1930 Deluxe Roadster Windshield

[farmerdick]

Help!!! The windshield on my roadster keeps working its way into the passenger area as the car goes down the road. I need to keep my left thumb at the lower cornor of the windshield to stop it. I have tightened the wingnuts at the pivot point as tight as I can possibly get them but with little success. I have looked at what I have for attaching parts at the pivot point with what is offered in the Model A parts catalogues and seem to have them all. Don`t know what to do.
Richard in Maine

[JBR]

Richard,
I have a 29 roadster pickup. I have a repo windshield fame with repo cones on it but original stanchions with original cups in them. I don't have this problem.
I have seen other guys asking the same question for both 28/29 and 30/31 open cars. The answer they get is the repo cups and cones will do that, but the originals don't.
I was also told not too long ago that the windshield cones have a front side and a back side. I'll be darned if I can see any difference in mine.
I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you. Hopefully someone else can shed some light on the subject.
Good Luck,
Jon

[Marco Tahtaras]

There is no front or back to the cones.

The taper of the cone must match the cups. Inserting a tapered cone into a mating cup provides a dramatically tighter joint than two flat surfaces butted. I've seen cones that are too large and/or shallow to where they had almost no bearing surface area. I've also seen retaining nut that hold the cone to the windshield which were too thick. The result of that was the outer surface of the nut was mating to the inner face of the cup before the tapers ever made contact. That is worthless!

[RHD]

If you are using repro wing nuts, the threaded area inside the nut is too short and the thread bottoms before the nut is sufficiently tight on the stanchion. Drill the wingnut a 1/16" + deeper and run a tap through to increase the thread length. From memory 5/16" UNF. It helped with my 30 Phaeton windscreen problem.

[Marco Tahtaras]

Les' comment brought another point to mind. Originally there was small 1/32" (?) thick cad plated washer under the wing nut. That MAY help a little if there is an issue there.

[hardtimes]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by [email protected]

Help!!! The windshield on my roadster keeps working its way into the passenger area as the car goes down the road. I need to keep my left thumb at the lower cornor of the windshield to stop it. I have tightened the wingnuts at the pivot point as tight as I can possibly get them but with little success. I have looked at what I have for attaching parts at the pivot point with what is offered in the Model A parts catalogues and seem to have them all. Don`t know what to do.
Richard in Maine

Richard,
As is said below, this has been asked/attempted answered on a number of occasions. I've all repo stuff on my '30 roadster windshield. You can buy the special thin washers that marco talks about. You can buy differing cups, stanchions,etc from various venders. Only thing that I haven't tried is 'original' parts...as I don't have such!
Anyway, I'm sitting here smiling at what you've written, as same same has happened to me..over/over, no matter what I've tried. That is until I designed/made a small aluminum dudad that attaches to the upper stanchion(one on each side)....no more problem. And they double as small mirror holders . Hey, I probably won't get any 'high points' for my gagets, but they work.

BTW: my question is...how does a guy get the lower two 'wingnuts' to tighten/line up same on both sides. Hm, looks as tho marcos are not exact?

[Ted in MN]

I added the cad washer mentioned by Marco. That solved my problem.

[farmerdick]

Guys: This is great info and will start experimenting with the different ideas mentioned. I will only be able to see if these work manually as I just took the engine to the machine shop for a rebuild. Besides, it will give me more room to work on the windshield as I stand in front of the firewall. Again a big THANK YOU to you all for the help. I`ll keep you posted as to the results.

Richard/Maine

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

Rick, your going to be Model A expert when you get this roadster done. Walt

[antiquepa]

HARDTIMES....Any chance you can post a picture of your dudad that keeps your windsheild from closing, I made a small rubberized cover loop and mounted on the middle screw on the dash that keeps my windsheild from opening so it works also...I would like to see something made to hold it opened (WINDSHEILD) Ive tried the cones and all and can;t keep mine opened when I need air..................Any Ideas, greatly appreciated, I been thinking about this for a while and hav;nt come up with a solution, got to be something out there.

[antiquepa]

CORRECTION.. i meant to say it keeps my windsheild from comming in past the rubber!!

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by antiquepa

HARDTIMES....Any chance you can post a picture of your dudad that keeps your windsheild from closing, I made a small rubberized cover loop and mounted on the middle screw on the dash that keeps my windsheild from opening so it works also...I would like to see something made to hold it opened (WINDSHEILD) Ive tried the cones and all and can;t keep mine opened when I need air..................Any Ideas, greatly appreciated, I been thinking about this for a while and hav;nt come up with a solution, got to be something out there.

The original poster asked ....how to keep windshield from coming/blowing back into cabin area. Unless I completely misunderstood his english!
Anyway, that's what the dudads that I made prevent. I will gladly post that if you still wish. However, 'keeping the windshield OPEN is quite different. Hmm, that 'situation/problem' never occrred to me.

[hardtimes]

antuquepa,
Ok, if these come thru, might be what you're asking to see. Hope this helps.

Hopefully, you can see that I added a 1/4" hard rubber strip to dudad where windshield frame contacts.
The allen screw is in the lower hole that would be the wingwing threaded hole.

[antiquepa]

Hardtimes...Thanks for the pictures, din;t mean to confuse any one, Problem 1 is keeping the windshield from comming in past the rubber, which it looks like you solved..Problem 2 on my 31 is holding the window open when you want air, I;ve tried the new cones and washers, wingnuts ect, but I still have the problem, theres just a lot of force against the windsheild when your going down the road, I now use 2 soft rubber mush balls between the frame to hold open, it works but just doesn;t look good..Thanks again for the pictures, will work on this problem this winter.

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by antiquepa

I;ve tried the new cones and washers, wingnuts ect, but I still have the problem, theres just a lot of force against the windsheild when your going down the road, I now use 2 soft rubber mush balls between the frame to hold open, it works but just doesn;t look good..Thanks again for the pictures, will work on this problem this winter.

I know it doesn't make anyone feel better that is still fighting the battle but if you do get everything to fit as it did originally it DOES work. I can say from experience the windshield can hold tight at 65 mph+ when everything fits.

[hardtimes]

antiquepa ;
Well, if you come up with a workable solution, keep us in mind,eh!
I have wondered why Ford didn't use the same system for holding the roadster windshield open, that he used to hold Coupe windshields open...that is, notched bar and large knob???? Anyone have an opinion on this?

Marco,
Your roadster is beautiful and it's good to hear/know that ....if original parts are used they work!
Ok, so original parts will hold the windshield from 'blowing' backwards thru the frame into driver compartment. But,do original parts also hold said windshield tilted open and keep it in place while motoring along at speed?
Hmm, I've given up ,for now, on the idea that it will stay tilted open while at speed..

[farmerdick]

[QUOTE=Walt Dupont--Me.;307469]Rick, your going to be Model A expert when you get this roadster done. Walt[/QUOTE

Walt: I can run but cant`t hide. You found me!!! Motor done yet??? Ha! Ha!

Rick