Rear Window Glass
Cutting Rear Window Glass
You can not cut rear window glass. It is tempered and will shatter into a thousand pieces. Naturally, I had to prove it by attempting to cut one of the rear quarter windows using the sandblasting method. I knew that scoring would not work but maybe sandblasting would be more gentle. Unfortunately, as I had cut about half way through, the glass shattered. Well I guess I've proved that you cannot cut tempered glass no matter how you try.
The windshield is laminated safety glass which is made up of 2 sheets of normal glass with a plastic layer inbetween. This is why you can cut it and also why a rock will chip it without shattering.
Since you can't cut the rear window, you have to think out of the box. One method of using the original rear window glass is to leave the window frame in place but lean it forward. Most 50s roofs have a 4 to 5" dome above the to of the doors that you can cut into.
Another alternative is to channel the rear glass into the trunk area or back lid. Basically hide the bottom half inside the body.
Rear Window
A curved rear window will give you problems if you want to cut it because its tempered. It will shatter if scored or sandblasted. On my car, the second owner replaced the original 54 curved glass with an earlier year 53 Chev 150 smaller rear glass. This gave a better roof line and I'm able to use stock 51 glass, chrome and rubber.
1st Chop Rear Window using original 54 rear glass
2nd Chop Rear Window using 53 Chev 150 rear glass
The rubber weatherstripping that holds the rear window in place is called the channel. Usually I associate a channel with something metal and weatherstripping with something rubber. But the channel is the term that is used.
To install the rear window, you install the channel around the glass and use a rubber adhesive to join the ends together. Then you insert a string into the groove that the window frame will go in. Lubricate the groove with soapy water, place the window on the window frame.
It is a two person job to install the rear window. While one person pushes on the glass from the outside, the other pulls the string, allowing the channel groove lip to slide over the window frame lip. It's supposed to be easy but it took 6 tries to install mine. There is one section that the rubber doesn't seat properly so it looks like I'll be removing the window and grinding the window frame for added clearance. I figure that with all the roof work, the window frame has twisted a tad.
Rear window installed but it will have to be removed and the frame modified to fit better