Q&A - Replacing Windows in Classic Vehicles

I have restored a 1936 Ford Tudor sedan registered in B.C. and want to replace all the window glass. It has flat safety glass originally and there is a firm who manufactures replacement glass for these old cars. They have various colored glass windows available factory tinted. (Not a tinting film like aftermarket products) Can I install for example their Light Bronze colored glass which has a 52% rating in all or some of my windows of the car? Again this is a manufacturer of the windows who is not using the stick on film aftermarket system.

Replacement Glass Standards

Section 7.05(9) MVAR states that "if a motor vehicle contains manufactured glass, tinting contained within the glass must meet the minimum light transmittancy requirements under the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards."

All glass must be legibly and permanently marked with the words American National Standard or the characters AS.

Windshields must be marked as AS-1, AS-10 or AS-14

Side glass on front driver and passenger side must be marked as AS-1, AS-2, AS-10 or AS-11

Reference: Compliance Circular #8, October 5, 2004

Tinting in or on window glass must not be reflective.

Let's Try Again

Thanks for the response. I can't seem to find much info other than what you listed. Lets start again and my question is this. the old glass that was in this collector car was laminated glass and flat surfaced on all windows. Can I purchase the same laminated glass for replacement as this would be correct for the aged vehicle. To change to a tempered glass would make the car restoration incorrect. I believe they called the laminated glass "safety glass" back then. The final question is can the windshield and front side windows have a degree of color in them by the manufacturer as we now see in most new vehicles with colored glass provided to the vehicle manufacturers by the glass companies. Where do I find the allowable coloring that's being used.I'm not referring to the aftermarket glue on dark film material that they refer to as tinting.

Trying Again

Hmm, you are concerned about putting tempered glass in because it is not exactly the same as original, but you want to put tinted glass back that is also not original....

Windshield and windows, replacing glass

(4) No person shall replace, or cause to be replaced, any glass in a door or windshield or window of a motor vehicle or a camper except with safety glass, provided that glass replaced in a windshield of a motor vehicle shall not be heat treated or case hardened glass.

"safety glass" means any glass or transparent product which substantially prevents the shattering and flying of the glass or transparent product when struck or broken;

When I look in the inspection manual that the facilities use to approve vehicles, I find the following under windshields:

Item: d) type (marking applies to all vehicles manufactured on and after January 1, 1971)

Reject if: d) windshield is other than a laminated safety glass of type AS-1, AS-10 or AS-14, or is not marked with the AS grade

Side and rear glass:

Item: b) type

Reject if: b) other than safety glass type AS-1, 2, 10 & 11 and so marked

Finally, Transport Canada publishes the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations regarding glazing materials, but these are the current ones and probably not what was in effect when your vehicle was built. In my experience, generally replacing materials now usually means following at least the standard that was in effect then and not necessarily what is in effect now unless the provincial rules say that is the case.

It looks to me like the definition of safety glass in Division 7 of the Motor Vehicle Act regulations needs to be updated as reading of the inspection standards seems to indicate that laminated glass is only required for the windshield and all vehicles being built today have tempered glass that immediately shatters to granules when broken.

The light transmission requirements of the glass are defined by the AS grade. I'm not aware of any rule that says what color the tint may be, just that the glass must allow a minimum amount of light to pass through.

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