Ford F-1 Windshield Replacement - Interior Decorating

Depending on the condition of the metal there are a variety of options for preparing the body for new rubber gaskets-we used a wire brush; abrasive discs; and even a small, handheld sandblaster.

The windshield rubber from Sacramento Vintage Ford is an exact duplicate of the original, the wide side of the gasket goes to the outside of the cab.

An F-1 cowl vent gasket serves a dual purpose; it seals the assembly to the cab as well as the lid to the body when it's closed. We used a bead of weatherstrip adhesive to hold the rubber in place during assembly.

With the rubber glued on, Tex Smith slipped the freshly painted cowl vent back in place. Make sure the screen is in good shape because at speed these make a great scoop for all sorts of debris-including really angry yellow jackets.

Screws from the outside hold the cowl vent in place. We used nails to align all the holes and hold the rubber in place while all the screws were started.

This is the slot in the windshield rubber that the glass fits into. The wide side of the windshield gasket goes to the outside of the cab.

Here the seal has been positioned on the back glass-in this case the wide side of the rubber goes to the inside of the cab.

After the rubber is in place on the glass, starting at the top of the glass the cord is worked down into the groove that fits over the lip in the windshield opening.

Next, a bead of hand cleaner is worked down into the groove to act as a lubricant.

Then a coat of hand cleaner is applied to the pinch-weld flange around the opening.

Now here's the fun part. With a helper applying gentle pressure from the outside and the ends of cord inside the cab at the top of the glass, gently pull the ends of the cord down and away from the edge of the glass, rolling the rubber over the flange.

Alternate pulling each end of the cord about a foot while your helper applies pressure and gives the glass a few slaps with the palm of their hand.