1940 wipers

[CSHADES]

I installed a new wiper system in my 1940 this weekend and I thought I tell you guys about it. I am doing some upgrades on my 40 this winter as I said in my last thread with the defrost vents. So anyways I had bought a Newport Engineering clean wipe system to install in project 39 but that truck has a ways to go before It will be ready for wipers. I have been driving the 40 since 1998 with one of those little wiper motors that fit into the original space. It actually worked OK compared to a lot of them I have seen, but I was tired of the noise that it makes, 1 speed only and it was kind of weak. The problem with the clean wipe system is that you have to pull the inside header panel above the windshield off and drill holes in the sheetmetal above the windshield to mount the second wiper. I was a bit nervous about both because the truck is painted and upholstered. So I started with getting the inside panel out first, the head liner was installed with the header in place so the material was glued to the header then tucked into the space between the cab and the header to finish it. So I started by removing the windshield and then using a small screwdriver and a pick pulling the material out of the gap. I got the material out and then started pulling it down and away from the header. After almost 20 years of the headliner being in place the material actually came loose but unfortunately it came loose because the foam backing material is disintegrating, so I had a lot of black foam chunks all over the inside of the truck and on me. After getting the header out it was time to drill the holes above the windshield to mount the wiper towers. I decided at that time I would drill the holes in project 39 and mount the system in that truck first so it was ready to go when I was done with it and also to see how well it mounted(plus I could weld the holes back shut if I messed up). The cool thing with this product is the drill jig they send to make sure your holes are in the correct place. I have installed quite a few of NE products including clean wipe systems in 2 1935 ford coupes so I knew their products would fit but I was worried about drilling holes in my painted truck. So after mounting it in the 39, I proceeded to install it in the 40 and it went perfect. I managed to get the headliner back in place over the header but I will have to deal with replacing it sooner or later. So if any body out there is looking at installing wipers in a 1939-46 truck I would highly recommend this system.