Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum

General Category => Willys Forum => Topic started by: Thomasso on May 05, 2017, 11:23:32 AM

Title: Anybody out there
Post by: Thomasso on May 05, 2017, 11:23:32 AM
Have all us old AERO guys died or are all our cars working perfectly.  No postings in almost 3 weeks.  Looking forward to getting Sweet Willy out of winter storage and going for a run when I get home in 3 weeks.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: Aeroman on May 05, 2017, 12:30:25 PM
A lot of folks go to the Willys Aero Facebook page. I check out both.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 05, 2017, 07:15:40 PM
Stop in here every day and I also check out the FB page. Not a lot going on there recently either, I think it's just a general lull.

As for me, still slowly plugging along trying to get my Aero back in one piece, started floor padding today.

Really searching high & low for a tinted rear glass and so far haven't found one. A quote came in today from a glass manufacturer for a "one off"......... $2,100.

$1550 for tooling the buck alone & $375 for setup & bending one piece. I'd pay well for a tinted rear but the tooling's a bit steep for me to absorb into one glass.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 06, 2017, 09:32:42 AM
Ah come on Mark... think of it...
You'll be famous, and have bragging rights for the rest of your life,
and the sales you can make heck even i'll buy one...


That wasn't an offer for you or anyone else to "buy in", just sharing current info. I doubt I'd ever try to organize a "group buy" here after seeing how badly you treated another member for presenting an opportunity to the members. No doubt even after posting costs I'd be accused of profiteering. Going back and deleting all your negative posts doesn't change what you said.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: Gordie on May 06, 2017, 05:47:48 PM
I try to avoid Facebook.  Is there a way to view the Willys Aero Facebook page without joining Facebook?
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 06, 2017, 06:01:57 PM
As far as I know you have to join and use an email address.

Facebook (in my opinion) is Orwellian in the way it gathers info about you and any & everyone even remotely connected to you. Start up a new email at hotmail, outlook or any number of free email providers (not gmail, ie google, almost as bad as fb) and use that address for any one of the FB members to invite you. I did that and used my car model for first & last FB names.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: Terry T on May 06, 2017, 07:59:00 PM
What is the reason why the Willys people are using FB instead of this Forum?
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: Barnum on May 06, 2017, 09:11:10 PM
I would say the reason people are using the FB page is that all of them use FB and are already there.It is easier to post pictures...and because they follow it on FB...response is much faster.Many of us still refer people to this page for info.....I look at both.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: Thomasso on May 06, 2017, 11:58:17 PM
Facebook?  Can you do it with a flip phone>
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 07, 2017, 09:52:50 AM
What is the reason why the Willys people are using FB instead of this Forum?

I don't think the core Aero FB group is from here. I get the impression that most of the members in the FB Aero group aren't KFOIC members, and surprisingly to me, a substantial number are from Brazil. Could be in a web search that KFOIC just isn't registering for the average Aero owner searching the net. There's nothing in the club name or even on the home page to suggest any connection.

There's also a FB group for KF owners, don't know anything about it other than it pops up in a search. https://www.facebook.com/Kaiser-Frazer-Owners-Club-International-652160528140828/ (https://www.facebook.com/Kaiser-Frazer-Owners-Club-International-652160528140828/)
Also, another Willys forum that includes Aero, http://oldwillysforum.com/forum/ (http://oldwillysforum.com/forum/)

.................................................Many of us still refer people to this page for info.....I look at both.

Ditto
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 07, 2017, 09:59:18 AM
Facebook?  Can you do it with a flip phone>

I still use a flip and could do it, but it would be a pain in the a** compared to a computer.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: Aeroman on May 09, 2017, 12:20:20 PM
MarkH - Sorry I have not replied about the rear glass that I have. I know I have two or three small rear windows, just don't know if they are tinted. Sooner or later, I will get into storage and find out if any are tinted.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 09, 2017, 12:46:20 PM
Much appreciated. Found a couple other options in the last few days. One specialty custom & rod glass shop says with my back glass in hand, they can cut one out of a windshield they physically match to for $800, plus shipping both ways.

Another custom shop can duplicate mine in scratch resistant acrylic for about the same, ditto on the 2 way shipping. Both West coast, me midwest.

Those are the best numbers so far, so if I found one with shipping one way, that leave's me a lot of room to gladly pay a premium price.

Right now I'm on the upholstery guys work list for a headliner, after that I can put glass in.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: mpc on May 10, 2017, 05:39:09 PM
Much appreciated. Found a couple other options in the last few days. One specialty custom & rod glass shop says with my back glass in hand, they can cut one out of a windshield they physically match to for $800, plus shipping both ways.

