Sourcing replacement door windows for GT

I admit to becoming easily confused (so I am not trying to insult you), but I can't fathom what you posted.

Are you looking for a 246 window?

Are you looking for a 206 window?

Are you trying to make repro 246 window work in a 206?

Regardless, I found there was a difference between 246gts windows and 246gt windows, so with 246 windows at least, you need to verify that the window (whether an original or repro) is for a gt or a gts.

With respect to a 206, I thought that the windows were different from 246 windows due to the slightly different scale, shape, and form of the 206 cabin and roofline.

 

Hello Ron:

look at this on Ebay.
Regards, Alvaro

Ferrari 246 GT Dino LH Door Glass Window 20270104 | eBay

 

First, I admit I rarely if ever post in this particular section and that I don't have experience with Dino side glass, per se or immediate solution for your problem, but I have been producing curved glass, mainly windshields and rear glass with several (curved) side window projects thrown in to mix for all sorts of obsolete vintage vehicle applications, including many rare and one-off examples, for about twenty years now.
Among other things, I'm currently working on producing all new side glass for Daytonas including slight redesign for their vent glass shape which originally have notoriously poor fit resulting to infamous never-ending saga of latch handles breaking off.
Secondly, I'm not saying I will be able to assist you, but if you can't find any other solutions and you're interested in discussing options I can offer, I can provide my contact info through PM. Or vice versa.
Sorry, I don't have facebooks or websites, but have been in business (at same location) for nearly 25 years.
Timo

Timo Tanskanen Restoration
Riverside, CA

 

Thank you for the support Timo. I think Dinoland friends can use your talents.
Please advise on what the procedure might be in order to provide you with the proper samples. Clearly, numbers is the isssue...
Dayotona glass will be a welcome addition, I am certain...

Kind regards, Alberto

 

Timo,

I'm sure there would be a lot of serious interest on this forum from Dino owners for a correct complete set of Dino glass with the correct bugs/logos. Please keep us posted!

Freeman

 

Thank you Alberto, mr. Freeman (?) and Ron,

Before going any further with this I do have couple of things I wish bring to every ones attention.

First, I'm not yet sure if I'll be able to provide an "exact" copy of O.E.M. side/door windows, I mean single pane "tempered" glass since I don't have access to well qualified and/or cost-effective small production manufacturer for such method. All the tempered glass manufacturers I know have too much potential for similar (not very well fitting) quality already on the market. Most of the windshields, rear windows and curved side glass I've produced over the past two decades are and have been made of laminated glass with some exceptions of single pane curved side windows with or without "tempering". Latter experiments always ending up in recycling bin for aforementioned lack of qualified manufacturers.

Secondly, all the glass I produce will either have my "logo" or I can provide a glass without any for recepient to do with as they please since I will not want to infringe upon anybodys trademarks. The latter choice will obviously come without any potential recourse for warranty, sorry.

I'll welcome any feedback (private or public) regarding above comments since they will help gauge if worthwhile market might exist and/or if anybody knows of qualified, cost-effective, small production run capable manufacturer of curved tempered glass that I could work with...

Regards,
Timo

 

Timo,

The opportunity I think is in accurate tempered side and rear glass with a laminated windshield. Better no bug with someone organizing the correct artwork to apply. My immediate need is for a pair of vent windows because mine are scratched where previous attempts at attaching the latch has failed.

"Mr. Thomas"

 

Freeman,
I do agree for potentially better opportunity in tempered glass for side and rear glass, but in my 25+ years in vintage automotive restoration industry and providing windshields and other curved glass for all sorts of rate or one-off applications for about 20 years now, I'm yet to find a qualified and cost effective manufacturer with ability to do reasonably good quality, small production or one-off tempered glass, especially if the glass requires compound/multi-direction curvature. Even the single curvature tempered side glass projects I've experimented with over the years have all ended up as wasted time and money.
But as I said, if enough interest exists, I could try to provide next best alternative which in most instances would be "almost" impossible to differentiate by casual viewing.
Perhaps best way to gauge the potential would be any/all owners with serious intentions and willingness to "follow through" if required, to chime in with simple yes/no ?
As for the pricing, we'll get to that once potential interest and idea for quantities is first established.
Regards,
Timo

 

Timo,

First off, thanks for your expertise and sharing your thoughts. Sounds like you've been up this road a few times! Knowing many of the Dino characters, I think many would only accept accurate tempered glass for sides and back. In my business I deal a lot with creating one off concept vehicles so I can relate. The only ones I know who would make it correctly is MetalCrafters. They would be expensive but they already make restoration glass for other vendors. It would take someone with lots of spare time, lots of funds, endless perseverance and of course perfect master samples to be successful in doing this. I think others have tried and have ended up with close but not OEM fit and look. A thankless task but definitively worth doing!

