Glass Question

I need to have some glass cut for the rear hatch on my '78 bus/fire truck project and also two side windows. I no longer have the rear hatch glass that came out of it and the two side windows are smaller than the originals because the bus was cut and rewelded to look kinda' like a doublecab (See "What did you do to your Volkswagen today" page 6.) I need to make cardboard templates to have the glass cut. My question is: Is the glass slightly larger than the openings or slightly smaller? If you placed the rear glass in the hatch opening, would it fall through or would it overlap the metal "lip" all the way around?

If anybody has a bus or a beetle with the glass out and can check, I'd appreciate it.

The glass is about a 1/4 inch (give or take a fraction) larger than the metal lip the window rubber goes over.


The side glass if you still have it can be cut down to fit the smaller opening.
Just take measurements and transfer them to the glass.
Or you could make a template out of cardboard of your side glass and set it in the window opening and mark out the end that needs to be cut.That would give you an idea of how it fits.

Just a suggestion.

Thanks for the info Johnny. I didn't think the original glass could be cut, but I have the old side glass to use as a template.

How you been?

Yeah the original glass can be cut just not sure on how hard it would be to do it.The glass shop should be able to do it easily when you get the rear made up.

It's the same old thing just workin' and tinkering around with things around here.

Woo Hoo! I just found the original back glass from my '67 that I'd stored up in the rafters of my shop. I didn't realize it's the same size as a bay, but it is. That'll save me some bucks!

Boo Hoo! My windshield is crap. Gonna' need a new one. Johnny, didn't you get one and how hard was it to install?

Yeah I got a new one.....Haven't put it in yet just got it to have here when I'm ready for it.
Windsheilds are not hard to install..even easier without the dash pad in.
Two people...dish soap....a peice of small rope...and about 20 to 30 minutes.

Johnny wrote:Yeah I got a new one.....Haven't put it in yet just got it to have here when I'm ready for it.
Windsheilds are not hard to install..even easier without the dash pad in.
Two people...dish soap....a peice of small rope...and about 20 to 30 minutes.

Unless its your first time doin it then its about 3 hours an 20 to 30 minutes...

I put a windshield in my Karmann Ghia and it went in pretty easy. This big bay just looks scary.