Windscreen Woes

[JetJackson]

Afternoon all.

As you may have seen I'm restoring my 5m. Its back from paint and assembly is progressing well, except for the windscreen...



The windscreen just wont fit. We have tried 6 times now, 2 sets of fitters.

A quick back story...

The screen is not the original. This was broken due to an overnight rodent related incident in the workshop.
A replacement was sourced.
The seal is new (old stock), very good condition, soft.
It appears to be the correct rubber the metal trim fits perfectly.
The seal fits on the screen.
The screen wont fit in the hole. It appears to be slightly too tall.

Are there different sized screens?

Screen is 64cm across the middle.
Hole is just under 66cms.

[alfadave]

If you look on Pilkington Classic Car Glass website, they list 2 items for Suds......seem to be for screens, but not 100% clear.

Ref 2012 for 1973-77

Ref 2015 for 1977-79 (they say Alfasud 3 for this which may be a mistake)

If you contact them, they will advise on sizes.

Make sure you are sitting down when they quote prices!!

I think the early cars had bonded in screens , later ones had normal rubbers.

Not sure what year your car is?

I've got a screen here waiting to go in my 1980 S2 sud. Measures just over 64 cm in the middle........ask Justsuds what car it came from!

[Kegsti66]

Sounds like you have a S3 screen.
I think they were bigger as they used a different rubber as it didn't hold the stainless trim your car has. Earlier S1 cars were bonded and a bigger stainless trim, yours is a later S1 with rubber , but different to the S3. Could your screen fitters get it ground down?

Car looks awesome in that colour, i love it.

[Simonsud]

I need a s3 screen as the one I got after taking nearly a year to collect is a sprint one I think
So if yours is a s3 screen I would be interested and you can put money towards a new one I think pilkinton are around £300 to make a new one so not the end of the world

[JetJackson]

Thanks for the quick replies.

The car was imported in the early 1990s and was declared as a 1977 on a S plate.

The original screen was not bonded it, it was held in by a conventional rubber with the metal inserts, as was the rear. The rear went back in OK.

I have the info from Pilkington, but it doesn't make sense to me.


I wonder if the difference between the 2012A and the 2015A is actually the transition from S1 to S2, where the metal trim was deleted.

This would make the S1 bonded or not with the metal trim the 2012A and the S2 and S3 with the solid rubber and no trim the 2015A?

I need to find some more screens and cars to measure!

I will also try Pilkington to see if they can tell me the measurements.

[sudboy1490]

Iv got one on order from pilkington glass. 10/12 week lead time and the only screen they list as far as am aware is for the s3. The cost is £340 Inc delivery. I put it through my insurance so only cost me £50.

[JetJackson]

@sudboy1490,

The info sent to me by Pilkington shows 10 different screens, 2 screens (2012A & 2015A) in 5 different options:

[sudboy1490]

They only sent me one option

[JetJackson]

I have some more dimensional information from Pilkington...

[Veesix75]

John at justsuds will probably know the answer to this, I’m certain I had a chat to him on this topic a few years ago and he knew about the different sizes and years of fitment to which model.

[junior]

Car looks great. Love the colour

Hope John manages to assist you as he has me many times. Good luck. Not far to go now.

[justsuds]

The screen for series 1 sud with the stainless insert is smaller than the series 2/3 that had the plain black seal, as you have worked out, so order a screen for the seal that you have. I have a screen and rubber - stainless insert type - for a series 1 car here that I have just measured, - in the centre it is 635mm ish if this helps. Unfortunately the screen isn't for sale as its for a car I have here, - well, it is for sale, its quite expensive but comes with the rest of the car !
Cheers, John.

[JetJackson]

Hi John.

I was going to give you a call in the next couple of days. Thanks for the info.

You have confirmed what I had suspected following the information from Pilkington, that I need a 635mm screen.

Does this also mean that if I get s solid rubber with no insert the screen should fit my car? (For now)...

[JetJackson]

Now a few weeks on, I have an update. (I know you all must be dying to know progress...)

With some help from John, the screen is now in the car. John confirmed the screen I acquired is indeed a later taller screen and it fitted using a later S3 rubber with no metal insert.



The car can now progress, but I will be needing an early screen. If anyone has one please le me know before I take the plunge with Pilkington.

[junior]

Glad you got sorted. Well done and as usual good advice from John.

[sudboy1490]

If you order a screen from Pilkingtons be aware that the bonded in s1 screen is actually listed as bigger than the later type fitted with the rubber surround. It seems all screens fitted to any car with a rubber surround are the same whether it be s1 chrome insert rubber surround, s2 or s3.

This later screen is the one I recently received and it has turned out to be badly sized. It's about 5/10mm too small. Although I fitted it the rubber does not now cover the appature properly.

Pilkingtons have taken my original screen away to check their measurement and reproduce an exact copy.

[justsuds]

The series 1 'screens with the rubber seal and stainless insert are definitely slightly smaller than the later series 2/3 'screens without the stainless trim. I don't know about the early series 1 bonded 'screens, but I would imagine they would be bigger as there is no rubber to accommodate.
cheers, John.

[sudboy1490]

So I guess it's possible the screen iv been given is a s1 rubber surround type. They don't specifically list that type so maybe they got it wrongly listed as a s3 screen