Roll up/down AD rear window

[RedneckRodder]

Search bar turns up a lot of talk in the 60's-80's forumns, but not much info. Has anybody actually done this? I've seen one in a magazine a couple years ago that said it rolled down, but no pics of the mod. Anybody?

[youngrodder]

I saw this one at show a few weeks ago. I had thought about doing this before myself. My idea was to take the rear window out of a Ford sport track that came with a power up/down rear window.



Marc

[RedneckRodder]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

I saw this one at show a few weeks ago. I had thought about doing this before myself. My idea was to take the rear window out of a Ford sport track that came with a power up/down rear window.



Marc

That's pretty nice. Those corner windows are different, it looks like they're sealed in a more modern way too.

I'm more interested in how it was done though. Ever seen it done in a build thread or magazine article?

[OrrieG]

The one piece window thread on this site could give you some food for thought, same principal.

[Tinkermc]

Go to your local pick&pay look at newer Ford trucks many came with 1.

[mr48chev]

The fun part is going to be reworking the lip around the inside of the window so that it looks right. Getting the glass to work after that is probably the easy part.

That truck looks like it has a lot of interesting details on it Youngrodder.

Now why did I have to look at this and come up with one more idea and modification?

[Daze57]

very cool idea !

[MARTINSR]

I actually thought about doing this to my CORNER windows to solve the shorter glass problem being it's chopped. But upon a little inspection it was clear it can't work because the glass is smaller at the top. But anyway, I wonder why the heck the guy made the windows smaller raising them up on that truck? I think he blew it in that respect being the from the side it doesn't flow from door glass to corner glass as the GM color and art dept did so brilliantly.

Brian

[RedneckRodder]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

The fun part is going to be reworking the lip around the inside of the window so that it looks right. Getting the glass to work after that is probably the easy part.

That truck looks like it has a lot of interesting details on it Youngrodder.

Now why did I have to look at this and come up with one more idea and modification?

I'm thinking it will be fun to rework the rear cab brace that supports the rear of the cab to accommodate the window passing through. I think, if I do this, I'll drop some supports straight down to the floor and remove the center section completely.

[mr48chev]

MartinSR I'd have to believe that he shaped the metal so he could glue the glass in with urethane glass tape much the same as a lot of late model windshields are set in. They may have even made a special dolly to back the metal to get the shape when they hammered it around and did the same thing on the back window.

RedneckRodder, I'd guess you hit it pretty close and a big chunk of the back inside panel of the cab has been cut away and redone. If I wanted mirror tinted glass I think I still have the power sunroof out of a 70 something Cutlass out in the shed with all the framework and motor. Something that I bought to use in the roof of my 48 and then decided not to but that shed is full of things like that that need to be hauled off.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

MartinSR I'd have to believe that he shaped the metal so he could glue the glass in with urethane glass tape much the same as a lot of late model windshields are set in. They may have even made a special dolly to back the metal to get the shape when they hammered it around and did the same thing on the back window.

RedneckRodder, I'd guess you hit it pretty close and a big chunk of the back inside panel of the cab has been cut away and redone. If I wanted mirror tinted glass I think I still have the power sunroof out of a 70 something Cutlass out in the shed with all the framework and motor. Something that I bought to use in the roof of my 48 and then decided not to but that shed is full of things like that that need to be hauled off.

I'm with you, I understand but it didn't have to be so high up, he raised the lower part of the window about 2.5-3 inches. It use to be level with the door glass, not it's not level with the door glass, or up high enough to be level with the bottom of the rear window.

I just don't get it.


Brian

[mr48chev]

After studying it for a bit I think they did it that way to be able to work the metal along the bottom edge of the glass easier and also to have metal up high enough to be able to fit the glass in from the inside. My guess is that the inside edge of the opening is moved out an inch or so too so the glass fits in from the back side with enough of the glass covered that they can hide the glue strip that now holds it in. There are a lot of hours involved in those quarter windows. A lot more than it took to do the whole electric back window setup.

Looking at the stock one you can see the differences

[MARTINSR]

Yeah, I just personally think they missed the boat. But that's just my opinion.

I don't understand at all why what would have been NEEDED. I understand that's why they did it, but it wasn't necessary. All you need it a half inch to set the glass, all that didn't need to be done.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by RedneckRodder

I'm thinking it will be fun to rework the rear cab brace that supports the rear of the cab to accommodate the window passing through. I think, if I do this, I'll drop some supports straight down to the floor and remove the center section completely.

It sounds like you are very capable of pulling this off. I thought I would show you what the inside of that looks like go give you a little more of what's ahead for you.

Here is a photo looking straight down into that "Hole" under the window. What you are looking at is where I cut away the inside panel just an three inches above the bottom of that panel. Straight down above the panel you can see my trucks floor, straight down below the panel is the garage floor, just to give you a perspective of what you are looking at. The rear of the cab is cut right down at the body line as I am lowering the bottom of the center window.



Here is what am am doing so you can get a good idea of that previous picture.



You can see down in the middle where the inner and outer panels meet.

Here is what the inside of the back of the cab looks like without the inner panel,it's on a spare roof I have.

It's a crappy picture, sorry, with all the rust you can barely make it out. But it's a lip where the lower cab back and the rear of the roof are pinch welded together.



And here is a rear cab inner panel laying on it's front, that's the center window to the left. You can see the rear cab braces and get a good idea of what is inside of there where you have to have the window going up and down. It too is a folded lip, these two piece meet in the middle under the whole back of the cab as you can see in my first photo.



It's a bunch of work but not out of the question at all to make that window an opening window.

Brian