 | Bob Crager of Lewis Street Glass is a 26 year veteran in the glass business. Lewis Street Glass is a leading Wichita Glass company, serving the entire Wichita/Sedgwick County area since 1919. They do anything and everything having to do with glass, both residential and commercial. They also do Auto glass. They are located at 743 South Market, facing Kellogg on the South, and you can reach them by phone at (316) 263-8259. You can email Bob Crager at bcrager@lewisstreetglass.com |
Glass
2009-07-01 12:05:00
Replacement glass for antiques
Question: I’m restoring an antique truck, and wondered if replacement glass is available for that kind of job?
Answer: The short answer is…usually, one way or another. When you’re restoring an antique truck or automobile, whether for competitive car shows or just for a “driver” that glass work can help determine whether you’re in the winner’s circle, or just another “pretty nice old truck or car” The glass is usually available for most of these vehicles, as we said, one way or another, and making sure you have the proper glass can give your car or truck that final touch you’re looking for.
Let’s talk about a couple of terms used in the vehicle restoration game. In automotive terminology, O.E.M. means original equipment manufacturer. This would be the manufacturing company that produced the part for the car originally. An O.E. supplier would reference a manufacturer of a part for original equipment use, but not necessarily on a “particular” car. Example… LOF/Pilkington, which was the main OEM and supplier of glass in the corvette, but also, PPG (Pittsburg Plate Glass), established in 1883, being an OEM supplier of other GM cars and trucks, could be used and would be considered an OE supplier. Therefore a PPG windshield in a Corvette is considered original equipment glass.
N.O.S. is “New Old Stock” This would be an original part produced for use on a vehicle of that vintage, and usually carries the O.E. part number such as a dealer would use.
N.O.S.R. is “New Old Reproduction Stock” These are parts reproduced for use in vehicles that original parts (N.O.S.) are in short supply or not available at all.
Vehicles from about 1920 to about 1965 will normally have a lot of “flat glass” which is either laminated and/or tempered. Beginning in about 1948, through the ‘80’s, you’ll have a lot of “curved” or “bent” glass windows. From about 1939 through 1950, the dash glass for the instrument panels was usually “flat” glass. And the T tops utilizing glass were produced from about 1973 to sometime into the 1990’s.
There was a lot of flat glass used in the early years, and as we said, it was sold and advertised as “laminated safety glass. Then as you got on into the ‘60’s and into the ‘70’s, the manufacturers moved mostly into what was known as “tempered glass.” Tempered glass was available in either clear, or a standard green-tinted glass color.
When you get into the antique vehicles that utilized a lot of “curved glass” for the windows, you begin to find that these windows are getting pretty rare and hard to find. When you need replacement glass for these, you’ll see that it is becoming pretty much in short supply, due to the fact that the glass manufacturers who make reproduction glass like this produce very little of it because they don’t have a lot of calls for it. Supply and demand controls the market there.
A good local full-service glass dealer just may be able to help you locate that unique piece of glass you’ll need to fully restore that antique vehicle. So go ahead and take those fenders and bodies down to the bare metal, have them powder coated, primed, and layer on those finish coats of paint or lacquer. But don’t stop after you’ve chromed all the brake lines, carburetors, and other parts and re-covered all the interior surfaces. Make a stop by your local full service glass dealer’s location, and order those new window glass replacements and dash instrument flat glass. Finish that job up right! Some information researched on the world wide web…More next month.
