1953 Chevy Truck One Piece Window Installation - Change Of Heart

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.

Next, he took the strip of metal to the break...

...and bent the two flanges to a 90-degree bend.

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.

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.

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...

...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.

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.

Then, using a pair of tin snips, the new moldings were trimmed.

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.

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.

The first thing to get installed is the front window channel...