Windshield

[Guest]

Bad luck, one thing leads to another. While my 60 hardtop was on lift replacing the fuel pump, the front windshield cracked, possibly due to stress. So I am going to need a new windshield. Does anyone have a source for a new or excellent used one on in the Los Angeles area, as I will be down there next month and could pick it up. I don't care if it is the original curved design or a new style replacement. How dangerous is a cracked windshield?

John Alderfer jwa4@cox.net

[Guest]

Hey John,
Some of the other guys will be able to tell you where to get a new windshield! Just remember the original ones has bow in the center! Some of the new ones are flat. I have read the flat ones never seal correctly! Is it a crack or several cracks? Remember the windshield is two 1/8" pieces of glass with a piece of plastic laminated in between them. You should be able to take your finger nail and scratch across the crack and tell where it is the outside piece of glass or the inside piece of glass broke! If it is a single crack or several cracks, the danger of it falling in on you is very slim! Unless something hits it That's why the plastic film is in it!
Richard D. Hord

P.S. I found this that Dave (simplyconnected) had posted sometime back! Hope it helps! Bob's Classic Auto Glass (1-800-624-2130). They have a brand new windshield for a '58-'60 T-bird in three different styles:
Clear
Green
Green w/blue shaded band across the top

They are all the same price: $485.00 plus shipping. The company is in Eugene OR, but they have a warehouse outside LA, which could save you a hundred bucks in shipping costs. Call them.

[60 T-Bird]

I'm just curious...Is the crack on the outside? The reason I ask is I have a hard time believing this could be a flex problem. If it was in a garage and you were not there while they worked on it, is there a chance something hit it during the lifting?

[Astrowing]

I got my wife's '78 Firebird back from the shop one time, and all the stickers were missing from the windshield because they had to replace it. I don't recall what their story was on how it got broken.

[simplyconnected]

John, before investing in a new W/S, I would like to know why the old one broke. There is no sense in spending hundreds just to break the new one.

Your car has a uni-body construction. That means it is prone to excessive flexing if your sub-members are rusted out. Some rusted-out Squarebirds flex so much, the doors don't fit right. Severe flexing from climbing a driveway approach at an angle can cause the W/S to crack. Carefully inspect your rocker panels and front sub-frame metal. These sections are notorious for rusting completely through, and need new replacement steel.

Check out keith's thread. He has done several Squarebirds, and has posted pictures of his work. That should give you an idea of what needs to be done on your car. - Dave

[60 T-Bird]

I had no idea Dave...That's a good thing to know.

[YellowRose]

Windshield

John, I am going to go back to the question that was asked earlier. When the windshield cracked where you present when it happened? If you were not, for all you know, a mechanic might have hit it with something and broke it. If you were there, and you know that no one hit it with anything and it cracked on it's own, then I would certainly follow up on Dave's suggestions. However, if you were not present, and were told that it cracked while putting it up on the lift or while it was sitting there, see if you can find out from the staff what REALLY happened... I had a dimple in my hood because a mechanic did not do what his manager told him to do before working on replacing the motor mounts. Open the hood before you do anything. They had to fix the dimple and repaint my hood. It very well may be that someone broke your windshield and they don't want you to know it was them. But if you saw what actually happened, that is another story.

[simplyconnected]

Good idea Ray, I think I will too.

...How dangerous is a cracked windshield?

Your windshield is an integral part of your car's structure. The 'danger' depends on how the glass is broken, as you don't want flying pieces of glass. In Michigan, cops write 'defective equipment' tickets for broken windshields because they are also major safety components that must not obstruct the driver's view. We get tickets if SNOW obstructs our view. - Dave

[Guest]

Hey Guys,
The best way to tell if it was hit or stress crack is to look at the crack. If it was hit, there will be a point of impact (out in the glass away from the trim) and should look like a spider's web (or a star). If it was a stress crack, it had to come from behind the trim, with only one or several runs from that location. It also could be caused by factory installation! If they (the factory) hit and chipped the edge it just took the right situation for it to run! You must remember you are talking about two 1/8" pieces of glass with plastic laminated in between!
Richard D. Hord

P.S. Dave is correct, some state's, police will write you a ticket! Kentucky will not, I've seen people driving around with there's shattered and have seen them several times! Shattered, it is a safety hazard!

[Guest]

windshield

I was not present when the crack happened, but I am pretty sure it was a stress crack because there is no sign of anything hitting the glass and the crack can be felt on the inside, but not the outside. It is high up on the drivers side and runs up to the top about 3 inches and then horizontal for about 12 inches. My mechanic says it came off the tow that way.

This car is a totally rust free car from arizona, so i don't think weakness is an issue.

Here is the amazing part. My insurance is with Grundy Worldwide. I called them and they confirmed 100% coverage for glass and started the claim process. They recommended Safelite as the company that does most of the glass replacements for their customers. I called Safelite who confirmed that they will have no problem getting the windshield (although I am sure it will be the new style) and a new gasket. The manager at Safelite told me there is virtually no windshield he cannot get. All this seems to good to be true, so I report back when the job is complete.

Thanks for the comments. This site is a tremendous help.

[YellowRose]

Windshield

Hi John,

Well, it appears that the crack did not occur at that shop. Maybe the tow truck put to much of a "bend" in the car when hoisting it onto the flatbed, if it was a flatbed tow truck. Or when it was on the hook.

It sounds like you are going to be pretty well taken care of. If it were me and you have the leeway to do so, I would go with this. Ask your insurance company and/or Safelite, if they can get the windshield from (as stated below) Bob's Classic Auto Glass (1-800-624-2130). They have a brand new windshield for a '58-'60 T-bird in three different styles:
Clear
Green
Green w/blue shaded band across the top

They are all the same price: $485.00 plus shipping. The company is in Eugene OR, but they have a warehouse outside LA, which could save you a hundred bucks in shipping costs. Call them.

They will be getting a windshield that you will know is really made for your '60 Tbird, and you have the choice of styles, depending on what it is now. Here is what the VTCI Official Factory Specifications (OFS) says about '60 windshields.

[simplyconnected]

Find the root cause of the crack. These cars should certainly withstand ANY tow or hoist without cracking the windshield.

It simply isn't acceptable to speculate where the crack DIDN'T come from. I would hate to see you go through this again. Before they take the cracked windshield out, see if the cause can be duplicated. After all, the W/S is already broken.

Bob's windshields are NOT branded. Bob's web site refers to a company that sells the necessary equipment to brand your own. - Dave

[tbird430]

Do Bob's windshields have the correct "buldge" to them, like the originals?

[Guest]

Saga ended

The windshield saga has ended. The windshield was replaced Tuesday by the local Safelite shop here in Las Vegas. They have a guy who specializes in older vehicles. The windshield is the new style, which is flat as opposed to the originals which had a more curved surface from the roof to the cowl. The tint appears to match perfectly. The style was not a concern to me as the car is primarily a driver anyway, although it is restored to a #2 level. They claimed the original style is not available and I did not have the time or inclination to do a nationwide search. The out-the-door cost was $1,400 which included a new correct rubber gasket and installation.

The entire amount was covered by insurance. For anyone who is interested, I could not be happier with the service from Grundy Worldwide. They were terrific!