The Cal-look Lounge

As the title says guys, how about a PROPER one piece window thread  ??? :) I know there are ALOT of us who want to fit/run them so let here from you guys that have "Been there done that"  ;)

Lets have plenty of pic's and diagrams explaining what needed to be done with different years, seal, lifters etc  - I really have very little info on this subject  :)

Here is one of the first ;) :)

good idea.

Gary Berg's were trick in the Berglar. They even had a bright molding at lower outer sill, that fit contour of stock door. And they didn't rattle, jam, fall down, etc.

Don't forget the cables to replace stock door stops (that have to be removed to do 1 piece glass)

I can't begin to tell you how many 1 piece kits I sold in the 90's.....  :o
they were a fast mover.... big time!

I will never again run one piece windows.  I have no idea which kit I had in my first '59 Bug, but evidently it was one of the crappiest around, so I'm guessing it was made by EMPI/MR. Bug.  ;D

I prefer the stock vent windows, anyways, and I realize I'm digressing from the thread's topic.  I would be interested to know if someone makes an excellent quality kit, as I have yet to see one.

it would be great to hear how it was done back in the day.
but to know how it's been done the last few years you should get in touch with either tobi or dirk from DFL.
then there's the black bitch that runs them. or art guiterrez...

just an idea i guess...

"Don't forget the cables to replace stock door stops (that have to be removed to do 1 piece glass)"

See there you go I didn't even know that ::) :)

Keep it coming guys  :)

Donny B. has a nice setup.

I have the bugpack kit, which most everyone sells these days, going in the '67. The problem with all the kits I have seen is that the ends of the door scrapers don't curve up to meet the window channel. There is also not enough support when the window is rolled down so they rattle. Both seem to be easy fixes. The hot rod aftermarket has some really nicely engineered kits that fit well. Why we can't have the same is beyond me.

--louis

We sold the old San Bernardino Glass kits

some of the "problems" were truly from the design of kits, though some of the parts were improved upon as years went on.
but honestly, most of the issues stemmed from poor installation techniques. A lot of rushed and sloppy jobs done by D I Y'ers. Of course they were the guys that bitched and wanted to warranty everything.

if a guy leaves the stock door stop ion place, it will break glass if window is rolled down and the door is closed. We sold a little looped cable that replaced the door stop that flexed enough not to break glass.

Cal Stops ;D

I think that is the trick right there. Take your time, make sure everything is right, and you shouldn't have any problems.

Hmmm so anyone have a link to kits for sale  ??? :)

Proper ? That kit is not Sold - None of the kit are worth a shit - I had to refit the ones on my car - Did it all new - new long felts - run far enough down to hold glass good - used the scrapers with the clips - had to cut, bend, and glue at the end to roll with the window opening - They dont leak or rattle - Sure wish i had stock windows - miss the vent wings

dude you probably sold more SBG kits than anybody @ BH besides Big Mark... now look atcha...  "I miss my vent wings"
jeeez  ::)

I remember reading somewhere that type 3 scrapers are longer than type 1 and if the type 3s are used the window rattling/sealing problem can be eliminated.

 ??? ??? ??? Any experience's  ??? ??? ???

https://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC-C10-3208

http://www.jbugs.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=bp60

They are both the Bugpack kit. If it has snap in seals, it is pretty much a good bet it is the bug pack one.

--louis

I would PM Frenchy Dehoux.
I remember him telling me about a ton of refinements he made on the kit used in his Sealing Wax Red Oval window.
 :)

Thanks for the tip dude - I will do it NOW  ;) :)

Ask him to post his tips here please. I would like to know as well.

--louis

Already done guys  ;) :)

I don't recall seeing anything different in Frenchy's install than everyone else.  I would be interested as well.  I have seen his cars and they are nice.  I kinda like my one piece window install a little better.  JMO.

Dont harp on me Jim - The bug allready had them in - I just had to fix them - Mine work great - But nice with the vent wing - We did sell a lot of those kits - But as stated befor - Need to take your time to do the job right - The snap in scrapers are the best - Just triming and tuning them to your door is a little work - But the end result is worth the time - I think i used BugPack scrapers, and 3m glue.

So you used the snap in seals and glued them in? Or just the ends you cut and bent? Does it seem to be holding?

Thanks,

--louis

I`ve never actually installed any before but have dealt with them in the past. I do know that they will work much better on 65 and later cars since those years already have the right regulator from the factory. No need to try to fit them to earlier cars which is never good. I do remember the demo doors that I think the Buggy House used to show at Pleasanton at their booth. They worked killer.

