Question for Michael Driskell

[32Bee]

I have 6 glass bug stencils that I purchased from you. I will be using them on
my 35 convertible sedan. I need to know if these stencils can be used upside
down where necessary as all of my original 35 bugs are on the inside of the glass and I wish to do that on my new glass?

[Kube]

Peter, Keep in mind that all the glass was authentically marked on the very same side. Thus, half the car's glass read from the inside, the other half, from the outside.

[35fordtn]

Peter,
They stencils have a side with a slight sheen on them that side always goes down. If you place them on the inside they will be legible from the inside and vice versa. The only way to place one on the insde and it be legible from the outside would be for me to make one "mirrored" which I can do but that is not how it would have been original.

[DavidG]

Peter,

Please keep in mind what Mike and Michael have written is readily documented with copies of the engineering drawings for the subject windows. As all of the side glass is flat, it makes little sense for Ford to gone to the extra expense that would be required to make and inventory separate, unique, right and left side glass. That you have a most unusual exception might be difficult for you to document beyond its existence should you have your car entered into V8 Club concourse judging.

[35fordtn]

Peter we send the following out with the kits:


OBSERVATIONS ON “BUG” PLACEMENT
General Rules: ….Engineering drawings were normally produced of right hand side components. If the part were used “cross-car,” the notation “one piece, two required” was normally called out on the print. An example of this is most front, and rear side door glass as well as wind wings on most vehicles. In these instances, the same piece of glass was used on both sides of the vehicle. As a result, the “Bug,” placed in the lower rear corner of the right hand door glass, reads correct from outside the vehicle on the passenger side, yet the same glass, used on the driver’s side would read normal from the outside of the vehicle. Please note that the engineering drawings of the Quarter Glass consistently show the “Bug” placed in the lower, front corner, thus reading correct from outside the vehicle on the passenger side. It should also be noted that on 1932, 1933, and 1934 wind wings, the “Bugs” doubled as locators for the wind wing brackets and as a result, in perfect installation, would not be visible.
However, one must be careful and examine various glass usage. For Example, 1937 and 1938 Ford two door sedans used glass in the door and quarter panel that were identical. In this case, the notation “one piece, four required” appears. As a result, the right side door glass has a “Bug” located in the lower rear corner that reads normal from the outside on the passenger side, yet the quarter glass on the right side would read correct from the inside. Just the opposite would be correct for the driver’s side.
Windshields: USE STENCILS WITH “WS” ON THE UNDERSIDE OF OVAL (1937 and beyond) Archival drawings show that the windshield glass drawings were produced from a view forward of the firewall looking rearward in car position. The “Bug” was placed on the lower left hand (passanger) side and thus read correct from outside of the vehicle looking rearward from outside. Therefore, on one piece windshields, the “Bug” read normal from outside the vehicle if the glass were placed in the frame with the “Bug” on the passenger side and read normal from the inside if the glass was “flipped during assembly.”
Note: All Ford drawings found to date show two piece windshield glass drawn as a right hand component with the “Bug” placed in the lower outside corner. Since the “one piece, two required” rule applies, the driver’s side “Bug” then reads correct from the inside the vehicle.
Rear Windows (called “backlights” in automotive jargon):
Same rules appear to apply as windshield glass except that the glass was drawn from outside the vehicle looking forward. Therefore, on one piece of glass, the “Bug” was placed on the lower outboard corner (right hand side) and read correctly if viewed from the rear looking forward unless the glass was “flipped during assembly.” On two piece rear windows, the right hand side had the “Bug” placed in the lower inside corner and read correct from inside when looking forward. Since the Driver’s side used the same glass, “flipped,” the “Bug” reads correct from inside the vehicle.
Please remember, we have not viewed original glass on every type of vehicle produced by Ford, nor do all the Engineering drawing exist, (or at a minimum placed in the correct file at the Archives). In addition, there were two outside suppliers of Ford Glass other than Ford. As a result, exceptions are bound to exist. In the interest of aiding those restorers attempting to achieve a level of authenticity as close to original as possible, we would appreciate hearing any exceptions to the above general observations.

[Don Rogers]

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Here is the correct placement of the glass bugs on your Conv. Sedan. Since the left and right side glass is identical, The glass on the drivers side is readble from the out side and the glass on the passenger side is readable from the inside.

[32Bee]

Thanks for all of your comments. I will be placing my new bugs on the front door glass in
the locations described by Don Rogers. However, after revisiting my convertible sedan's
original glass yesterday both driver and passenger bugs were located on the inside of the
glass and were readable from the exterior which suggests there was a blasting stencil for
accomplishing this back in the day.

Peter

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Don Rogers

Here is the correct placement of the glass bugs on your Conv. Sedan. Since the left and right side glass is identical, The glass on the drivers side is readble from the out side and the glass on the passenger side is readable from the inside.

[Don Rogers]

Peter, You bring up an interesting oddity on your 35 Conv. Sedan door window bugs. I had exactly the same orientation of bugs on my 35 conv. sedan. It appears that the glass manufacturer flipped the bug stencil on some of the conv. sedan glass. All documentation indicates that this was not the case, but reality says just the opposite.

his is what my stencil looked like.

Don

[32Bee]

Don,

That's interesting your 35 convertible sedan had the same thing done to the front door
glass. However, I'm surprised your bug picture is backwards. Is that because you took that
shot while the driver door was open? With my original glass, if it were still installed in the
front doors, both right and left bugs would be etched on the inside of the glass and readable from the exterior.

[35fordtn]

Peter you would need mirrored stencils to accomplish that. I will need to check my 36 comb sedan and my 35 cabriolet if they have original glass and if so, if the same anomaly exists

[Don Rogers]

Mike, Both my front and rear door glass had reverse logos.