Anyone familiar with the 1964 330 aluminum door "glass"?

[SKR8PN]

Working on a 64 330 light weight car with aluminum fenders/doors/hood etc. There are NO factory window regulators in this car. They were removed back in the day to save weight. The plexiglass windows do not have any way of holding them into the guide tracks, allowing them to not lift up evenly. They get cocked and are impossible to lift with the belt. There is a metal bar fastened to the bottom of the glass but only one end will stay in the track, and this is on both windows. Anyone happen to have any pictures of what I need to make to keep the plexiglass in the tracks?

 

[khryslerkid]

@dvw

I know he uses a belt in his '64

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Are the vent wing windows and tracks still there?

 

[vance.dykes]

Since it's plexiglass windows couldn't you fabricate your own ? I would think the Rarity of that part alone would be difficult to come by I'm sure you're well aware of course

 

[fullmetaljacket]

IIRC, the inner window glass channels were aluminum and very hard to come by. The tracks themselves and the cranking mechanisms are standard fare steel from the factory.
That said, a standard factory steel rooster and cranking system can be used, but the thin plexiglass/corning or lexan glass panes have to be secured to the (Window glass channels) by either tiny screws or some type of glue.

 

[Chi Town Runner]

If I'm not mistaken,,,, weren't the side wondows on the WO 68 Hemi Darts raised via seatbelt strap

 

[vance.dykes]

If I'm not mistaken,,,, weren't the side wondows on the WO 68 Hemi Darts raised via seatbelt strap

Yeah but you need guides to keep the window in place

 

[fullmetaljacket]

If you're not concerned with originality, DVW has some clever ideas on his window system.
If original is the way, you'll have to go hunting for those parts. On my aluminum doors, I am running a steel rooster regulator system combined with a hand made aluminum (window glass channel) that attaches to the Lexan window panes. Works like a stock system. The Lexan is 1/8 thickness.

 

[dvw]

The tracks in mine a stock. Two things that helped me. First the strap needs to be located wher it will pull evenly. It's not where you would think. Second is a Lowes closet door roller was attached to the front edge of the the lower edge of the window. It rides along on the outside of the front channel. The snaps for the strap on the door panel will be in different locations fore/after as the window goes forward when it drops down.
Doug

 

[dodgeboy440]

The tracks in mine a stock. Two things that helped me. First the strap needs to be located wher it will pull evenly. It's not where you woulfd think. Second a Lowes closet door roller attached to the front edge of the the lower edge of the window. It rides along on the outside of the front channel. The snaps for the strap on the door panel will be in different locations fore/after as the window goes forward when it drops down.
Doug

View attachment 2030067

Very Clever !

Great job DVW!!

Racing is Innovative at best…..

You’re always thinking outside the box…..

Back in the 70’s I made some fiberglass doors
For my 64 Savoy by removing the door skin ,
Prepping it smooth & using it as a “ mold “ for a fiberglass door , had a small glass shop make the doors & I made aluminum attachments for the hinges & lexan windows.
It worked !& was light …..

Always got the WTF stares when I opened the door & they would ask………. How’d U Doo Datt.. Then I’d explain it ….

Innovation……

How much does a steel door weigh ?
How much did my homebrew glas doors weigh,just a couple of pounds….

Think it through….you’ll get it !

Hey it’s a RACECAR!!!

PS
Spell RACECAR Backwards…. Eh !
Whatchya get ?

Mopar2ya!!

John

 

[dvw]

I had a chance to buy glass fenders and doors when I was building the car. They were nice, came of a really nice 64, blocked and painted really nice (but green). Great price as well $400 for all. but afetr thinking about it wanted everything to open and close nice and remain straight. After 14 years and 1250 runs it still looks like the day it was done.
The car with the glass parts? They were replaced with steel and it is still being raced often. Looks great as well. Don't remeber the weight. But the shell itself was pretty light. You can see my wife holding it up.
Doug

 

[SKR8PN]

Are the vent wing windows and tracks still there?

Tracks and vent windows are still there.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Sometimes steel left alone is alone enough good. Glass parts usually warp or crack over time. The only glass company that makes really, really nice stuff is Stinger/AAR.
Anyway, back to the light alloy doors, if the inner skin is still intact, a regular cranking mechanism can be used until the proper parts are found. DVW's remedy is so freakin' nice, but don't go cutting up a pair of aluminum doors now. LOL.
I wish there were aluminum fenders and hoods in 1965, but Ford had to (=u(K it all up with their petty protests.

 

[SKR8PN]

The aluminum doors on this car actually have the inner skins which makes it very hard to see in or work inside the door. After much fooling about and looking as close as possible, I discovered that the rear guide that fastens the plexiglass to the slide is there on both windows. There just isn't a guide for the front slide/track for each window. I lubed the living daylights out of both rear tracks/slides and got them to working decent, I just need to come up with something to help keep the front part of both windows relatively close to the slide. I LOVE DVW's idea with the roller!!

 

[SKR8PN]

Sometimes steel left alone is alone enough good. Glass parts usually warp or crack over time. The only glass company that makes really, really nice stuff is Stinger/AAR.
Anyway, back to the light alloy doors, if the inner skin is still intact, a regular cranking mechanism can be used until the proper parts are found. DVW's remedy is so freakin' nice, but don't go cutting up a pair of aluminum doors now. LOL.
I wish there were aluminum fenders and hoods in 1965, but Ford had to (=u(K it all up with their petty protests.

Trust me, there will be NO cutting on these aluminum doors!! This is the car I am working on.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

For a minute there I thought that was the "Mothers Mistake" car.
Either way, it is beautiful. Is that a thin gauge light steel bumper or one of the aluminum jammies?

 

[SKR8PN]

For a minute there I thought that was the "Mothers Mistake" car.
Either way, it is beautiful. Is that a thin gauge light steel bumper or one of the aluminum jammies?

Aluminum doors, hood and bumper, I think the core support is aluminum also

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Aluminum doors, hood and bumper, I think the core support is aluminum also

Sweet.
Some of those first cars that had thin gauge steel bumpers didn't fare well. I've seen more aluminum bumpers in better shape than the steel ones.
By the way, you should chat with Jim Kramer about those door mechanisms. Have you tried to put a magnet to the dash frame?

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Just remembered that the "Mothers Mistake" is a Red '65 Plymouth.

 

[Diodedog]

Aluminum doors, hood and bumper, I think the core support is aluminum also

Sweet.
Some of those first cars that had thin gauge steel bumpers didn't fare well. I've seen more aluminum bumpers in better shape than the steel ones.
By the way, you should chat with Jim Kramer about those door mechanisms. Have you tried to put a magnet to the dash frame?

Back in the 80s I had a 64 Dodge aluminum nose but it had the light steel bumper which was in great shape. The bumper and aluminum brackets weighed 15 lbs on the dot. I weighed a standard 64 Dodge bumper with the steel brackets and it weighed 68lbs, it was a bigger savings for the 64 Dodge than any of the other cars. My 63 Ply aluminum front has everything except the light bumper but the stock one with brackets is only 25ish lbs so I never worried about getting a light bumper, a friend has a few but he wont part with them, I do have home made aluminum brackets for it but never put them on as I thought NHRA might complain that they weren't original.