Folding windshield w/ stock elec wiper advise

[chuckyb]

My 68 has non-operating vac wipers and has the hood latch and catch. I picked up a good windshield and elec wiper set up from a 73 which includes a nice cover with a dome light but now wondering if I should go through with it. I would like to get a catch mounted on the 73 windshield and occasionally fold it down but it seems like it would obstruct the view, especially with the wiper cover. I also wonder about the wiring for the wipers and if they will hold up when folding the windshield.

Interested in knowing thoughts from anyone that might have tried this.

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, folding the windshield on anything other than a roadster is kind of silly, because the door glass frames will still be there. If you've never folded it before I think you are asking for trouble. If you want to have your vacuum wipers rebuilt Fiken wipers did mine a few years ago and they are like new. Good luck

 

[1sicbronconut]

You can run the electric wipers in a vacuum frame you just need to lengthen the long linkage a little, I run them like that in my 68' LUBER.

 

[DirtDonk]

With the doors off in the summer, lowering the frame doesn't look silly, so that issue is fixable if you're the type that takes the doors off.
The wires definitely don't like it at all in their factory wrapping, but if you do your own wiring with individual wires they can bend more often without too much trauma. But that's assuming that you did the wiring in such a way as so they don't drag themselves over sharp edges of metal and such.
I'm not sure that the wipers and cover would obstruct much view, but I've never done it. Sure, they'd be obnoxious and ugly sitting there, but you would still be looking mostly over the top of them I would think. But that's just a guess. Never actually tried it that I remember.
For me the bottom line was that after the one time I drove in a Bronco with the front glass down, I said I'd never do it again! Of course, that was driving around at 25-35 mph in town. Not sitting in a hunting spot or lazing at the beach. But anything over ten mph and I'd be looking to put it back up.

Have fun no matter what you decide.

Paul

 

[Swerve]

I know '68 windshield frame bolts on, at least it did on the '68 I parted out last year, but does '73? At what point did Ford start welding the windshield frames to the cowl?

 

[chuckyb]

Thanks all for the advice. My 68 has removable window frames and the hinge is welded to the cowl. I plan on adding the 73 frame during restoration. It's a march 1968 build.

 

[jckkys]

Try these electric wipers;http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Land...ash=item237d3670a7:g:v9MAAOSwTglYljx9&vxp=mtr. The '66-'68 window frames are bolted in. In'69 they started to weld them in. Some venders offer the bolt in frames. Doing it this way, there's nothing silly about it.