Freeman

 

MetalCrafters Glass:

Glass Fabrication Home

Freeman

 

Ron,

What we need to do is take a form gauge and also trace the side-view outline on tracing paper to an original 206/L-Series Coupe door glass (all the way up, mounted in the door) and compare to an original M-Series Coupe and then an E-Series to see if in fact there are differences. Maybe we could encourage Jon or Matthias since they have all of them under one roof?

Freeman

 

Freeman, there was a change of glasses for GT and GTS during E-series production..... change took place from body no. 1611
different part no`s

 

A vendor I know well did tempered side glass for the Lancia Stratos and every one seems happy with them. I bought a set as well and didn't think the price was too bad. It is a compound curve glass similar to the Dino and not just flat glass.

 

there were differences even on the original glass on the length, but not on the curvature, I have new old stock vent windows and new old stock door window glass and seceral used for M and E to compare with for making a proper glass, we intend to manufacture tempered glass as the original for GT and GTS with the correct curvature in both directions and hopefully with sicursiv stamp, if there is enough interest. we dont sell them if they dont get perfect copy of the original glas
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Just out of curiosity, are you planning to utilize any of the "usual" east of Sweden manufacturers ? If yes, how close of contacts you have with them and how many similar tempered curved glass projects have you accomplished with them ?
My experience is with this is only about twenty years and several hundred cars worth of glass produced for my specifications there, so I have some idea of the limitations involved.
Of course most of my glass productions have been focusing on windshields (most commonly needed automotive glass item, duh), including numerous one-offs and prototype items for mainly vintage of makes like Bentley, Bizzarrini, Ferrari, Iso-Rivolta, Maserati, Rolls-Royce, Talbot-Lago, etc to name a few. Some of the more interesting projects include several special sets of curved glass for a collection of mid-50's vintage limousines being restored to certain middle eastern royal family or creating a properly fitting windshield from scratch for a Comp. 250 LWB Cal. Spyder brought to me with a "new" replacement w/s which I was expected to replace the broken and very poorly fitting one already in the car with. Unfortunately the "new" replacement glass they brought me, was made over in scandinavia to who knows what specs and had even worse fit, rendering it completely useless. Pictures I have would make anyone laugh and cry at the same time.
Timo

 

Have you checked this one out on eBay? It supposedly is (or was) in LA, and claims it is a left side 246gt window:

Ferrari Dino 246 Left Window Door Glass Sicursiv Clear | eBay

It is "only" $2,450.

CHEAP AT ANY PRICE!!!

 

Based on prior Dino projects, I would be very hesitant to recommend that this will profitable for you to fabricate. What usually happens in the Dino forum is 1) wild enthusiasm and encouragement that "everyone will need this" when the project is started, 2) numerous trials and setbacks during fabrication and then 3) complaints on pricing and lack of buyers when the product appears.

I wish you the best of luck and understand you're well versed on this product type so don't want to stifle you but realize that many claims here about "need" may not convert into actual purchases.

 

Thank you for your courageous, yet quite accurate assessment of these types of affairs.
Nothing new for me (or unexpected, hence my suggestion of "field poll") and probably not for most of the small business owner/car enthusiasts who come up with some specialized product or service in hopes of helping others and perhaps not go broke doing so.

If it's any conciliation for Dino community here, I've gone through these (more often fruitless than not) "exercises" with all sorts of vintage car clubs, groups and vendor entities over the years and seen many others, including some friends and clients, even loose their business' and more due to similar reasons.

I've even wasted a lot of time/money on some small, but beautiful specialty detail items I've seen even many Pebble Beach entries lacking or having in poor condition, but since my "targets" were little "lesser" makes/models produced in more substantial quantities (which I was mistakenly aiming for) and although only 2 or 3 different ones are in each vehicle, the eventual $15.00 price per each was ridiculed by many owners as "way too much for such small thing" and which "some of them can't even be easily seen once installed, so I only want to buy the one that is". Eventually, I decided to raise the price about ten-fold, which for some reason (?) for awhile led to more sales and now after 15 or so years and almost all sold, I might have broken even.

Although I produce and stock about 10-12 different specialty windshields along with couple of rear windows (most non-Ferrari and much more complex designs) with access to 100's of obscure patterns, most of my glass commissions are and in recent years have been mainly one-offs or very small productions for car makes/models with only handful in existence were owners usually don't have many choices. Yet, even with some of these projects I'm sometimes lucky to break even. And thankfully I'm not relying my livelihood on these glass productions/sales.

Timo

 

i Think you did miss understand, i dont live east of sweden i live IN sweden