to match. I can use the template to make sure the contours are right and the glass will fit once the chop is done. Now the question is back to chop or not. I hate to think how much time it will add to the project and I want to have one project up and running (minus a full repaint) by this summer.
This! How many cars have been ruined because some wannabe customizer gave up on a project after they cut the roof and before they got the glass? Too many, that’s how many. Grinds my gears.
Sometimes you can find that a stock windshield from a 2dr HT or convertible of the same make and year is lower than the 2 dr sedan windshield. But this only works if you are chopping a sedan or wagon.
Pull your panties up tight, lay down your purse, and buy a glass cutter it's not near as hard as it's made out to be. Like Mike said up there somewhere, glass breaks, that's the thing you're trying to control. Nobody was born doing anything but crying, practice practice practice. Hmm... maybe I need to start hosting classes on cutting curved glass at my shop....
The small hand glass cutter w/a little wheel is the one to use. The cutter *doesn't cut-through* the glass, it *only scores* it, which is why you use the little ball at the cutters' end to tap & make the glass start to "run" in the score-line you just created, the flexing just continues the run until it gets through both the thickness & to the end of the glass. I don't remember exactly why you don't do more than one score on the same line, but iirc, it will cause the glass to "run" in different places, because you can't score exactly in the same place each time. Same thing will happen on single-thickness non-laminated glass. & there are different hardnesses of glass, usually corresponding to their thickness. Just make sure to start & follow-thru to the end of the cut w/o stopping or lessening the pressure on the cutter. You'll hear & feel a change in sound if you do, which means the score might be a problem. Probably also see the difference in the score line. I have had to go back & quickly rescore where I didn't score properly, but I probably got real lucky. The glass-tapping starts the "run" & you can see itty-bitty shards come out when you do this. I may have also tapped alongside the score in addition to 1st tapping along the bottom. I don't remember, would have to try it again, as it was only ~ 45 yrs ago that I did this. It isn't hard, but glass *is* unpredictable, which is why no-one will guarantee "1st time, every time". (Like wood, I have never been successful at welding glass). I also supported the outer curved-up ends of the w/s when I made the 1st score, & the inner curved-down areas, esp the middle, when I did the 2nd score. Also, while I could cut curves, circles, etc, on flat glass; on the w/s, I only cut straight lines, & just did more of them to get a proper angle in the top corners(I had slanted the w/s posts in, rather than widen the top bow.). I used bare hands(fingers) to flex the main cut-off, but on the corners I used a glaziers' pliers as that was needed for leverage & to grasp the thin glass pieces. & you might consider wearing tight-fitting safety glasses, as I remember the shards flying a ways, since I had to carefully brush my t-shirt off afterwards. Probably not all that much fun to get in the eyes... I did change some of the words to reflect what is happening, instead of typical slang, like "score" for "cut", "flex" for "bend", etc. Hth. Grinding the edges w/a DA is the easy way out, wet is best, but messy. You could actually hand-sand using a small backer-board, just take longer, & it's best to get edges(esp "points" or even "divots") smooth or cracks could/can start there very easily. The scoring is a lot like scoring plastic/polycarbonate, lexan/etc; except those need to be much deeper before you can flex/bend/snap-off the unwanted portion. Glass just needs 1 good score, followed quickly by tapping & flex/breaking off the unwanted portion. I never experimented to see how long I could wait before the fresh score got "cold", so that I don't know. & then there's the issue of glass cracking upon installation, which is another go-around. Sometimes "stuff" happens. ;( . & sometimes, if you're lucky or maybe careful, having made a pattern that will show the rear-window curve(s) in 3D you want/need, you can find that shape in the center of an old w/s,(harder now than all the newer-stuff is fairly flat) which now becomes the "new" rear backglass. It was what was done for the so-called hi-tech-w/s for '28->'34 roadsters, using(iirc) a 70's-80's chev pu w/s & cutting it down. Lloyd; You may as well offer the glass-cutting class, esp if you have a bunch of junk w/s around. & yrs ago, at work, some smart-ass know-it-all-mgr, decide to demonstrate how to cut (tempered) glass - w/a cutting torch. Everyone got out of the way, but no cell-phs then. The result left everyone ROTHLTAO for at least a week. . Marcus...
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