'73-'87 Chevrolet C10 Solid Side Glass - Without Wings

OPP head honcho Ben was kind enough to walk us through the installation process, which actually starts with the disassembly of the stock components, starting with the vent windows.

Everything must come out, from the felt to the door glass and channels, before you can begin the one-piece installation.

For obvious reasons, you'll need to cut the sheetmetal tab previously used to support the bottom of the vent window assembly. Simply, do so with a hacksaw on one side, then fold the metal down and out of the way.

Included with the instructions are R/L templates for locating additional holes that are required. It also helped Ben determine where the lower regular mount holes would be, since these early doors did not have provisions for them.

The template works off stock regulator mounting locations. The new holes provide access to both the new forward sash-channel mount, as well as the new forward vertical channel.

A new stop is also included. It goes on the lower cross-support panel toward the bottom of the door pocket.

Since the new piece of glass will be traveling in a different manner, the rear channel requires an extension, included in the kit (shown), to move the lower portion forward.

With the rear channel adjusted and installed, the new single piece of felt can be pressed in place, starting at the rear.

By moving the rear channel forward, the stock door lock tumbler now interferes with the window's roll down path. The cure is to simply trim back the portion that connects to the latch assembly. This does not affect the movement of the parts, whatsoever.

The new one-piece felt was designed with specific cutouts for the tight corners. To ensure a proper fit that allows the glass to travel smoothly, though, you'll need to ensure the door's cavity is spaced correctly.

The forward gap is also deeper than the rest, so rubber spacers are used to make the recess equal all the way around.

Weatherstripping sealer is included in the kit for use on the included spacers, as well as the felt itself.

With the extended piece of glass, you might run into interference with the upper door hinge bolts. The chances of the glass breaking are extremely high, so avoid it by using the supplied (shortened) hardware to replace the stock ones.

Normally, the forward edge of the glass traveled up and down the vent wing's divider strip; without it, the glass now travels in the forward edge of the door. This channel is for the forward slider tab to travel in and is also a point of adjustment.

The upper mounting point, which was located and drilled with the template, pivots; the two lowers provide any necessary adjustment along with the regulator itself.

As stated in the story, OPP's kit is designed for stock applications. However, we were able to adapt an Electric-Life power window regulator by merely relocating the roller wheel points. If you have a similar setup, they can provide you with the proper instructions and parts. New wheels are included with the kit, and they're easy to install with basic handtools.

Once the front and rear channels are in place and the regulators ready, the new one-piece glass can be installed. If you've never handled safety glass before, it would be wise to have some help with these next steps.

The forward runner helps ensure the glass stays in the rear felt channel when lowered; it also ensures the glass travels up and into the upper felt correctly.