Windshields, where to find them.
Additions to this page are appreciated. Thanks for sendingin your sources.
JANUARY 10 th 2003
I just spoke to Bob at the A&E Glass [310]530-1262. They had been planning to make a run of the windshildsbut, to date, he has
only received 2 orders [myself & 1 other]! If anyone wantswindshields, this is the time to do it or commit yourselves toforever
stop complaining!!!! Please pass the word... YOU SNOOZE...YOULOOSE!!!
Nels, Dal Keil and I went down to Tiajuana this past weekendof Feb and contacted a glass company. They seem to think thatthere is a supply of windshields for the old Flx buses down inthe interior of Mexico that are still in warehouses. They didfind a right windshield for Dal's Suburban and installed it, pricewas right. He also knows of a factory that makes windshields forthe Dina company and he says they can make anything if we canget them a pattern. He is checking now to find out what is requiredfor a production run. He does a lot of work for the buses in Tiajuanaand seemed familiar with Flxibles. He is also looking into a busjunkyard. He knows there is no money unless he can produce andhe wants the business when we told him how many members we hadin FOI. If any member has a windshield that is in fairly goodcondition that could be used as a pattern tell them to hang onto it, we may need it. It can be cracked, pitted, whatever, aslong as the shape is fairly good. The shape is what is critical.I am supposed to contact him again around the end of the monthwhen we go down to San Diego again.
Thanks, Joe Cooper, editor FOI Newsletter. email me for updatesat flxijoe@sisna.com
Information below is submited by:
andy F.O.I. #349
scooter@california.com
S.O.B. (some other bus)-a 1976 MCI 8
There are several resources of windshields,you have to chose from (among
others?):
Dick Lender in Michigan,
Bart Grabhorn in Oregon, and,
A Group of F.O.I. owners that I've heard import windshields fromMexico by
the case load (they are located north of Sacramento). Does anyonego to
Mexico and buy any cases and bring them back?
It may be recommended that you replace therubber gaskets and the other
windshield also....as the tinting, and surface weather aging ofthe other
windshield maybe different. You might want to balance them out.It's also a
good time to check and replace windshield wipers, as it wouldbe a shame to
have new windshields scratched by old, malfunctioning wipers.
Resources:
Dick Lender, Coachland
Lansing, MI
(517) 645-7474
He owns the rights to the tools and dies, to make Flx windshields,so he can
be on the high side $$$.
Bart Grabhorn
http://www.grabhorn.com/
53683 Columbia River Hwy (Hwy 30)
Scappoose, Oregon 97056
Phone (503)543-6407 Fax (503)543-7407
busbart@ados.com
Bart may or may not have Flx windshields. I know he has a stockof other
buses windshields.
If you are a member of F.O.I. you could lookup members, Dick Lordge of
Pleasant Grove or Richard Dutton of Yuba City, California. Bothof whom own
Flxibles. They might have a resource to order windshields. I don'tthink they
have internet access.
Andy (349)
==========================================================
Contact Steve Garcia at catislander@yahoo.com. He has a source in LA for windshields as they had a mold madefor their clippers and that mold is still in existance in casethey need replacements.
Joe Cooper Editor Flxnews
Editors note:
Several years ago there was a company in BakersfieldCA called GlassBenders that specialised in making curved windshields,and at that time had the pattern for Clipper Windshields. I hadbeen told they also made the roof windows for Airporters. Ihave no idea if they still exist but for those of you are desperateit may be worth checking out.
Bud Hoover