Has anyone replaced their glass? (Seem unusually expensive through Moss). If so did you need to take the frame apart to do so?
Also if that the case I may get it re-chromed. If so, is the frame a steel alloy or aluminum?
Thanks in advance

The side brackets are actually made out of brass. The windshield itself is not aluminum. I have 2 windshields without glass if you decide that you need one down the road.

Actually, some of them are aluminum, but it seems to be a very rare option. The vast majority are chromed brass. You can tell the aluminum ones because they have a row of slotted screw heads across the back of the top part of the frame. The Tenax pegs for the soft top go all the way through the frame, instead of having threads inside as the chrome ones do.

Taking the stanchions off the frame probably isn't essential, but makes it a lot easier to handle. The bottom of the frame has to come off, there is no other way to get the glass into place.

I didn't do my own, just took the glass and frame to a local automotive glass shop and paid them to do it. Cost was minimal (but that was a lot of years ago).

One of the things they should understand is that the replacement glass isn't always exactly the same thickness as the original. To compensate, you can use different thicknesses of the rubber glazing. The shop I used supplied the correct glazing.

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Randall
56 TR3 TS13571L Once and future daily driver
71 Stag LE1473L awaiting engine rebuild
7? Stag awaiting gearbox rebuild

I just did mine and I have the aluminum frame. Take care when installing a new gasket not to bend the lower frame piece by pulling hard to slide the gasket in. (Ask me how I know). Rather use the "tuck" method where you use a plastic putty knife to tuck the gasket into the slot in the frame.

The stanchions may polish up nicely, mine did, even though looking ugly initially.

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60 TR3A (red), 62 TR3B project, 72 TR6, 69 Mk3 Spitfire EU setup
https://spitfiremk3.wordpress.com

Like Randel said check at the local glass shops then do the math and the pros will probably do a better job as it is a daily exercise for them .Please report back in so other will get informed regarding this part of a tr3 restoration hurtles we all may face

Chester,

Two things to watch out for:
1) One of the 3 small screws that hold the window frame in the stanchions is slightly longer than the 2 others (I believe it is the one on the bottom and it is something like 1/8" longer), if you mix them up, you could/will easily crack the windscreen when re-installing.
2) If you remove the baby tenax studs for re-chroming the frame, be VERY CAREFUL not to over tighten when reinstalling them or you may/will crack the windscreen.

The original glass thickness was 6MM but todays replacements are mostly 5.3MM so if you are doing the change of glass yourself make sure that you are supplied the correct glazing material or you could encounter fitment issues..

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Barry
59 TR3A 0TS57675LO - "Loose Wheels"
76 TR6 CF54266U - "The Tweetster"
Website: Triumph TR2-TR3-TR4 www.trtriumph.com/ (sorry for not keeping it current for the past couple of years)

"Baby" Tenax were only on early TR2, Chester's car should have the "adult" Tenax.

Those threads also strip fairly easily. But based on a suggestion by Bob Jasper, I was able to repair mine in-situ by in effect constructing a thread insert from the end of the SS 1/4-28 bolt. The base of the Tenax completely hides the insert.

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Randall
56 TR3 TS13571L Once and future daily driver
71 Stag LE1473L awaiting engine rebuild
7? Stag awaiting gearbox rebuild

My unsolicited comments about windshield replacement on my TR3A.

Putting the new windshield together with the new, Moss supplied seal, that goes around the glass was beyond my limited capabilities. It resulted in cracked glass.

I bought new glass and seal and gave it to a self-described auto glass specialist for jobs like that. He returned the assembled frame with glass to me with a plastic bag that had the new seal, some little screws and two little, from memory, I don’t see the part in my moss catalog, metal pieces about six inches long, a half inch wide that the stanchions screw to when all is together. The glass had smears of black silicone. I was not happy. He was not happy when I explained he’d have to take the thing apart and reassemble with those metal pieces inside as we’d agreed six months earlier.

He broke the glass getting it apart. He cleaned, almost, all parts and delivered to me a new windshield and the parts and wished me luck in putting it all together.

I assembled the whole thing correctly but using black silicone not the seal. I don’t know if anyone notices it’s not done by the book. The windshield should be covered and edges mask-taped as much as possible, the silicone is messy to get off.

The new Moss windshield is a wee bit short in the lower corners. I had to add an extra bit of silicone there to fill the gap.

My car was junk when I bought it (not described that way on the internet of course) so I haven’t worried too much about getting it to back “as-built” condition.

I’m working on a TR3 now and that’s going to get the silicone treatment too. If I live that long.