47-51 business coupe back glass reproduction

[GTFan]

We are preparing to put into reproduction the left and right rear glass for 1947-51 business coupes. Trick is: I need a pair to use as patterns for the factory. I have a pair but they are in my own car and I'm not to keen on taking them out for the 3 months lead time. So... does anyone have a pair that are collecting dust and scratches that they would part with in exchange for a pair of new ones when they are done? When available, they will be tempered and available in clear, green and smoke/grey. The condition of the ones we will use for patterns is not critical. They can be scratched but, of course, not broken.

[Mrs K Corbin]

I'd make that deal with you on a late 50's C-Cab truck... LOL

[GTFan]

We're already producing the glass for the C cabs. Give me a call: 208 390-6306

[jclary]

Good grief...somebody step up and grab this deal! It is about twenty years too late for me.

Due to some little distractions (like a job, family matters, etc.) it took me six years to restore my business coupe. While I had the glass out, I would have jumped at the chance to assist in this project.

By the way Russ, how 'bout giving us a bit of education on the process of developing a mold, and the process of making automotive safety glass.

[Jefscoupe]

I'd love that too.
"This time on How It's Made...
Studebaker rear glass..."

[garyash]

Here a "how it's made" video for laminated glass windshields. The video shows a highly-automated line for high volume production.

http://youtu.be/fg3moEI9V5g

Making small quantities, like for '47 business coupes or airplanes, has a lot more handwork. I once got a tour through a large factory that does commercial and military airplane windshields. There, they bent the glass in pairs, as the video shows, but did it on large rectangular sheets. The glass was sagged to the shape of an angle-iron form that defined the edges, allowing a lot of tolerance on the actual curvature of the rest of the glass. After lamination, they used a hand-held glass cutter to scribe and break the glass to final size, then "seamed" the edges. Most of the workers were wearing Kevlar gloves and sleeves for protection. For military aircraft windshields, there was a lot of final testing to verify that no significant distortion occurred when looking through the glass from the pilot's eyeball position. Modern windshields don't have nearly the same kinds of bends as the 1950s-60s wrap-around ones. As I recall, those had lots of distortion when looking through the wrapped portion.

One of my jobs back in the mid-1970s was to develop a process to dye the polyvinyl butyral (PVB) middle layer for laminated glass optical filters. With a little advice from the guy who developed the process for Technicolor movie film, we eventually had a range of precise blue, green, and orange laminated filters for use in front of the computer screens used for air traffic control and military displays. The air traffic controllers had to sit right in front of 35" CRT displays all day, and the laminated filters protected them in case the tubes imploded, sending the electron gun assembly out through the screen at high speed.

[TX Rebel]

I can probably help w/ the samples, russ

[GTFan]

Send 'em over, Barry. You won't get the originals back but will send you a pair of new clears or greens for your contribution to the effort. Send the hood cable with them when you get a chance. Cheers!

[GTFan]

How they're made? Check out the You Tube video posted by Gary Ash. As you can see, it's not for the backyard or even seasoned restoration gurus to attempt. The backs for the business coupes will possibly be tempered, without the vinyl sheet between the two glass sheets since it isn't used in front where a head could try going through it. Depending on the cost, the ones we reproduce may be laminated, but we'll try for tempered since the originals were also tempered. The mold will be made using the original samples we send for patterns. They will be made in Taiwan (at least not by the "reds") in the same factory that produces glass for Toyota and Lexus. Sure would like to get a feeling for how many folks out there need these. I've had at least 6 requests, but need much more to justify the expense.

[kurtruk]

This one's been for sale for a few years...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350291247554?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

(Not Mine)

[rkapteyn]

If Barry's do not work out,I have a set somewhere that are cloudy from a business coupe (1950 2 piece)
I also have some nice starlight pieces out of a 4 piece window in a 1950 coupe.
Robert Kapteyn
studebaker@mac.com
Put "Studebaker" in the subject line otherwise it goes to trash.