Thoughts On A Windshield Not Yet Broken

Ahhh......You've heard of my fleet of "Glass R Us" trucks??

 

Any decent auto glass place should be able to replace a Speedster windshield.  They're pretty straightforward, as auto glass goes.

 

However!  Not only will they not have a windshield in stock, they may not know where to get one, even though the glass hasn't changed since the 1950's.

 

My best advice would be to get a new windshield and new top and bottom rubber gaskets (optional) from VS, or Carey at Beck, and bring them all, along with a printed copy of my tech article, to your glass place of choice and let them do it.

I bet you won't get the SAFELITE Nationwide lifetime guarantee though.  Probably just a I'll give it a shot at your total risk!

Maybe I've done something different, but I've replaced 4 of them in various speedsters with no problems.  (I have never installed one on a new kit.) It helps to have someone else with you. (To hand you a beer and create a smooth dual dialog of sarcasm)

 

I unscrew the center support and two screws on each side of the frame. Make a bucket of really soapy water and dip the rubber gasket in it.  Then slip the windshield in the gasket, put it in place and wiggle the top frame back down until the screws on the sides line up.  Put them in, then put in the center strut being careful not to tighten it down past snug.

The last one took maybe 45 minutes, including beer and sarcasm.

-=theron

 

Anyone ever faced with the delicate complexities of replacing a speedster windshield should contact David Stroud...He has a lot of hands on experience in that area!

 

Thanks for the sage advice, Gordon.

 

And for yours as well, Theron.

 

A job without sarcasm is like a day without sunshine.

 

 

Yes.  David's done a good 'demonstration' or two at Carlisle on replacing Speedster windshields... 

The most fun I've had doing a windshield was for Peter McEwan, down in Beaufort.

 

He's originally from South Africa and has this delightful Afrikaner accent, but he looks like Burgess Meredith's twin brother and is just a few years older than me (and an engineer, to boot!).  

 

He shows up at the house with his car (I had already gotten a bunch of windshields from Carey Hines) and a case of Yuengling Beer and says "Where the hell do we start?"

 

It all went downhill from there.......

 

It's not that big a deal. I took mine off for a repaint. I even took the base trim off, and riveted it back on. I re-installed it by myself 5 years ago. No muss.

       
       


Danny, that's what you said after doing your transaxle, too!

Remember, you're talking to someone who has trouble getting the top off a pickle jar.

(It's righty tighty, lefty loosey, right?)

I've removed the windshield several times to stop leaks, and replaced it once.  The only time that was really fiddly was the replacement since it was the only time I had to R&R the top frame piece.  The new window may be a hair less tall than the old, because I had trouble getting it to sit down tightly at the bottom.

Ha !!!  Lane said "hairless"

 

Ok, I'm done here. Carry on.

Yeah, yer done alright. 

sticks and stones...

No comment from me.....