'61 Desoto Restoration

Stan: As regards the windshield, it has been months since we took them out. I think that we used a wire rope to cut them out with and also a windshield removal tool that has a bent blade. As regards installation, I called a commercial glass installer that I use and they came by and put them in. I am glad I did as this installation went way beyond my abilities. I think that both the front and back w/s's for this car are the originals. The front is delaminating some around the edges but looks still pretty good. Both have the old FL/Chrysler emblems on them and the back has the Chry Airtemp a/c decal which is pretty neat. The $300 the glass folks charged was well worth it I feel. The installation gaskets are hard to find but Gary Goers has them. Both front and back are too long (as Gary readily admits) so they have to be cut to fit.

Mike, thanks for taking the time to reply. I certainly will try to find a company to remove and install the windshield. I was hoping to get sequential steps on the installation as I doubt if I'll find a "gray hair" installer around who remembers the installation.. as well as the good ole days. I could then, pass along the recommendations hopefully insuring a crack-free
installation job.
BTW: I found several sources for windshields, both dealers and manufacturer.
If any one is interested, I'll post the relative information.

Tell me who has windshields I need one for a 61 Chrysler (same thing)

It's important to make every attempt to save the original weatherstrip with our Chrysler products. The reproduction front and back glass weatherstrip that I have experienced for 56-57 MOPARS is not very accurate in size. It is much better to use the original whenever possible. I haven't experienced the 60-61 weatherstrips, but I've stopped assuming I can get a good weatherstrip for our cars.

Having said that, if Steele Rubber has the weatherstrip you need, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. What I got from Goers and Bernbaum were disappointing. The extrusion available for the '56 backglass from Bernbaum was unuseable, and would not allow the stainless around the back glass to be installed.

My advice is to make very clear instructions for the installer you hire NOT to cut out the glass, but to carefully remove it and save the original rubber.

Tim
Stellar Antique Auto Restorations
www.stellarrestorations.com

Rick, In my search for windshields, I came across the following two suppliers; there may be others:
*AMERICAN RESTORATION
AMERREST@VERIZON.NET
201-843-3567

* PHILLIPS CLASSIC AUTO GLASS
AUTOGLASS@ACMENET.NET
537-785-1927

I have a hunch that the above suppliers, and others, get the windshields from the below noted company:
* PILKINGTON CLASSICS
http://WWW.PILKINGTON.COM
1-800-848-1351
I don't know if they'll sell directly to the car owner.

Good luck, please let us know how it turned out.

Hi Tim, Thanks for the caution on removing the weatherstrip. Would you have further cautions and/or procedures we could use to achieve an undamaged one?
BTW::Your work is, indeed, stellar! Obviously, you love what you do.

Thanks, Stan!

Our biggest concern and area of care while handling front windshields is to not bump the edge with any kind of hard tool, such as a screwdriver, prytool or any such metal object. Bump the edge, and you can very possibly come out to your car several days later to find a cracked windshield.

Not having done a '60/'61, I unfortunately can't be of much specific help. Mike mentions having his cut out, and I wondered if the '61 glasses are butyl taped based on the way he said it. That would change things quite a bit. I hate removing butyl taped glass, but it's easy to install.

Our current '57 Chrysler and '56 DeSoto projects have a locking lip on the rubber. The lip can be unlocked, which opens up the channel that the glass sits in. Then the glass can be persuaded out of the rubber, which would still be in the car.

To install, the rubber is installed into the pinchweld, and the glass is started into the rubber and the outside weatherstrip edge is brought around the glass edge. Once the glass is into the channel, the locking lip is set in place.

Lots of soapy water helps to bring the rubber around, or to slide the glass into place.

The factory service manual for your car should have a series of directions for removing and installing the front and rear glass. If you don't have a FSM, club librarian Barret Taft is very good about providing photo copies upon request.

Tim

Here are a few more photos as of 2/16/11. Got the front w/s in and some of the stainless at the wheel wells. Got the driver's headlight molding back form J&P Plating in Indiana. This piece had a bad 'tear' in it. J&P does great work repairing potmetal.

Mike, do you have additional contact info for J&P Plating in Indiana? Phone, email?

Paul: J and P Plating's phone # is 260-726-9696. They are in Portland, Indiana. Ask for Dave. They have doen two jobs for me. The upper grill in the '61 Desoto and the headlight molding shown. Both were in sad shape. The grill was in 4 pieces (is suppose to be 2!) and the molding was 'torn'. Both were fixed to where it is really difficult to see the previous damage or evidence of the repairs. They are not cheap but repaired the damage well in the time frame set out. Google the name and their web site will come up.
Mike

Here are some photos from 2-18-11. We drove the Desoto in my driveway. All seems fine except the brakes-the rear brakes don't seem to be working well (they will not stop the spinning tires when on the lift-any ideas about what might be wrong here would be welcome-although we have bled the system 3 times). the car is at a muffler shop that I use. That change would be welcome as it sounds like a pulp wood trunk as it currently is configured.

Here are some photos showing the exhaust system just installed.

Here are some photos from 3/2/11. Getting pretty close to the end now.

Here are a few more photos of work on the '61 Desoto. Getting most of the stainless back on (which proved to be a challenge as almost all of teh molding clips had rusted to nothing), working some on panel alignment. I should have rebuilt the steering box sector as there is a pretty good leak there. I need to have it aligned and then have the a/c charged. The owner may want to put an anti theft alarm in the car.