BTW, the repo window regulators they sell now are crap. Try to find a good used factory unit if you need one. My '67 had a repo one on the driver's side and it broke from the weight of the 1 piece glass. Fortunately, I had a spare factory one that worked perfectly.

--louis

Good that means I don't need to send you any of my spares.....   LOL!

There is always the pass side door.  ;)

--louis

I know that not everyone cares but here is what mine look like.  I am sure that not everyone will like them, but they work for me.

Hi Diederick,

unfortunately I can´t help as I haven´t installed one-piece windows yet. I´m sometimes thinking about fitting some but I would go the "easy" way and would look for stock split window doors with one-piece windows fitted at the factory.;-)
Bye,

Tobi

there was a company at beaulieu sellin metre long strips of felt lined seal, i'll try and find a link.

Bugpack seals are the better 'off the shelf' option, just need to snip some small cut-outs at the end and glue them in, dave rhoads car has the best fitting seals i have seen.
your car is a 66? so you will already have the dual lifter mechs :)

we sell the door check strap cables :)

I was going to say that! Dual lifters are the way to go - stops the rock. I'd also recommend lengthening the lifter channel to support the glass a bit better. I think I'm going to experiment with a modified factory scraper seal. :)


I think split bug window winders need something silly like 20 turns from open to closed! I've never opened mine... :D

Only needed to glue the curved ends - the rest is ok - Hey Donny B. I like those - Clean finish - What did you use - Are those made by you - or ?

Nice work Donny B  :)

Donny was kind enough to send me a couple of pieces of that molding. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have his talent for making it look right.  :-[

--louis

   Pretty cool subject to talk about. When I restored my 1952 split window I found the window felt / and window channels here in town and made my own outside window scrapers with the rear lid seal with the late GM buttons. As for my 54 oval I also bought the window felt here in town and had them installed all the way down to the bottom and I had to make out of pine wood a piece that I could screw on the inside edge to hold down the felt and I also used the 1951 to 1955 window regulator.The other thing I had to do was after the vent windows were removed to weld a small piece of metal across to add and to be able to drill a few more holes for the outside scraper to be held this way you have the scraper all the way a cross nice and tight. You can also put a small amount of surfboard wax on the inside edges of the window felt channel to help it go up and down smoother. I had tought about doing a video on this installation at the time. I also did the window frame inserts and felt restoration on Randy Gates split window some years ago. And this week I am doing another set of window channels for Brad Thompson from Irvine which Buddy Hale is doing a restoration on his 1950 split window. Any other question please let me know.

Frenchy Dehoux
 Doctor Detail

Your windows in the '54 were smooth, Frenchy. I remember you let me try them out at the Pavillions one night... 10 1/2 turns gives you a little exercise!

My car came with them fitted as standard  ;D ::)
But seriously Im looking into grafting some 65ish inner door sections into my original split  doors , so I can use 67 twin lifters , as the split lifters are a bit pants after nearly 60 years of use .

It just takes a little time Louis.  I cut the rubber with sizzors then used emery paper to sand to the exact shape and taper.  The sanding is what takes time.  It goes kinda slow.

The corner seals are from some one piece kits that Car Custom and some others sold back in the '80s.  They were strange with a channel for a metal strip with holes to slide into to support the seal against the door.  At the ends they could be bent up by notching the inside lip and they had a hole that went all the way through that you could put a piece of aluminum wire into to hold the shape.  I long ago lost he aluminum and use small dia welding rod.

Here's some photos of the rubber I used for the corners.  I had to do a lot of trimming, but it worked for me.

I spoke to Alex about putting one piece windows in mine, he swore at me and we satin blacked the quarter light surround instead  ;)

I used a set from Topline in the early 90's. It had an an aluminum rod that slipped in the end of the scrapes that could be curved to the doors contour.
Dont 64 and earlier cars need to be 'upgraded' to 65 and newer for the regulators to work?
This is the only upgrade I did to my 61 that I regretted.
Never again.

After all the pro's and con's i'm gonna stick to original, maybe black powdercoat frames.

I'm still gonna do one piece  ;) :) At least I have the "Easy" doors  :-\ :)

How does the metal section that is in the window aperture (where the 1/4 light should be) come away from the rest of the door? This obviously needs to be removed for the 1 piece window to fit/slide in.

