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Tinkerman

Tinkerman

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Thanks to some tips from Curt and Randall I was able to disassemble my windscreen assembly withouot a major disaster. It really looks pretty good, there is a chip in the lower left corner. Judging from the screws I found, the glass had been replaced at some time in the past. My question though, is there some compelling reason for a new glass, or can I go ahead and re-use the glass that came out?
There may be some small issues on the sides, kind of looks like some of the goop they used to seal it in the frame leached in between the panes of the glass. Mostly in the left upper corner.
It should be noted that I am building a (gasp) concours/driveable car but not a trailer queen.

Thanks for any thoughts
 
Tinkerman said:
looks like some of the goop they used to seal it in the frame leached in between the panes of the glass.
Click to expand...

I don't beleive anything leached between the panes of glass, that's part of old windscreen delaminizing (not sure if that's a word or not) the panes of glass are starting to come apart.
 
Thanks Russ, the more I look at it. I feel that you might have hit it on the head. Sounds like a compelling reason to get a new one to me.
Couple of other questions. Where to get the proper Tenax pegs?
Has anyone bought a windscreen glass from the outfit in Andover, Mass? They advertise on Ebay.
 
Russ's description of the lamination issue is enough for a glass replacement.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]It should be noted that I am building a (gasp) concours/driveable car but not a trailer queen.[/QUOTE]

That is the second reason to do so. You'll be sorry later if you don't do it now while it's all apart.
 
Tinkerman said:
It should be noted that I am building a (gasp) concours/driveable car but not a trailer queen.
Click to expand...

That's one of the reasons I sold my TR3! I found I was fretting over it too much and not enjoying it!
 
True Mickey, my enjoyment is getting things done on it. I try not to fret to much. I have to keep going back to the over engineering factor. Should put a sign up in my shop.
 
If you buy new Tenax pegs for your wind screen frame, take out the old ones and compare the thread lengths of the stud ends with the new ones. If the new ones (made for some sort of MG) are too long, you have to grind or shorten the stud end to avoid cracking your new windscreen when you screw in the first long Tenax peg. By the way, why replace them. I replaced mine when I restored my 1958 TR3A back in 1990, and I've entered it in many national VTR and TRA concours events. They require that the top be up, therefore no concours judge can see those pegs. But if you want it all to look nice the rest of the time, change them.
 
Brosky said:
Russ's description of the lamination issue is enough for a glass replacement.
Click to expand...
I'll be the contrary one and say that, if it's still under the frame, it will most likely take many years to travel far enough to be a problem. And it's easy enough to replace the glass later that I see no compelling reason to do it now, for a "driver". You'll likely be having the windshield back off the car in just a few years anyway, to replace the rubber seal at the bottom.

But as always, it depends on how deep your pocketbook is, and how much you're willing to pay for a 'perfect' car. Compared to the cost of having everything rechromed, new glass is pretty trivial.
 
Tinkerman said:
Couple of other questions. Where to get the proper Tenax pegs?
Click to expand...

TRF is advertising, just recently, that they have a *new, improved* "much more like the originals" Tenax peg. Seems worth a trip over to TRF's web page for that one...
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Compared to the cost of having everything rechromed, new glass is pretty trivial.[/QUOTE]

That's an understatement. Up about 15-20% over the last 18 months here in New England.
 
Paul, are you familiar with the company in Andover,Mass that sells windscreens on eBay? Like I said earlier I'm coming up thataway this fall and my best friend from High School lives in Andover. I don't mind hauling one back with me.
Randall, yep I will have all of the frame parts re-plated. So the glass is a trivial part of the overall cost. I want to put it all together and forget about it. When I go belly up my wife will have to sell it to get her inheritance out of it and I don't want her to have to worry about the small items, heh.

Tinkerman
 
Don, I was thinking that I can polish those pegs and no judge will ever notice the difference. I think that I will go that route, thanks for your comments.
Tinkerman
 
I only know what I've been told about windshields. I got mine from a guy in our club and he claims is original glass. According to him, the original glass has a slight black tint to it, and the new ones are clear. It has some sticky stuff all the way around the edges -some of it is dried up rubber. Another member told me it's common for people to try to seal their leaks (which apparently the TR3 cannot be made leak free) and it results in sticky stuff around the frame. My idea is that it took 50 years for the glass to show signs of age around the edges, it will probably take much longer to become a noticeable problem. I don't know if the new glass is as hard to break as the old, or if anyone cares about tint.

I do know that the 3 screws on each side that go through the tennons are different lengths. Since I had a frame without glass in it, I could easily check to see if the screw would bottom out and break the glass. They are special screws and you are expected to "trim" them to length. I'd do that before you install the glass, but I plan to use some SS screws that have been trimmed.

My car will be a driver, but it will have many 'original' parts from countless other TRs.
Jer
 
Jer, in taking mine apart I found that the long screw was at the top and the two short screws were in the middle and bottom position. Is that your take on it?

Tinkerman
 
Last year I bought a new windscreen from Moss. I got it for $75...well, it was a bit undersized. The thickness measured out at about 0.225", when it should be 0.250". I figured for the price, I'll go for it. It may turn out to be a bad move when the first seagull drops a load on it and it shatters! :cryin: I didn't see that they had them listed on their website anymore, but maybe they have some left. Give them a call if you're interested. Their number for the 'thinner then stock' glass was 856-001, while the number for the regular glass is 856-000.
 
I picked up a new glass form Victoria British for $149 last year and it fit nicely.

Well, let me caution you because I ended up buying two because my glass man was not too sharp and he broke my 1st once due to an oversight during installation.

When you install a new glass and seal make sure you take out the little snap pins for the top that are screwed in. When installed they stick out of the back side where the glass slides in the track and if the glass catches one the wrong way the glass can break and mine did.

After I went back and schooled them a little the 2nd glass went in fine.
 
Tinkerman said:
Jer, in taking mine apart I found that the long screw was at the top and the two short screws were in the middle and bottom position. Is that your take on it?
Click to expand...
My recollection is that it's the other way around, the short screw goes at the top, where the stanchion is the thinnest. Also seem to recall that there were two longer and one shorter screw per side. TRF seems to agree, since they list (4) of 552662 per car, which is described as 1" long; but only (2) of 561206, which is described as 7/8" long.
 
TexasKnucklehead said:
It has some sticky stuff all the way around the edges -some of it is dried up rubber.
Click to expand...
The original sealing material was something like "friction tape", ie rubber-impregnated cloth. There has been blackish sticky stuff around the edges of all the ones I've taken out, but no signs of anyone adding anything.
 
martx-5 said:
...well, it was a bit undersized.
Click to expand...
Hmmm. I remember some folks fussing that the sealing material (between glass and frame) being sold was too thick ... perhaps it was to match the thin glass ?
 
I used black electric tape. I put 4 layers all around the glass on each side and slid the glass into the top frame. It was still a bit sloppy, so I added two more layers. Then it went in snug. After I fixed the lower chromed piece, I trimmed off all the excess black tape that was still showing. It's perfect.
 
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