The 'E' Type Forum

I dont know what everyone thinks on this subject,but for me it spoils the enjoyment of working on my car.Latest part that is of no use is a door glass from SNG.How can you get a flat pane of glass wrong,too wide when compared to original.Phoned company, standard answer havent had any problems before,will check stock and phone you back ,still waiting.
They think its only a part thats wrong but to get the stage where you have stripped the car studied parts books, cleaned painted repaired all the rest parts,then find the new parts DONT FIT normally mid way through the job is so frustraiting.Door rubbers is whole subject on its own i would like to see the memo at the jaguar factory,TO FIT DOOR RUBBERS, USE RUBBER THAT HAS NO GIVE, THEN AND MAKE SURE THERE TO BIG TO FIT CAR, THEN SPEND HOURS CUTTING AND TRIMMING TO FIT.
Why dont we have a thread. Parts that dont fit or look like or the originals and name companys to save us all from rubbish parts. Adam

Top rant Adam! You'll find that all of us who have restored these cars have had to work through this 'pain barrier'. Indeed I have a box full of new parts that don't fit and I wouldn't dare sell them on. Talk to Andy at Hutsons - Colin Ford and he had a batch of FHC glass made that fitted.

Have spoken to Andy at Hutsons, the ones he has left have slight damage on them but he is going to check the stock and let me know on Monday. I also have a graveyard of parts from various projects that i never sent back. We ought to start a gallery of non fitting parts! Adam

adam wrote:I dont know what everyone thinks on this subject,but for me it spoils the enjoyment of working on my car.Latest part that is of no use is a door glass from SNG.How can you get a flat pane of glass wrong,too wide when compared to original.

What is the actual problem Adam? Is the glass too thick? Is the pane too wide front to back or height-wise?

Accurate measurements, rather than adjectives, would help us work out what's going on and what to look for. Yes, I have one safety-critical dud part from another supplier that they are still selling and claiming they have had 'no complaints' about, despite the fact I complained several years ago and continue to do so. Not only that, but the flippin' thing is clearly labelled coolant hose but they continue to sell it as fuel filler hose. If you have a 'burning desire' to fill your boot with fuel vapours let me know but as for the glass I'd like numbers.

Hi
too wide front to back by 4mm just gets jammed in window channel
Adam

I hate to tell you, Adam, but it is far more common for the frames to be out of shape or dimension than you might think . One of the problems is that they can become "lozenged" which puts all the dimensions awry . Have you compared the old glass with the new?

Yes i have placed new glass on top of old glass thats how i know its nothing like the original it just no where close to the right size.glass is just the wrong size, thats the reason hutsons had some made.
Adam

Assuming you are getting your money back, I would further assume the supplier and/or their contractor would be glad of an original to check their stock against. I have an old deeply-scratched FHC window glass I would give them it's no use to me, but could you give me the 'correct' dimension along the bottom so I can check my spare conforms?

Pete

I spoke to e type uk about the problem, they to have had the same trouble with glass not fitting in the past with fhc cars .When i by spares i want them to be 100% original looking not something that might work.If you make spares why not make them accurate down to the smallest detail, i would pay extra for that service as would most of us. The glass in question is so poorly shaped is not even straight on front edge it has bulge towards mid point of 4mm, just poor quality control.

Adam

I doubt it's a cost issue - presumably it costs no more to cut the glass to the correct size than a wavy shape. Sounds like QC at the originating contractor.

Of course retailers have to take responsibility for what they sell, and presumably they do some kind of QC on incoming goods but ultimately once you set up a relationship with a manufacturer your first point of QC is relying on their despatch QC not to send out junk (assuming the spec they were given to work to was right in the first place).

Still, it's an important piece of feedback and if there is some outfit supplying the retail trade with dud glass I expect the more feedback the better. You just wonder how big a batch they made and what there is still in stock out there in the trade? In my line of country you have batch control and total traceability down to the last packet of pills on a pharmacy shelf somewhere in the furthest flung market if the systems are being applied correctly. That way you can always recall any questionable product for replacement. Now THAT kind of control does cost money but I wonder if it's that easy in the car parts biz? What do the ISO standards have to say about it - not that everyone is registered...?

Pete

You really do have to wonder, I recieved a fuel filler cap recently, chrome was peeling before I even fitted, I returned to SNG and asked them to refund me unless they could supply a better quality item as it looked very poor in any case, this was ignored and I was sent another of the same type, I have lost the will to send this one back but really should as a point of principle as I wouldnt fit this to my car and still have the original one on.

In the past I have had windows made by my local glass supplier, if the glass is flat it's not a problem they can cut it, grind the edges and toughen it to the required standard. I admit the glass was for an Austin seven but I see little difference in the process. Cost was reasonable at about ?30 for a side window.

I got my new glass from Hutsons,perfect fit and a window that now winds up and down.Thanks for the advice, you can find parts that fit

Adam

Glad to hear it Adam. You do wonder though how hard it can be to get a flat piece of glass right!