Slant W/S windshield problem
 

Ok this is for all you Slant W/S guys. I have done quite a few A restorations, but this is my first S/W. I am putting in the W/S and the top rubber seal above the hinge seems to be too thick.
The frame is too far away from the body and there is a gap at the top side area. I got the rubber from Brattons and it is specific for a Slant Window car. If I put the frame in without the rubber it seems to fit fine. Is it just a bad repro? What have you all found.
Thanks
Ed

Re: Slant W/S windshield problem
 

Well, there is a two-fold problem. The rubber that the vendors sells is a tad too thick however generally speaking, the problem is in the wood header causing the frame to set too low. How you can determine if this is the case is to check the clearance between the frame and the gas cap as you swing open the windshield frame.

Re: Slant W/S windshield problem
 

I recently installed my windshield using Bratton's slant-specific rubber parts, and everything fit pretty well (actually, the extra-thick rubber seals for the sides and bottom initially made it a little bit hard to close the windshield). I had replaced the wood header, and I was careful to make sure everything went back together correctly. I recall having to plane down a little bit of the wood near the bottom. Without that, the wood would have been too thick and I might have ended up with the problem you described.

On my car, when I open the windshield, it clears the gas cap by an inch and a half. I can't imagine a slant being so out of whack that the windshield could hit the gas cap...

Doug

Re: Slant W/S windshield problem
 

I installed one a couple of years ago from the same supplier on an original, still solid, header...it fit, the rubber was probably slightly too thick, as it did change the position of the frame a small amount, but it was not enough to cause a problem. Most old A's that have seen weather have a rotted or sagging header to reckon with.

Re: Slant W/S windshield problem
 

Ok more info. Clears gas cap fine new header wood,and it seemed to fit ok only had to shave a little off on the top to make the roof fit better. The body frame above the w/s hinge is all ok, and as I said if I put the hinge up in the body without the seal it seems to fit flush against the body, so it seems to me that the upper rubber thickness is my X factor.