Good morning,

Does anyone know where I can get an actual OEM spec windshield for my car? The ones on zip corvette and at the national chain glass stores are half the thickness. They do not correctly install in a C3. There is a 1/4 inch gap between the windshield and the molding.

Does anyone know where windshield molding can be bought new?

Thanks,
Scott
NC

 

Well just my 2 cents.................I live in Delaware and have always used Delmarva Auto Glass a local business for correct windshields which they guarantee to be exact OEM..
Perhaps there are similiar shops in your area?
JJ78

 

I will call them. My are has NONE!

 

Good Luck, there have been previous inquiries on replacement windshields, and I recall the company that owned the LOF Trademark stoped making them. Worst cause scenario, try some of the Corvette Salvage Stores. I had my 73 windshield replaced about 5 years ago, and the shop that did the replacement told me it was the last one on the East Coast.

 

Auto City Classic (Isanti, MN) is the only current supplier. They are SLIGHTLY thinner than OE. I got mine a couple years ago from them and am very satisfied.

 

Mine came from there... They are not to original spec.

 

A local shop replaced mine, the guy told me the new glass was thinner but that he could space it out. And he did. I've had no issues. He pulled the windshield and came back the next day so I could treat some very minor surface rust.. I got lucky because he has owned 3 c3 corvettes. Unfortunately his shop was put out of business by safelight and their contract with insurance companies.

 

I had mine installed by a muscle car guy a few years ago and he just put a thicker bead of adhesive to raise the window up so the SS molding has no gap. Not sure about the thickness difference. He explained that the factory use Butyl strip adhesive which was thicker than the caulk gun adhesive they use today. Todays windshield adhesive is applied much thinner that the old butyl strips.

I guess it's not a thing anymore but Safelite did mine and they had the windshield in stock. Not NCRS or anything but I don't care about that.

I found the picture I took of the thickness of the adhesive applied:




SS trim fits well:

 

Get the installer to use 3/8” diameter butyl tape to set the windshield. And set it “European style”, i.e. put the tape on the windshield then use two men to set it. You’ll get a cleaner and straighter line with the tape. Perhaps it’ll be outboard enough to be hidden by the trim.

AND…I’ll disavow any knowledge of promoting this style of installation! FMVSS 212 (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) states the ‘shield needs to be urethane set ( glued in). But, if you have an accident severe enough to cram you against the ‘shield, you’re in a heap of hurt anyway.

Steve O.

 

 

Corvette windshield background. During the C3 era, our windshields were made with Libby Owens Ford logos. LOF was owned by Pilkington, a British glass manufacturer. Most people never heard of Pilkington, but at the time it was the gorilla in the closet when it came to automobile glass patent ownership. Pilkington was later sold to a Japanese company. This ownership included use of the LOF logo. Looks like the Japanese company now manufacturers replace Corvette windshields in Thailand...these windshields come with the LOF logo and can even today be ordered with date codes to order. If you buy a vendor windshield that comes with a LOF logo, it should come with a made in Thailand sticker on it.

My replacement windshield for the 70 was not a thick as the original. I've written the new/old dimensions somewhere, but it's not a real problem. However....the original windshield installation utilized 3/8 dam tape. All that is available today is 5/16! This automatically puts you 1/16 inch "thinner." So the 1/16 inch adds up with the little bit thinner windshield. However......I don't see a problem looking at my windshield after installation. The outside stainless steel reveal molding can still be installed flat against the glass. For my installation, the gap between the reveal and the glass is very small. This is my observation. BTW. I installed the glass myself. Came out will. I took the old windshield out pretty much undamaged and I made practice runs dry installing it before doing the real thing. Buy an electric caulk gun if you do it yourself....for a beginner you need the constant caulk flow the electric gun can provide plus you can concentrate on installing the glass and not pumping the gun simultaneously. One again practice with the old windshield with dam tape, but no caulk, on the old windshield.