S2 Door Glass

[DJThom]

Hi All.

I've run into a snag while installing my S2 door glass. The front channel has the proper seals and is up nice and snug to the windshield frame when the door is closed. The rear channel is as far back as possible, up tight against the chrome holder for the locking mechanism.

The problem is that when I put the window glass in, the fit is too tight. In the upright position, it presses and bends the front channel forward such that it won't clear the windshield frame when the door is being closed without some manual help. Plus, the up and down motion is Very tight.

I thought about getting the rear part of the window that slides in the rear channel trimmed down by 1/8" or so, but was told by a glass shop that they won't cut tempered glass. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Darren

[Emma-Knight]

...just to be shure: is the windscreen aligned the right way? Are the side window felt channels the correct ones? My normal glass shop has a machine that grinds off about 1mm from a glass that is given to it. It's the machine that normaly dehorns the fresh cut glass edges to a nice satin edge. The glass will pass through it on a guided roller frame. No cutting, just grinding... If more reduction is required, it needs more passages.


Anna

[1964 S1]

Hello, I just went out and removed my inner door panel to peek at my S1 window workings. I have a couple of suggestions that I hope lead to solutions. Is your car a restoration project? Is it doing the same thing on both sides? The "felt" liners inside my channels are very very thin, just rubber on the face, where the ends of the windows rub. The thick material is on each side, not on the edge. Do you have new channel inserts? Make sure they're snug and straight all the way up in the metal channel, nothing caught in between pushing them out. You may try loosening the four bolts holding the channels to the door and see what happens. I would not trim the glass as friction helps hold them up. Is your chrome endplate snug up against the fiberglass inner panel? Good Luck. Eric

[1964 S1]

Or maybe the rear channels have been switched left side to right and are upside down now which in some Lotus way changes the angle of inclination????????

[nudgernog]

is the screen frame a new one.
if its from TTR then they have extra
rake on the screenframe angle. to gain better aerodynamics
( allegedly.)
this tightens the gap on the glass alot.
if its original then gain as much as pos on all adjustments.
if any other bits are new, door etc . then its a struggle as the tolerences are never as good as the original parts were.
i have had this several times rebuilding cars for people.

[brassringfarm]

I had the exact same problem with mine. It was such a pain, that I decided to leave out the glass - since I like to drive with my arm out the door anyway. Although Anna's solution sounds brilliant - I ended up diagnosing mine as a problem with the new metal-backed felt channels I installed in the chrome U-channels that attach to the door. I adjusted the channel itself 100 times. It mated with the windsreen perfectly. The window did not appear to be too long, and it was in there before anyway! The only difference was the felt channel. I got it from Don Tingle in the US - and every other part he sent me was perfect - including the wisker felts for the door. It was just too difficult to pull the window up. The steel backing was just too thick - by about 1 mm-2mm, which is a lot. When I get back to the US - I plan to try to find an alternate supplier. But as I said - I still like to put my arm out the window and don't mind driving in cold weather with gloves! I'll be following this tread carefully.
Paul Zimmerman
26-4600

[DJThom]

Thanks for the suggestions. The car is a project car which was taken apart by someone else. (sound familiar?) New window channels came with the car, but I doubt they're the right one based on your descriptions. I shall try and get some new ones on my next parts order, and move the the next item on my to-do list until then.

Darren

[Emma-Knight]

read it in the Buckland book:

first set up Your door, then adjust the windscreen. Maybe it works this way, if it's not the channels.

Anna

[wojeepster]

restoration specialities (in us) has a frightening array of window channel and window felts. You might try them.

[RotoFlexible]

Reviving this thread because I am facing the same problem. The new fuzzy window channels (replacing the originals that were worn right down to the metal cores) result in the chrome guide channel interfering with the top of the windscreen frame (driver side only) when the window is raised. If the door is open, I can't close it without helping the guide channel into place. If the door is closed, raising the window is a two-handed operation and results in the channel twisting (see photos).

I have tried all available adjustments to get the window as far back in the door as possible. I am surmising that the angle of the windscreen frame is no longer correct - that the body has sagged slightly in that area, so the orientation of the door openings w/r/t the windscreen frame has changed. My door frame lattices were completely rusted out for years before Gary repaired them. (The way the door sits in the body opening supports that idea.) The problem is mostly on the driver side (LHD), much less so on the passenger side.

I think I am down to the following options:

1. Cut or grind the window edge as suggested in this thread. I really don't want to do that.
2. Attempt to adjust the rake of the windscreen frame.

Is it possible, after 43 years, to slightly modify the windscreen frame rake? The bolts that hold the frame to the body on both sides are among the few I haven't touched, ever. I need about 3/16" more clearance at the top of the frame on the driver side, much less on the passenger side. Any chance it will work? What is the worst thing that can happen if I try (e.g., broken windscreen)?

Thanks for your expertise and advice.

[1964 S1]

I think the new fuzzy window channels are too thick and misfitting, especially where the end of the glass meets the channel. Don't shave the glass.
If you remove the new fuzzy channel and prop your window up, does the door close properly?
Eric

[RotoFlexible]

Thanks, Eric. The fuzzy channels are fully seated in the guide channel. I am not having much of a problem on the passenger side, so I think the channels are not inherently too thick. Judging from the condition of the old guide-to-windscreen-frame seal on the driver side, this problem has existed for a while - the seal is smashed down and torn at the top. The door did close properly before I replaced the fuzzy channels, but that was with the old, worn seal and of course the old guide channels were worn down to nothing.

I thought of another possible remedy if the windscreen frame angle can't be adjusted. I can trim out the "bulbous" part of the guide-to-frame screen at the top to ease the interference. I'd prefer a non-destructive solution but that is better than grinding or cutting (and possibly breaking) the window glass.

[cabc26b]

Hi Andrew,

Last month I started to re-assemble the doors on my S1 reusing the old channel seals and the sealing gasket (to) windshield frame. When I close the doors I now have slight interference, at the top, - My supposition on this is that most of the interference is caused by the windshield since it was also off the car for the painting and not final fitted ( I am going to repaint the frame and replace the gasket and trim). I am guessing for a solution that I will (lose) fit the windshield with the doors closed and a shim at the top of the channel. Then tighten the windshield frame to body bolts ( any other adjustment for the channel can occur by shimming the channel on the door)

maybe this helps ?

George

[rkneeland]

Gents

Yet another adjustment is the channel of the lift mechanism (where the rollers run.) The mechanism to door bolt holes were elongated on mine and playing with that altered the angle of the complete window/mechanism assy, and therefore the windshield to window fit. Plus the lift arms on mine had bent.

Lots to fiddle with.

[RotoFlexible]

I am guessing for a solution that I will (lose) fit the windshield with the doors closed and a shim at the top of the channel. Then tighten the windshield frame to body bolts ( any other adjustment for the channel can occur by shimming the channel on the door)

That sounds right. My question is whether I can adjust the windshield frame after it has been on the car all these years, without making a royal mess of the various frame-to-body seals and possibly damaging or breaking the frame or the windshield itself.

Yet another adjustment is the channel of the lift mechanism (where the rollers run.) The mechanism to door bolt holes were elongated on mine and playing with that altered the angle of the complete window/mechanism assy, and therefore the windshield to window fit. Plus the lift arms on mine had bent.

I adjusted the lift mechanism (which is in good condition) to give the maximum rake to the window, without appreciable effect. My sense is that the lift mechanism is not restricting the window from finding its best fit in the guide channel, which is still not good enough to clear the windshield frame.

Thanks to both of you for your help.