windsheilds and sidecurtains

[Michael C Henry]

I'm in the throws of trying to have a convertable top installed on an older car. I have a 84 Everett Morrision .They had just started bussiness in 83 and had a fire in 93. So things are not just cut and dried.Last week my appointment at the upholster came up .I delivered the car on Thursday night.The upholster calls on Friday saying there is a problem.The windsheild is off center. He has tape on the cowl infront of the windsheild with marks showing the windsheild is 11/16" off center to the left..Masking tape laid outside from the windsheild supports and running backover the doors to points designated in drawings.The right side tape inside edge that represents the outer edge of the windsheild goes inside the top door edge at a point . Granted the tape is strait and and I think the side curtain bottom tube could be bent. I can only see moving the windsheild over 7/16" that would put both sides of the masking tape inner edges at the inner edge of both doors. EM admitts that the first years were made from crude molds splashed from original car and wern't symmetrical . I had bought a convertable top sidecurtains and all the hardwhare a while ago when I thought life was simple. Oh! I was allready prepaired to have new sidecurtains made to fit the more laidback than normal windsheild. Em said they would work with me on that point,taking myoriginal sidecurtains back and making a new set from my pattern. I asked EM and they said that most windsheilds are made to the same dementions.
Any thoughts?

[A Cobra guy]

Mike,
Off center windshield. Now that's unique! Or so I thought. I just measured my late 90's EM and it is just over 50" measured from outer edge to outer edge going straight across the dash. I just assumed my windshield was centered but now that I've checked it is not! By holding a plumb line against the widest part of the body (The line just kisses the fender) and measureing to the windshield frame on both sides I got the following. The right side is 4 1/2 inches and the left is 4 1/8. I'm off by 3/16" This assumes the fenders are the same on both sides. I'm not going to do anything to mine as the side curtains and top fit fine.

If your car is like mine it should be fairly easy to fix. There are 2 bolts on each side holding the windshield to steel plates. I recall there are washers used as shims to adjust left & right. Just widen the holes in the fiberglass if needed. Then make a set of larger stainless base plates if needed. Make sure the top of the windshield stays level though or it will look realy strange .

Good luck.

[55312]

Geeez........And here I am thinking it's to compensate for all those left hand turns!
Just what I need, something else to worry about! Lesee...fix-a-flat, no lead hammer,
walking roll bar grommets, outdated lap belt, 2" ground clearance..........Maybe now's a good time to look into that new Focus.

[Michael C Henry]

I understand that the lines as laid out with masking tape are straight, but the lower tube in the side curtains can be bent to stay outside the inner door edge.The side curtains come flat for shipping purposes.The upholster had two pieces of tape indicating about 11/16" difference between the center of hood and windsheild. But the doors show a change of 3/8"- 7/16" to the right would center the windsheild on the doors,atleast the inner edges.A new car wouldn't have these problemms but I only have to go through emmissions testing two more times and the car will be outside the 25 year rule.
The car was just fine for the Reno area but the Pacific Northwest ,It rains more often. The engine is also off set to the right 3/4", making theleft and right headers 1 1/2" different.
So the things I'm working around now are offcenter windsheild .windsheild is laid back more making the angle different on the front edge of the sidecurtains and the length of the top incorrect. I have a rollbar hoop and rear leg to be worked around. The car is getting new carpeting and other interior touches. I know new belts will then be comming.

[A Cobra guy]

Mike,
I know you can adjust the angle of the windshield on my car with those same 4 bolts so when you center it you should be able to get the angle correct as well.

harvey

[Michael C Henry]

This was a finished , painted and driving car that I tweaked with .The problem with the windsheild angle was the holes through the body, and the tube frame under cowl . Now ,it would be leaning the windsheild forward would move the windsheild forward almost to where the wiper pivots come through the body. As the wiper pivots set now , they are at the correct distance and perpendicular to the glass. Plus the rubber seal fits against the body pretty closely and as the windsheild tilts forward the seal doesn't seal as well.
As I've said time and time again" one change will require another and then another and so on".

[Excaliber]

I stopped measuring replicas some time ago. I found out a LOT of them are "off set" in many areas, not just windshields. Oh well, I guess it's the nature of the beast. This also applies to Detroit cars!! A "perfectly" symetrical car is hard to find from ANY source.