WWII WINDSHIELD DEFROSTERS

[joel gopan]

Anyone ever try driving with iced up windshields with a GI Defrosrer?
I used to in the 50s-60s, I owned CJ-2As thru CJ-5 Jeeps and installed them in the winter. We had some postal carriers with CJ-3A Jeeps that bought some from us.

[joel gopan]

A bit of advice if you are in the market.
These Defroster Kits are all over 60 years old. There were several manufacturers, they were all OK back when fresh, but time has taken a toll. Some makes have problems with age, the suction cups harden and are no longer useable, most have aseal around the edge that gets rbrittle and will not allow the suction cups (if they work) to draw up against the glass. They are junk in this condition. Some of them will have grid wires that have broken free of the anchor clips, they are now junk. One style defroster has the Off-On switch made to the frame and a superior suction cup design, the rubber seal also has survived. These are the ones to buy. The other types have Push Pull switches that clamp to the bottom of the dash, these are usually the ones that are no good.
All kits came with a tube of clear cement that was applied to the suction cups to make them stick semi permanently. These were usually dried oud back in the mid 50s. The cement was like old fashion model airplane cement used on balsa wood. most of you have never built or heard of balsa wood model airplanes. I used to win the Monogram Model Plane contests back 50 years ago. my favorites were the "Speedy Bilt" P-51, P-40, P-47, F-86, P-40, F4U and F6F.

[dr deuce]

I use to fly contol-line balsa wood model planes with Fox and McCoy .35 engines in the 50's and early 60's.... And yes the glue was not very good. The planes would more or less self-destruct after a while from the affects of the fuel on the glue