Windshield mounting advice needed
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Yes.
No.
Just put the pass side arm in (without the windshield) and you will be able to get a feel how much to cut off. It is not a critical cut. While you are there PRACTICE marking the windshield holes. You will then know how much of a contortionist you will have to be and also see approx. where your drilled holes will be going. Wipe the mark off, cut the post, put the windscreen together, get friend with a six pack and your on your way.
Drilling big holes in soft material, now that can get scary.
I found that I really needed to enlarge the FFR holes in the body to keep from putting stress on the WS. I had to cut about 1-1/2" off the bottom of the passenger side. Once you have it sliding in easily then evenly line up the WS to the lip of the body using a tape. Also if you have a bevel gauge you can make sure both sides are set at the same angle. Then mark your posts with a sharpie and drill away after removing the posts from the frame.
Ben
Ben
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300 Posts
The small screws wouldn't fit in the windshield. I used a small burr grinder to remove a small bit of the windshield metal...then the screws threaded in ok. The holes were not round. Also use machine oil on the threads of the small screws. You will be taking them in and out half a dozen times. I cut off both driver & pax ends of the supports. The only one you have to do firs is the pax side because it hits the frame. As a precaution, I cut mine in increments of about 1/2". I marked the the place to drill the holes using a 1" piece of grease marker. After I made my mark, I "split" the difference between where the mark was and the center of the post. There usually enough "slop" to make windshield fit. However, the last time I put it on at the paint shop (before paint) it didn't fit quite right so I did go back and enlarge the holes to 9/16" to give me a little more slop. Will locktite the small screws, one at a time, after the windshield is ready for the final install.
Eddie
Eddie
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9,945 Posts
Tom, it can get tricky. Make sure you are very very careful with the small side screws. I cut a bit off both sides after I put the windshield in the holes. Then after that was done I shoved it down as far as possible, eyeballed the angle, marked the arms and drilled. Worked perfectly.
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2,649 Posts
When I attended the Mott CC Build school they recommended using a titanium step drill for drilling the large hole in the frame so as not to take to big of a bite too fast into the soft brass.
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9,945 Posts
One large bit worked fine for me, just use light pressure and wd-40.
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1,783 Posts
Ditto what Joe said, I cut the driverside too. This will remove that big chunck above your knee and give you more options on the angle.
Mike
Mike
If you ever plan on putting any kind of top on the car you had better make sure the windshield angle is correct and even, side-to-side. Or at least, give yourself some adjustment space so you can move the windshield later if you need to. Go slow...be careful drilling the side posts. Sharp drill bits + soft metal = chasing flying parts around the shop. Good luck on your build, Bob
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11,847 Posts
Wow you guys make this sound hard. OK here are the steps.
Cut 1.5+ inches off of the bottom of the pass side.
Put arms on windscreen with Loc tite. We never put them in and out. One time on the brass is all we risk with the screws.
Put windscreen on car gently and slide down to body without plates in place. Check holes in body. Push down at in line with the arms and mark holes in windsheild frame using the holes in the chassis frame
Center the holes in the arms if they are a lot different remark while holding the windscreen in place at a consistent angle. Start with a small bit and work your way up. We go all the way to 5/8s to give a little adjustment.
Check weatherstrip, we have had several come out and now we put a little weather strip adhesive in the groove to hold it.
Put trim plates on arms, drop in body and bolt down.
It really is pretty easy. Some of you guys way over analize this stuff. We have done a bunch an never had a problem.
Cheers Richard.
Cut 1.5+ inches off of the bottom of the pass side.
Put arms on windscreen with Loc tite. We never put them in and out. One time on the brass is all we risk with the screws.
Put windscreen on car gently and slide down to body without plates in place. Check holes in body. Push down at in line with the arms and mark holes in windsheild frame using the holes in the chassis frame
Center the holes in the arms if they are a lot different remark while holding the windscreen in place at a consistent angle. Start with a small bit and work your way up. We go all the way to 5/8s to give a little adjustment.
Check weatherstrip, we have had several come out and now we put a little weather strip adhesive in the groove to hold it.
Put trim plates on arms, drop in body and bolt down.
It really is pretty easy. Some of you guys way over analize this stuff. We have done a bunch an never had a problem.
Cheers Richard.
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12,146 Posts
Richard, putting the screws in one time only is great advice...in a perfect world. My windshield posts each were bent to different angles, neither of which was correct. I had to attach and reattach 4 times to get the posts parallel and straight. There was no way I could bend them without removing them from the windshield. One of them was overbent so far that I cracked the chrome plate straightening it. I still might give it back to FFR for replacement if the chrome damage shows.
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1,852 Posts
Drilling holes in brass can be dangerous. The soft metal can be grabbed by the bit and pulled especially large bits. The solution is to grind the relief angle from the bit so it no longer cuts and digs but "scrapes" metal off. A machine shop should be able to help with this. Starting with a small hole and working up carefullyis an alternative. Very interesting the first (only) time I put a large bit in the lathe tailchuck and went at a piece of brass.
TEC
TEC
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