LOOKING FOR PARTS

Well I finally have most of the truck in pieces now, I have search and found most of the parts that I need. All except for the windsheild frame. I have the one off my truck, but after disassembly I found the bottom half of the frame is mostly rusted away. If anyone has had this and found a way to replace or repair please let me know. Any and all suggestions are welcome

Thanks guys!

It would help if I said what my truck is!!! 48 KB2

You have to start shopping for a used one. Possibly you can find a good frame from one of the guys here. There are usually frames on ebay however vendors will rarely remove the old rubber gasket which will reveal the true condition of the frame. Most seem to be advertised in great condition but until they are stripped of glass and gasket you have no idea how much rot might be hidden.

To help in your search, you can widen the search because the K and Kb 1 through 5 models used the same frame for the windshield. the 6 and larger are different. So don't limit yourself to just a KB-2 frame.
Bill

I talked to this company that manufactures numerous windshield frames. They told me if I sent them my frame they could use it as a pattern to build a new one but I never went any further than a discussion. I cant access their website this morning...possibly they have added a K model frame to their inventory.

Windshield Frames - N/C Industries Antique Auto Parts - Home
windshieldframes.com Cached
Antique Auto Parts. Windshield Frames and Other Parts. Featuring 1932-35 Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, and Desoto . NC Industries located in Sayre, Pennsylvania ...

I am in the process of fixing my windshield frame. The lower half of my frame had the usual rot. The outside part of the lower frame looked good. The inside part was rotted out. The web between the inside and outside was over half gone. I took a cutting wheel on an angle grinder and cut the web leaving the outside and inside halves separate. I ground the web out of each part so I had a flat outside frame. I took some 1/4 by 1 inch steel bar stock and ran it through my vertical band saw so I had a 4 foot length of 1/4 by 3/8 solid steel bar stock. It took awhile but it worked. It helped that I had a nice new sharp saw blade. I then bent the bar stock to match the frame. I welded the outside piece that I had salvaged to the bar stock. I left the bar stock long on each end to slip into the top frame. I then cut pieces of 16 gauge sheet steel to replace the inside frame part. I plug welded this to the bar stock. I then took a large flat wooded mallet and rolled the new inside piece to set the gap for the windshield gasket. The inside bar stock is then drilled and tapped to allow the top half to screw on and also the crank arms to fasten. The glass channel is wider than original but I will use some type of silicon to set the glass so it won't matter. I have not put the gasket in yet but I expect to have to use some silicon on the lower half to help keep it square and in place. I won't be perfect but it should look original from the outside. I don't plan on driving a lot in the rain and it is stored inside so I can live with a leak or two. While I was cutting and welding I kept test fitting it to the top half. I also traced out the shape on a large piece of card board and kept checking against that.

Duane, looks like i'am going to have to send you mine, what do ya charge???
I'am going to do some more digging around to see what I can find, as we'll check on that company to see if they are going to add the IHC to the list of their reproductions.

Thanks again for the help!

I thought about buying some old frames and then restoring them for resale. The problem is it gets expensive fast. I would want to set in the new glass and install the gasket to make sure that everything fits up nicely. Here was my quick estimate:
Used Frames $200
New Glass and Gasket $150
Materials: sealant, steel, epoxy primer, black urethane paint, sandblasting, grinding and welding supplies $100
Crating in plywood and foam packing $50
25 to 30 hours time (it really takes this long to clean, sand blast, metal fab, paint, assemble): $500

You can see that it is $1,000 plus shipping. I don't see guys wanting to spend this kind of money on these old trucks. I really don't have the time to do it anyway. Like most of the guys here I have a full time job and plenty of projects like my KB1.

Enjoy your truck, it is definitely a journey. I am about 90% complete with my KB1 off the frame restoration. This is ending up a 4 year project for me.

In case someone wants the web site mentioned earlier, here it is: http://www.windshieldframes.com/

Might try Desert Valley Car Parts http://www.DVAP.com. They were nice to deal with when I was looking for the spare tire frame member that a PO removed from my KB-3. Unlikely to find a rotted window frame in Pheonix. Thought it will be hard to unbond the rubber from from the frame after cooking in the desert sun for 70 years. If you're lucky it may even come sandblasted...
Rich C.