It's the little things that really set off a custom truck, especially when one has to actually study the vehicle to see what that little thing is. We've all seen a pickup and said, "All right, what's different about this thing that I'm not seeing here?" It's a Man Law, I think, to battle that cyclical question over and over. Well, one of those subtle mods that really tops off a build is one-piece windows.
By eliminating the factory dual-window design, the truck's body lines are highlighted for a clean look. One Piece Products in Whittier, California, manufactures one-piece window kits that do exactly that. Their product, which can be ordered for both manual and power windows, is a single ide-glass window kit. Instead of keeping the look of a standard window and wing window, this new kit mounts in place and fits the entire window opening. The new OPP tempered glass opens up the truck's cab, which not only cleans things up, it also allows for crystal-clear viewing without any pillars in the way. The kit also comes with all-new felt; that way, the window will sit in the door properly, just like Chevy trucks from the late '80s and up. Along with new felt, OPP also designed inner and outer scrapers that not only help guide the window, but also keep the window free from a case of the shakes. Besides all the functional and cosmetic benefits of the new windows, another bonus is that the opened window cavity finally allows for sufficient room to post up your arm. No more squeezing things in there with a 65-degree bend at the elbow.
One Piece Products manufactures several kits for various Chevy trucks, including '67-72 Chevy trucks. The kits are entirely bolt on, and for the most part they utilize the stock window mechanics, such as the window regulators, cranks, and more. However, the kit does come with new guide channels, window felt, inner and outer scrapers, and, of course, a one-piece tempered glass window that needs to be installed. To get a closer look at the OPP kit, which was one of the first ones off the assembly line, we headed down to KA Custom in Huntington Beach, California, to follow along while owner Kevin Francis went to work on a '71 GMC.
Down at KA Custom, things...
Down at KA Custom, things kicked off when Kevin carried out the first order of business by removing the door panel. The door panel is removed by unscrewing a few screws and removing the C-clips that retain the window cranks.
Since the OPP kit comes with...
Since the OPP kit comes with its own window felt, the OEM felt and scrapers were yanked out.
By unbolting the wing windows...
By unbolting the wing windows at the bottom of the door, they slide right out.
With the wing window out,...
With the wing window out, Kevin then removed the side window, which marked the last time this truck will ever use dual windows again.
The next step for Kevin was...
The next step for Kevin was to remove the window regulator.
The kit utilizes the stock...
The kit utilizes the stock window regulator, but a few modifications do have to take place. Two of the channel rollers need to be removed in order to install the new OPP window rollers.
Kevin then installed the new...
Kevin then installed the new OPP channel rollers on the OEM window regulator by using a hammer and a punch to secrue the roller to the regulator.
In order for the new larger...
In order for the new larger one-piece window to fit in the door, a minor modification had to be made to the door latch; therefore, Kevin removed it.
Following the OPP instructions,...
Following the OPP instructions, Kevin ground down the obstructing tab on the latch and bent the latch spring. With that task finished, he then reinstalled the latch.
Kevin then installed the new...
Kevin then installed the new OPP window weatherstripping around the window cavity.
Because the door was originally...
Because the door was originally designed with two windows, the forward top edge of the door has a pretty wicked angle that prevents the felt from lining the window cavity flush. In order to get the felt to bend properly, Kevin cut a slit in the felt right at the apex of the bend in the door.
One of the new pieces that...
One of the new pieces that has to be installed is this OPP vertical window guide.
By following the OPP instructions,...
By following the OPP instructions, Kevin measured where the two holes to mount the vertical guide plate need to be drilled....
...Once found, the holes were...
...Once found, the holes were drilled, but the guide wasn't installed yet.
Another item that interferes...
Another item that interferes with the new one-piece window is the upper door hinge safety bracket, the bracket that keeps your door from opening past a certain point. Kevin removed the bracket and installed the new OPP bumpstops in its place.
In the door's window opening...
In the door's window opening there is a little bracket where the wing window once sat that needs to be removed. Kevin cut the bracket out with a cut-off wheel, but a hacksaw could be used as well.
In order for the new window...
In order for the new window to be installed,...
...Kevin first had to install...
...Kevin first had to install the window regulator.
The last thing you want to...
The last thing you want to do is scratch the new window while putting it in! To avoid a totally serious buzzkill, Kevin wrapped the window in a Space Age protective barrier...also known as tape.
The window was then slid down...
The window was then slid down into the door.
The two new channel rollers...
The two new channel rollers on the window regulator slide into this new OPP channel. Kevin first slid the channel onto the regulator, then bolted the new channel to the window. Once that was complete, he then installed the vertical guide plate, and that was all she wrote.