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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation - Change Of Heart

1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Window Channel
As the earlier windows were... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Window Channel
As the earlier windows were thicker, they won't fit the smaller window channels of the '52-and-up trucks. Therefore, in order to make the swap to the early style windows, one needs to come up on some early style window channels (early style aftermarket channels don't exist, at least not yet) or fabricate your own. Keith at Classic did just that. He started with the rear channel: First he measured the side flanges on the stock channel and then measured the width of the new '47-51 molding. Next, he took a strip of 18-gauge sheetmetal, accommodating his measurements, and traced the width of the new window molding onto the strip down the middle, leaving the edges the exact height of the stock window flanges.
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Bending
Next, he took the strip of... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Bending
Next, he took the strip of metal to the break...
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Flanges
...and bent the two flanges... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Flanges
...and bent the two flanges to a 90-degree bend.
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Sheet Metal
Realizing that not everyone... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Sheet Metal
Realizing that not everyone has a sheetmetal break sitting in their garage, here's an alternative means to create a channel: First, find a square tube the width of the molding and cut a strip of sheetmetal just like before.
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Hammer
From there, place the square... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Hammer
From there, place the square tube on a firm surface and clamp the sheetmetal to the tube. Then, using a hammer, form the flange by banging the metal into place.
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Weld
With the channel formed, it... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Weld
With the channel formed, it was then time to finish it off. Keith wanted to duplicate the side-mounting tab (like shown on the stock channel, left) so he made this metal tab to tack to the channel...
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Pliers
...He also wanted to fab a... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Pliers
...He also wanted to fab a new molding catch (the tab inside the flanges on the stock channel), so he bent a tab and tack-welded it in place as well.
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Markings
Next, the end of the channel... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Markings
Next, the end of the channel needed to be trimmed to match the stock channel. In order to do so, the stock channel was held up to the new channel and the appropriate markings were made.
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Cutter
Then, using a pair of tin... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Cutter
Then, using a pair of tin snips, the new moldings were trimmed.
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Finished Product
Here's the finished product:... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Finished Product
Here's the finished product: An exact duplicate of the original piece ... only wider to accommodate the new windows. The front channel was then fashioned in the same style.
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Metal Cutter
As the newer trucks had wing... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Metal Cutter
As the newer trucks had wing vents, their doors also had this divider bar between the opening. In order to install the one-piece window, the bar must be removed.
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Channel
The first thing to get installed... 
   
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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Channel
The first thing to get installed is the front window channel...

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1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Door 1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Window
1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Power Window 1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation Metal Frame
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