This is interesting.  So they would in theory find a windshield from another model that closely overlays the shape of the Aero rear glass, then cut it to fit?  That price must have some cushion in it for breakage and re-tries. 
 
I am considering trying to find someone to manufacture some Aero windshields (2 piece and/or 1 piece). It seems there is a need for them well beyond my own.  Without the availability of curved glass these cars are on the fast road to extinction.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 10, 2017, 10:42:25 PM
Much appreciated. Found a couple other options in the last few days. One specialty custom & rod glass shop says with my back glass in hand, they can cut one out of a windshield they physically match to for $800, plus shipping both ways.

This is interesting.  So they would in theory find a windshield from another model that closely overlays the shape of the Aero rear glass, then cut it to fit?  That price must have some cushion in it for breakage and re-tries. 
 
I am considering trying to find someone to manufacture some Aero windshields (2 piece and/or 1 piece). It seems there is a need for them well beyond my own.  Without the availability of curved glass these cars are on the fast road to extinction.

Well, he WAS at $800, asked for photos, today he came back at 13 to 15 hundred. Found one manufacturer that will tool up for $550 but his glass & bending costs brings it to $1600. Compared now to cutting one off, not bad for new, multiples won't drop price significantly.

There's a couple windshield sellers, one won't respond to inquiries, the other is currently listing them online & ebay and claims to have 10 clear in stock. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1953-1954-1955-WILLYS-HARDTOP-SEDAN-WINDSHIELD-VINTAGE-NEW-CLASSIC-AUTO-GLASS-/232323940784?fits=Make%3AWillys&hash=item36179601b0:g:TIAAAOSwlndZDBFf&vxp=mtr (http://www.ebay.com/itm/1953-1954-1955-WILLYS-HARDTOP-SEDAN-WINDSHIELD-VINTAGE-NEW-CLASSIC-AUTO-GLASS-/232323940784?fits=Make%3AWillys&hash=item36179601b0:g:TIAAAOSwlndZDBFf&vxp=mtr)

A few years there was a run of tinted & clear. Tinted seems to have sold out a while back although the non responsive seller is currently listing both.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: Aeroman on May 11, 2017, 12:52:18 PM
I bought an NOS windshield and all 3 pieces of the rear glass from Iowa Glass Depot, between 10 & 15 years ago. The tinted windshields were all gone. Dunno if Iowa Glass still exists. W325 is the windshield number, don't remember any of the others.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: joefrazer on May 11, 2017, 04:13:19 PM
Not that it's of any help to the current folks looking for glass, but I do have a rear windshield to fit the 54-55 cars with the large one piece window. I'll make it a good deal to anyone who can pick it up either here in northern Ohio or on May 19-20 in Columbus Indiana. Sure wish I could help the others!
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 11, 2017, 06:39:16 PM
Not that it's of any help to the current folks looking for glass, but I do have a rear windshield to fit the 54-55 cars with the large one piece window. I'll make it a good deal to anyone who can pick it up either here in northern Ohio or on May 19-20 in Columbus Indiana. Sure wish I could help the others!

That one piece panoramic glass is quite rare. After searching several dozen glass suppliers only the reproduction windshields have turned up, a couple used clear small rears, and one 1 piece E-Z Eye panoramic glass. After seeing prices for reproducing a small window, just imagine what getting one of those reproduced would cost, if you still had one for a pattern. I've gotten a couple more quotes for small tinted just north of 3K.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 12, 2017, 07:53:12 PM
Got a call out of the blue today from an auto glass supplier I've spoken to a couple times in the past year. They seemed sure they found a good used tinted rear in a boneyard, $575 delivered to a local glass shop of my choice. After the repro numbers I've been getting it seemed like a bargain.
If anyone comes up with one, I'll still buy it for a spare.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: Aeroman on May 15, 2017, 01:05:30 PM
One specialty custom & rod glass shop says with my back glass in hand, they can cut one out of a windshield they physically match to for $800, plus shipping both ways.

Almost 40 years ago, I knew a man in Inglewood, CA named Steve Nicas. In the early 1960's, he saved a barn find Tucker for about $50. It had all flat glass except for the small rear window, which is curved. Of course, his was broken and he needed one. After years of searching, he found a glass shop who matched the curvature to the rear glass from a Pinto Runabout hatch glass, cut it down and that's what's still in the car today. Steve is long gone, was an old man then, but last I knew, the car is on loan/display at the Balboa Museum in San Diego. Steve also had a Franklin sedan.
Title: Re: Anybody out there
Post by: MarkH on May 23, 2017, 11:58:22 AM
Well, back to square one. got a call from the glass suppplier, boneyard was wrong and they actually have a clear.

So, if anyone has a tinted small in their parts collections I'm all in. In the meantime, I'm back to getting estimates from glass benders.