Thanks

i have to read through the topic again and see if there are some bases not covered or things i did differently, but i do have a set off call-stops that i don't use as type3's don't need them.

I used a die grinder with a parting wheel 1/32" thick to cut it out.  Just be careful it doesn't jump out while you are doing it.  Go slow so as not to get the paint or the top of the sill.

Put a little tape ont he door edge to keep from ruining the paint.

--louis

Hi,

I started a thread on how to remove the glass and powder coat the 1/4 lights in the 'In da works' section as thats what I would like to do, entitled 'Powder coating 1/4 lights'

Any advise on this would be greatly appreciated as it sounds like a bitch to do  ???

Sorry I know this is slightly off topic.

I ran one piece windows in my first bug, like people say if you take your time and install them slowly they should be ok, I didnt trust the clips would hold my scrapers in so I used stainless steel sunken screws too, it held up fine, never a problem.

Only thing I didnt like was (as everyone has pointed out) how the ends met the channel. I cut and curved mine up ok (looked good) but it was still a water trap in the UK Grrrr... fine for people living in sunnier climates! ;-) but then I notice a touch of sun bleaching to the felt channels  ;D

The other problem I had with mine was in winter. Frozen windows meant you couldnt wind the window down without risk of pulling the lifter off at the bottom due to the size of the window that was frozen in place.

I cut my windows ready for one peice a few years back, now I wanna go 1/4 lights again! Hahahaha idiot!  ;) Anyone done this? One piece back to 1/4 light?  ???

J

I took a junk door and cut the outer skin off and used as a jig . first made pattern of original glass and added extra for wind wing portion, So now I have something to slide up and down for prototypeing. Then found a pair of stock window channel, The one's on rear of door by the door handle. Cut a section of channel that I could use as a guild channel for front of glass. and made bracket and tacked together. After I got new window slideing smoothly up and down I hooked window regulator up. I hope this helps guys

Hmmm very good idea about the scrap door - I might have to get myself one  :)

Cool, I was thinking of doing something along the same idea. Maybe you should consider making some channels and selling them to augment the kits out there already.

--louis

It seems appropriate that the thread dropped and then took a while to get back up to the top again. I think I can hear it rattling a bit too.  :P

...

but, most don't get it up a second time.

i haven't read all the posts of this thread, but what's wrong with the many one piece window kits that are listed on the samba?

about 3 things wrong with all the kits. First there no front guide for the glass to go up and down properlly. Two you cant use the stock check strap because it will hit and break glass if you shut door with window rolled down. And you need to weld sections were wind wing glass use to be , No place to attach scraper rubber un front edge of door. The kits you buy will kinda work but kinda micky mouse. as I posted early in this post the key is to make some kind of guide channel for front edge of glass. Just my three cents . bye for now

I put a set of one piece windows in my 67 last year. The kit came with glue in scrapers. Throw those away and buy the snap in ones.  A couple of places in So Cal sell them separate... Pacific Customs Unlimited... Moore parts.They don't come with the holes in them, so I used a paper punch. The area on the door that doesn't have the holes needs to be glued. Use the black 3m stuff. You'll need to glue the curves also, then shape with a razor blade. Let the glue set for a long time, or you'll be throwing parts and tools like I did. Make sure you leave enough new felt past the channels at both ends to guide the windows. Roll the windows up and down a few times to check for proper operation. Don't forget the door stops!!  Took almost a week of sore fingers to get everything right. It was a genuine pain in the ass to do.. but they look so nice.

I never liked how the corners of the windows looked and I didn't like the way the snap in seals looked when they were curved in the corners so this is what I did.

Here's how mine turned out

Sorry about the crappy picture >:(

To heck with the crappy photo, that looks great.  Nice job!

wondering if anyone can help.  after 3 years i am going to put my windows back in and can't find the passanger side regulator.  at the time the only one that worked.  driver side always would break.  anyway I am going to give the mechanical regulators one more try if they don't i'm throwing in some electrics.  can anyone post a photo of the regulators with the one piece window bracket attached, and also anybody know where i can find another window bracket (piece the window slides into)in case I can't find mine?
thanks for any advice,
jim

Any link of sales page ?

I fitted one piece windows in my ‘72. Used window mechanism from an older model and ordered some nice seals at woolies-trim.co.uk (part nummer 255)

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https://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/p-1259-window-weatherstrip

This is the link to order the weatherstrip. Works perfect in my car, no leaks etc


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