32 two door front door glass fitment. How???

[Mart]

I fitted my new glass to my 32 sedan today. One one side I had previously removed the down stop brackets. On that side I was able to get the glass down into the door and with a bit of finagling into the channels and sliding up and down.

On the side where the brackets were still in place, I found it impossible. I had to remove the brackets to get the glass in place.

Obviously Henry's men on the production line were able to fit the door glass.

So what is the trick? Can anyone tell me how they fitted their door glass?

Enquiring minds need to know!

Mart.

[alchemy]

You removed the rear channel metal guide too?

[Mart]

Originally Posted by alchemy

You removed the rear channel metal guide too?

No. I couldn't see how I could get the rear channel and the fuzzy channel back in with the glass in place. The lower screw would be easy but not the upper one. It must be possible but I could only do it by removing the down stops.

[jimTN]

Inquiring minds want to know how. I broke mine trying to get it back in-

[alchemy]

It’s been almost twenty years since I did it last. Can’t remember any more details.

[32phil]

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I remember removing the metal encased tack strips that hold the door pockets in place.
I removed one rivet and pulled them up out of the way.
I also removed the window regulator. I put the glass in from the top and once the glass was going up and down freely, I then hooked the regulator back up from the bottom and then put the screws back.
Having a helper is a good idea.

[cas3]

Never had a 32, but on 34's I put the glass in, then slide it up to the top and tape it up there so its out of the way, then put the tracks and other bits in and roll it up to the taped window.

[hotrodA]

It’s been 5 years since I did mine but I’ll give it a try.

This is the long winded, start to finish version, and it may (or may not) help Mart, but maybe someone else can use it. Presumably other closed body styles would be similar.
FWIW My stops were in place, and the glass barely got between them and the outer skin.

If the glass hasn’t been cut, it may help to install the guides and make a rigid pattern, sanded to fit. I used hardboard. Mine was different left and right!

Here goes:

If not already done so, remove the garnish molding, regulator, and latch mechanism.

The long flexible guide in the kit goes in the front, with the angled end last. Leave it out for now.

Next, the short fuzzy rigid guide is installed at the rear by hooking the end tabs where they go in the fixed metal channel. Drake’s were about 1/8” too short to hook and required gluing in place at the bottom. Just flatten the little tab.

As you can see, the glass at the top has a larger rear radius than the front does.
This end goes down in first, with the glass vertical, from the outside. It WILL slide in at an angle through the door’s opening

From the inside of the door, rotate the glass UP in the back. The large radius will let it clear the rear guide and the inside of the door. Don’t try to put it in the guide just yet.

Now that the glass is positioned correctly, slide it into the empty front metal channel and the rear edge should clear and slide back into the rear fuzzy guide, and the front will be loose in the bare channel.
Raise the glass up and start it into the channels, with a 2x4 on edge underneath it to keep it up.

Take the long flexible fuzzy guide and insert it at the front of the window opening, down in the metal channel and over the glass edge until it reaches the bottom end of the channel. Some Windex will help it slide in.
Bend it as you go, make the upper front turn and extend straight to the rear where the angled end meets the rear guide. This can be tacked or glued to the upper window opening. If it is too long, pull it out and cut the excess from the square lower end and reinstall.

With the glass in both guides slide it up to the top by hand, checking for smooth running.
If it gets cocked it will bind, or your guide is not seated in its metal channel. I had to use a blunt nose punch to persuade mine. Worst case is the glass is cut wrong from the supplier’s pattern!

Once the glass slides correctly, block it up and tape it up to the top in several places.
Insert the winding mechanism in the door and bolt it in LOOSELY.
Raise the lift arms so the the two rollers align with the wide circles at the ends of the slots and snap them in place.
Tighten the attaching screws and try the movement with a handle.

If all is good reattach the garnish molding with the tube nuts. this will help hold the flexible guide in place. You may need to tack or spot glue it to the upper window opening.

If the glass slides correctly but feels too tight, lube the guides with Windex and try opening up the guide with the blunt nose punch.

Install the little rubber anti-rattle pieces in the molding slots. You’re done!

Hopefully my memory is working right. YRMV.

[Mart]

Wow! thanks for that very detailed description. With luck I won't need to do it again, but if I do I now know the method. To be honest, it took all of 10 minutes to take off the down stops and it did make the job so much easier.
Lots of knowledge here on the Barn. Thanks again.

[TomT/Williamsburg]

As”luck” would have it my 32 5-window has a hammed passenger door window and the driver side has a huge crack that separates the glass into two pieces. I will be relacing the driver side first but I believe the principle is the same - correct?

[hotrodA]

Hi, Tom.
I’ve only had hands on with the sedan, so I can’t speak specifically to the coupe. But it would seem that they are both similar. The different top corner radiuses were the key to turning it once in the door.
My instructions are the result of a lot of trial and error, repetition and frustration. Hopefully they can help. Once I figured the first one out the second one was a snap.

TIP: Measure the distance from the ends of the slotted lift channel to the edge of the glass and duplicate that when you replace the glass in the channel. It’s not equal distant on the sedan, may also be offset on yours.
Bill