Woodstock

I have a nice 3b frame if you need one.
Jay

 

I picked up a NOS ventilating windshield from Debellas a couple years ago. Also, there was a guy on facebook selling new inner frames/hinges to convert a stock frame to a vent frame. I believe the outer frame is the same as non-venting.

 

Thanks, Jay, i have a spare I'm going to try today. See how it fits, and if it's bent.

 

Very nice setup. I bet it's nice with the hard top. So, some modification required to make it work on a low hood jeep? And yes, the outer frame is the same, and I am already talking to Joe about the inner frame and parts, but thanks for the tip.

 

Thanks, yeah I chopped the top 4 inches. It is nice to be able to open the windshield with the hard top. It is especially nice while snow wheeling.

 

Got the jeep out to test the windshields on a fine but cold fall day. There is nothing wrong with the windshield I have, but after seeing some photos of other jeeps with the ventilating windshield, I think it's worth trying.

I have run this jeep all these years without wipers, and it has allowed me to use the lower hood blocks, so it sits lower while down.

I dug this beauty out of storage, I bought years ago in case I ever flopped the jeep and needed it. I paid $60.

I set it up there, and it is amazingly straight, and the angle is perfect. It does have about 12 bonus holes that need to be welded up, but I think this will work.

My next concern was-will this work with a roll cage? I put the complete assembly up there to see about clearance. The side arms that hold the window open are very close to my cage, but I think it will work. Once it's partially open, I can get to the thumb nuts that tighten it.

 

If you clamp the inner windshield in place, do you feel like you are driving an armored car?

I feel that way now with just my standard frame.

 

I get jeep-neck once in a while now, but not as bad as my CJ5 with top wipers, so I know what you mean. If I don't do wipers, I think it will be close to the same. With wipers, it's not great. I'll keep my existing frame so if it turns out to be bad, I can go back. And in reality, it never goes more than 2 hours on the highway from here before the frame goes down, so I think it will work.

 

My windshield adjusters rattle in the fully closed position. It’s annoying. To remedy I just leave the windshield open a little. Problem solved.

 

I can see that the arm thumb screws will be hard to get to when it's fully closed, kind of behind the cage, and tightening those are what keeps the rattle to a minimum, so yeah.

 

Because the inner frame I have is so rotten, I went ahead and bought an inner frame and brackets from the guy on FB selling parts. It arrived this week, and I am impressed.

I bead blasted the outer frame and identified the holes that need to be eliminated. It is very solid.

I mocked up the 2 halves of the inner frame, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it's aluminum. The seller told me probably from Mahindra jeeps. Hey, I'm happy, no rust.

It looks to me like an extrusion, rather than a casting, but either way, someone finally got smart.

I placed the inner and outer together, and started thinking about how I will get the big rubber band of an outer weather strip over the frame and in the groove. Obviously this will be after I have the glass in the frame.

 

I love the look of fold out windshield on JEEPs. Yours is looking good.

 

Does this guy have any frames for cj5's, or alternatively is the inner frame from your cj3 the same size? Rust seems to be the biggest problem with the ventilating windshields, and aluminum extrusions could be a game changer!

 

I didn't ask him about CJ5 frames, but I will. I don't think the 3B would be the same, it is so much narrower where the body tapers in at the cowl. I'm guessing he is sourcing parts from Mahindra 3B's, which were made forever, maybe still are. Either that or he has a connection over seas, where most of the export 3B's with ventilating windshields went.

 

If he does, I wonder how alike the Thar (roxor) windshield is? Thanks for checking on it, would be a great source for something that's unobtanium.

 

Time to weld up the dozen or so holes in the outer frame. This might have had a hard top, or half cab, judging by the holes across the header.

Also, the bottom wipers need to go, as they will go to the top, if I do it at all. The 3B had 2 different hole spacings-1 for the vacuum wiper on the driver side, 1 for the hand wiper on the passenger side. I find it funny that was where they drew the line on cost. A different time for sure.

Welded up, I use a piece of copper buss bar to back up hole welds. It works well.

Some other larger irregular holes, I made little fillers in the shear.

Happy with the results. This is looking much better.

 

Between football games on Sunday, I lightly bead blasted the aluminum inner frame, and painted with some satin black.

I brought it in to the paint-curing station so I can assemble at half time.

To @givemethewillys question, here is the 3B inner frame sitting with a 5 outer frame I have. Really much smaller.

With the thought that I could get glass cut this week, I assembled the inner frame, and cut out a template for the glass guy, in case he wants one. I had this 1/8" press board that I use for stuff like this.

Got it all ready to go, then took a tape to it. Bad idea, but glad I caught it- it's about 3/16" out of square. I think the fix is to rearrange the holes in the 4 sandwiching brackets that hold the 2 halves together. So, glass not happening this week.

 

I never realized how different in size the windshields are between a flat fender and a cj5! Our cj5s are huuuuge!

 

I know. I get in my 5 after the 3B, and it's like, more foot room, more visibility, more cargo (beer), more head room. But I still love 'em both.

 

To square up the aluminum frame, and get it to the same dimension as the steel one off the old 3B, I think the best way is to weld up the holes on the inner and outer joining brackets on one side. It's about half a hole off.

A little zip-zap, with the copper under the back.

A little flap wheel action, then redrill.

Same with the inner.

Dummy it up, back to square, and parallel, with the correct dimension.