I wasn't planning to change the windshield in my '52 Chevy. I'd rather not talk about it. All I'll say is that if you take the hood latch to the chrome shop early in the morning, don't try to drive the car on the freeway to a club meeting that night.
Back in the '50s, when the components needed were available in wrecking yards (or new-car dealers), a fairly common custom swap for '49-52 Chevys was to replace the split windshield with a more streamlined one-piece unit from a '50 Oldsmobile. Besides the glass itself, you could get the corresponding rubber seal, or gasket, the necessary center clips for the inner and outer windshield frames or stainless moldings, and a rearview mirror that mounted in the upper inside frame (Chevy mirrors mount on the center post). It was a slick, easy swap. But you're not going to find '50 Oldsmobiles, especially with reusable glass or rubber, in wrecking yards today. And Oldsmobile dealers... adios!
Surprisingly, however, one-piece '50 Olds replacement windshield glass has been available in the aftermarket for quite some time, though it was very expensive. But when I called Mike Cox, the owner/crew at The Glass House (who not only knows everything about vintage auto glass, but also has patterns for it) about replacing the windshield in my Chevy, he said, "Do you want a two-piece Chevy, or a one-piece Olds? They're about the same price." In today's global market, good replacement windshields for a surprising number of vintage cars are now available from an even more surprising number of places (Brazil, Portugal, England, Mexico, China, etc.), and the competition has significantly brought down prices. So I said, "The one-piece Olds, of course."
The swap is almost as simple as it was in the '50s, but I found there are more tips and tricks to this installation in particular, and to replacing windshields in early cars in general, than I figured.
To start, did you know that '49-52 Chevys had four different sizes of windshields (not even counting flat-glass pickups)? To order replacement glass (whether one-piece Olds or original Chevy) you have to know which one you need. The most common style includes two- or four-door coupes and sedans, as well as sedan deliveries. These are known as Styleline models, and they can come with or without stainless molding around the windshield. A slightly shorter windshield came in the fastback '49-52 cars (two- or four-door), which are collectively known as Fleetline models. When Chevy introduced its first hardtop model in '51, with a completely different roofline, it was essentially a chopped top, with not only an even shorter windshield, but a slightly different curvature as well. Convertibles of these years use the same windshields as the hardtops. Finally, the station wagon had a taller windshield than all of these.
To get the correct one-piece windshield for your Chevy, order one from the corresponding Oldsmobile body style. Check the stamped metal ID tag on the upper right (passenger side) firewall to be positive of your Chevy's body style. It lists a body "Style No." starting with two digits the same as the year of your car. If you give this number to the glass shop ordering your windshield, they can check an interchange manual for the corresponding Olds body style and windshield.
While the Olds-to-Chevy windshield swap was common, we can only assume that similar-bodied '49-52 GM cars-such as '49 Olds, all Pontiacs, and some Buicks-with two-piece windshields will accept the one-piece Olds. But even Mike has little experience in this area, so we can't say for sure. As far as we know, none of the wagons (including Olds) had one-piece windshields.
Anytime you replace a windshield in an early car, you should install a new, fresh rubber seal to fit it. While removing the metal bar from the center of the windshield opening on '49-52 Chevys is simple, trying to modify a '49-52 windshield gasket to fit one-piece glass is not practical. You could try to get an Olds seal to match the windshield, but Chevy replacement rubber is much more plentiful. Chevy went to one-piece windshields for all models in 1953 and, while the glass will not interchange in earlier-year bodies, the much more pliable rubber gaskets will. This is the hot ticket. Order a '53-54 Chevy windshield gasket to fit the Olds glass in your '49-52 car. Chevy didn't make Fleetline bodies in '53-54, but the regular coupe/sedan gasket will fit the Styleline and Fleetline bodies. For the hardtop or convertible, use the corresponding '53 gasket. And, if your coupe or sedan has stainless trim around the windshield, be sure to order the gasket that has the groove to accept it.
There are several good sources these days for vintage Chevrolet replacement rubber and reproduction parts. Shop around. I found that prices and availability on windshield gaskets varied considerably, and Mike actually preferred the lowest-priced gasket.
A leaky windshield is not acceptable on a rod or custom. On these Chevys, also get and install new wiper tower rubber gaskets, and save or replace those funny rubber-backed washers that hold the lower stainless trim strips. They keep water from leaking into the interior. Further, Mike highly recommends 3M Bedding & Glazing Compound (PN 08509), available at many hardware or auto parts stores, to seal these gaskets. The second choice is black or clear silicone sealer. Do not use hard-setting urethane as used on new glue-in windshields.
As I mentioned, you could also get ancillary pieces you needed back in the '50s, such as inside/outside center trim clips and a rearview mirror and bracket, from a junkyard Olds. I actually got a '50 Olds mirror bracket and had it plated before I discovered that '53-54 mirror brackets are almost identical and they're readily available from vintage Chevy parts houses, such as Chevs of the 40's. And although the center post-mounted '52 inside mirror will attach to the '54 bracket, if you've driven an early car with a non-dimming mirror, you know it can be a pain at night. And I know of no practical way to re-chrome a rearview mirror. Guess what? Repro mirrors, in fresh chrome and in a variety of sizes and styles (including day/night) are now available at very affordable prices at the vintage Chevy parts houses. If I were smart, I wouldn't have had to replace the windshield in the first place. But I am educable.
Finally, the latest news on this subject is that The Glass House, besides making polished stainless center clips for the outside windshield trim, has just tooled up to make inside center clips (in plain steel for painting or chroming), as well. You can also order the one-piece Olds glass from them and they will drop-ship it to you. And Mike will even get you the correct '54 Chevy rubber gasket to go with it, if you can't find it yourself.
In the accompanying photos, Mike makes the installation of the glass look easy, even doing it by himself. I would not recommend you try this at home. It's a two-person job, at best. I suggest letting a local auto glass house do the work. But then, I'm not real smart.
