New Reproduction Pilkington windshields

[69Z28-RS]

I've got an open order in for a new reproduction Pilkington windshield, to replace my existing tinted/shaded PPG WS dated 69 (but thought to be an early replacement - and with a wiper scratch/scrub mark).  I have it on 'hold' to confirm the details to be as accurate a reproduction for my late '69 car as possible.  My original glass is all tinted SoftRay (except for the PPG W/S).  The PPG W/S glass is tinted and shaded.   

I opened a thread on TC (while CRG was down) in attempt to identify if the current Pilkington Classic repro tinted/shaded windshield is an accurate reproduction (or not).. and I've gotten some answers but not all.  The Pilkington classic repro has a 'blue shaded' area on the green tinted glass.  The marking they will use on my late windshield seems to be correct as best I can determine, but the 'blue shaded' area is an open area of concern.   if the blue shading was not used in late '69, then I'd rather leave in my scrubbed PPG W/S.   Does anyone have a known original LOF windshield in their car which is tinted and shaded?  I'd love to see photos of the marking on the WS and the shading and your estimation of the 'tint' of the shaded region.

Thanks in advance! 

[69Z28-RS]

I received some information today from Rick Celenza who now owns the black Z28-RS car previously owned and reported on by a couple of our CRG members.  It has it's original LOF tinted/shaded windshield.  Information and photos from Rick confirm the coding on the LOF windshield (consistent with that reported in the Glass Report and by others owning original tinted glass after the introduction of the DOT 15 marking.  He and his photos confirm the blue shading band on '69 tinted LOF windshields.   My current 69 dated PPG windshield also has the blue shaded region at the top.

So to summarize what I've learned about original LOF windshields from later in the '69 model year.  Green Tinted, blue shading, with the following code (I will have the TV date code for August of '69 etched.  An example of the etching is shown below (etched on the outside of the windshield, viewable from inside the car).

[ZLP955]

Gary, I just replied to your thread at TC, but if we are talking about the car Lloyd recently sold, from memory that is an 04C build, more mid than later in the '69 model year. If that car's windshield has a blue tinted screen, do you know the date code on it? Can you post the picture(s) that Rick sent you so we can see the shaded band?

[69Z28-RS]

I think I can do that.. based on an assumption that Mark Cell desires to help us all...
I mentioned already that I checked my current windshield (what was in my car since I purchased it in '76.. it's a '69 dated PPG tinted/shaded WS and it also has the blue shaded region)..
Mark's windshield date code I think is IV although the glare in the photo puts this in the 'I think' realm.

[ZLP955]

Thanks Gary. That looks like 'LV' which is March 69 and a good date for an 04C built car.
Funny, the cars I've seen with very obvious blue bands must've had clear windshields, as the band on Lloyd's old car's screen looks much greener in the photos in James/Lloyd's thread, like this one (click on the link if you want to see the image, but be warned it's a big image, so I didn't embed it with HTML img tags due to the forum image size policy):
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img571/192/96a7.jpg

[69Z28-RS]

You're right about the 'LV'...  my first look at it got me the 'IV' which is not accurate.

The shade band does not appear 'blue' when viewed normally, but when a white reflective background is placed behind it, you can definitely see the 'bluish' band as compared to the green windshield.  My PPG windshield (in my car when I purchased it in '76) and dated '69' has the same appearance.  I never realized this until beginning to check out the 'blue shade' description of the Pilkington repro windshields.
In the photo below is a pix of my 'wiper scrub marked' PPG windshield (dtd 69); the shade does not appear blue, it just looks darker, until you back it with a white background. 
PS.  Having the shaded area to be blue makes sense when you realize that mid-day glare predominantly comes from the blue band of the sun's rays (which is why the sky appears blue!  )

[ZLP955]

Your Soft-Ray glass will also help to protect onlookers from that bright orange interior too! 

[69Z28-RS]

  You're right.. just think how bright it would be thru clear glass if the interior weren't faded... !   
Sorry about that photograph.. I usually keep some old black sheets thrown over all that orange vinyl!! 

[ZLP955]

Gary, if you do end up ordering the reproduction Soft-Ray windshield, I'd love to see a picture or two of it, and hear your thoughts on quality/fit of the glass, and of the etching. I have all original LOF Soft-Ray to go in my car when done, except the windshield, so keen to know how it works out for you.

[69Z28-RS]

I've been waiting a few months for Pilkington to get some new ones made..  they apparently make them 10 or so at a time, and they just got 10 a couple of weeks ago.  I have made an order for a TV dated Softray Shaded windshield (TV matches my all original remaining soft-way glass).  I think I've mentioned that the windshield that has been in the car since I've owned it is a 69 dated PPG - but reading the crg glass report, it seems to have the PPG replacement markings, so apparently it was an early replacement glass, and it has some wiper scrub marks so I decided to put in an LOF that matches my other glass.  I think the scrub marks will polish out, so I'm going to attempt to save the PPG windshield (just in case) ...   I'll let you know when I get it... and will take some photos.

[rick 67]

  Apparently we make about 100 a month in our plant in Mexicali. I am sure some of them are for other suppliers. If you can feel the wiper marks with a finger nail you can distort the windshield badly trying to polish them out. If smooth to the touch be careful go slow and don't leave the polisher in one spot. Heat is the enemy.

[69Z28-RS]

I picked up the Pilkington repro LOF windshield for my Camaro today (less than a week since I 'turned them on' to etch the logo).   It was well crated and Yellow Freight did not break it..
It will be awhile before I have it installed, but I thought a couple of photos might be of interest.

[69Z28-RS]

OK..   Here's a windshield photo after removing from the crate (temporarily before I put it back for storage for awhile).. and a photo of the LOF Shaded Soft Ray Logo...

If anyone sees any issues that I am not seeing, please let me know... the bottom two lines look a little soft in the photo but that may have been from glare on the glass when I took the photo.   The TV date matches the other original glass in my car.

PS.  I haven't cleaned the glass.. just removed it for the photos, then put it back in it's protective crate.

[69pace]

Looks nice.

[ko-lek-tor]

If anyone sees any issues that I am not seeing, please let me know... the bottom two lines look a little soft in the photo   

G.W., Looks pretty good to me. I am certainly not an authority on glass and have never owned or paid attention to "late" glass, but my own original WS logo in my Dec. car is "a little soft" or faint and difficult to read, IMO.

Most guys, here, are "magnets" for information. That said, we throw around terms like LOF freely assuming all know what that means. So, I am providing a link to the LOF company, Libbey-Owens-Ford, so others may benefit. Thanks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libbey_Owens_Ford