The first project: The GPW Windshield!Work begins on the Jeep

One of the first projects I wanted to get started with on the Jeep was the Windshield. It has several issues, including a make-shift inner windshield with plexiglass as windows. The windshield is two parts, the outer windshield that is the frame with the arms that attach to the Jeep, and the inner windshield that contains the glass. The inner windshield can flip upwards with an adjusting arm so the driver/passenger could ‘shoot’ through the windshield without shooting the glass. The other issue was 7 layers of paint that needed to be removed. I decided to take this down to the metal… but hand. It’s been a few weeks of weekend wire wheeling, sanding, and scraping but it’s getting closer. See the photos for more info on each step.


BEFORE – The windshield as I got the Jeep with the custom-built inner windshield frame. That’s plexiglass, not glass.

BEFORE – The windshield as I got the Jeep with the custom-built inner windshield frame. That’s plexiglass, not glass.

BEFORE – The windshield as I got the Jeep with the custom-built inner windshield frame. That’s plexiglass, not glass.

One of the big issues was also the passenger’s side adjusting arm. The bolt has broken off some time ago, so as a quick fix the remaining part of the bolt was drilled through and a makeshift bolt/washer contraption was done up to make it work.

Inner windshield removed!

Entire windshield removed!

Assessing the windshield (laying backwards on the hood) to see what all needs to be done. The adjusting arms have been removed and you can see the bracket on the right (above right of steering wheel) has the bolt, but the bracket on the left (left of the wrench) is missing that screw bolt.

First step – sanding! Only went so far… even with 80 grit.

Layers and layers of paint. The red is possibly the original red oxide primer paint of WW2. Above that is the Navy blue/gray color and several layers of OD green paint on top.

Sander is starting to bring some of the metal out. Might be the first time it’s seen light since WW2.

Finding random holes and bondo when sanding…

Switched to a wire wheel, and now I’m making some progress! The frame is starting to look more metal than paint. Note here you can see the screw bolt, the one on the other side is missing and a hole drilled through.

Here is the replacement replica inner windshield (already primered)!

In order to get the inner windshied in there, this bracket to the left that has the screw hole needs to be slid out of the rotation channel. The bracket is the top of the inner windshield (it was a real one, but had so many holes I decided to use the one on the reproduction one). This bracket rotates towards the camera to 90 degrees. The problem is, I have to somehow get it out of that channel, which has 70 years of rust.

Here’s look at that bracket pointed 90 degrees up and how it is inside the channel on the outer windshield.

Nearly a whole can of WD40, a wood block, hammer, an hour or two of tapping, and lots of dirt and it’s FINALLY out!