1969 Door Windo Glass Repair

Ford's method of gluing the glass into the guide channels was not new in 1969--The '67 and '68 Cougars also had glued-in glass. What makes the '69 unique was that Ford went to two smaller mounting channels at each end of the glass, while '67s and '68s had one long channel into which the glass was glued (see illustration).

With the stops on these channels at the outermost edges, they naturally wanted to pivot upward in the center, which would eventually force the glass out of these channels. The easiest fix would be to replace the glass with glass from a '70, which is identical, only the guide channels on the '70 are actually bolted to the glass and will not separate. Be careful in your search for this bolt-in window glass, as early production 1970 Cougars also had the glued-in glass door windows.

If you choose to repair the glued-in glass on your '69 or early '70, what I have found to work exceptionally well is a two-part epoxy called PC-7. I have found this at my local hardware store; it also can be purchased through the Eastwood Company ((800) 345-1178). This epoxy is also used in the restoration of those cracked steering wheels, which I will address in a future article.

First remove the inner door panel. With the door closed and the glass sitting in the channel, roll the window up until it just starts making contact with the window stops. Carefully mark the outline of the channel guides with a magic marker on the glass. After marking the glass, remove the channel guides and glass from the door. You will have to remove some of the old glue from the channel guides. Leave a witness of old glue at each comer of the channel so the glass will align exactly in the center of the guides. Also, do not remove the old glue along the bottom of this channel. At this point, you may want to scuff the glass inside your marked area so the epoxy will bond better. Use course sandpaper in a horizontal motion. Mix epoxy as per directions. Put it down the sides of the channels and press the glass firmly in place, using the magic marker outline on the glass as your guide. Turn the glass upside down, so the channels are on top and let stand overnight to fully cure. After curing you can re-install in the car, and final adjustments may have to be made to the window stops. Now your windows are ready for another 20 years of use.