And There was Glass!

Thanks to a link provided by Forward Look friend, Marc, I called Extreme Auto Glass Pros in Dallas, and unlike the smaller local auto glass shops, they said that they do install owner provided glass in classic cars. Bob, the technician they sent out, had 37 years of auto glass experience so had done hundreds of older cars. However, to underscore the rarity of finned Mopars in the world, and despite his considerable experience, this was the first ’56 Plymouth he had ever worked on. Fortunately, automotive designs from the same era are similar in concept so after a quick glance at the service manual, he jumped right in.

When I had attempted to install the back glass, I had problems that I attributed to my lack of experience, but Bob immediately ran into the same problem. He asked if the glass was the same one I removed, as it was too small to fit properly in the opening.  I assured him it was, but for the seal to center and secure the glass, he had to shim the lower slot nearly 1/8”. When I removed the old seal, I didn’t notice anything unusual, so perhaps the Steele branded seal isn’t the exact same profile as the original. I’d be interested to hear if others have experienced the same issue.

At this point, the major problem I foresee is the potential for leaks, since it doesn’t fit snuggly. Although the car won’t be driven in rainstorms, that’s not really an issue, but just washing the car could allow water into the trunk.  

The windshield was a ten minute job, as everything fit perfectly.

Inspired by the look of glass in place, I began to lay out the stainless trim. I quickly learned that I should have noted the removal sequence, as it does make a difference which pieces go on first, but I think I have that mostly figured out.

Because of the way the trim is secured by thin slots in the seal, there will be quite a bit of manipulation required to make them fit, so like everything else, that part of the installation will take longer than expected. Also like everything else, I’ll have to make another trip to Fastenal to pick up some #10 rust-resistant nuts and washers. Good news was that the universal moulding fasteners I bought from Rock Auto work great after I re-formed the tension spring so they fit the narrow, ½” moulding.

One interesting tidbit I learned from Bob was that their shop does the glass work for the TV reality series, Gas Monkey Garage, so he’s been involved in some interesting projects.

Bob also took a picture of the photo-shopped version of my car, and if the picture of a picture looks clear enough they will post it in their website album.

I’m slightly disappointed that I wasn’t able to do the glass job all by myself, but I’m glad it’s done so I can get back to serious assembly. The glass installation was $350, so the total cost came to roughly $1200 for all labor, parts and materials.