Looking for the best way to install a new windshield. Glass shops around here won’t touch it because it is a new date coded glass. So I’m going to have to do it myself with the help of a few buds. Any tips on what to and not to do would be appreciated.1970 LT1 coupe. Thanks in advance.

 

Read Read Read. That being said, there have been numerous articles posted on the Forum. I have found the best and easiest way to find specific topic posts is to use good old Google. I recall that there were certain types and thicknesses of the material that is installed first, before the glass. While this may sound a bit redundant, the more information you have on the subject, the better your chances for success. I found a national chain glass company in my city that did classic car windshields, they had a retired gentleman that came in once a week to do old classic cars. You may wish to search for a company in your area. Contact classic car clubs and also try windshield installation companies. I knew my skills would not be adequate to install a windshield!
Good Luck.

 

You are right read, read,read but geez there’s so much crap on the Internet. So this isn’t my first rodeo, but it is with the Corvettes. The older gentleman that does this thinks he’s up to the task, but I’ve had a couple issues on past Cars and I no longer feel confident in him. All the glass companies do new replacement and they are all younger people and they don’t know exactly what to do. Just hear so many Different ways so I am asking for some up-to-date information. Thanks

 

Where are you located? I found an independent installer where I live and they have no problem with working on a classic car.

The replacement glass available today is slightly thinner than OEM so you will need to increase the size of the sealant bead but other than that, it is a standard process.

 

I am in Pittsburgh. It’s a 1970 LT 1. I did a body off on it so there’s no dealing with old adhesive or anything like that. Back in the day they use buytal today everybody is saying to use urethane. And there’s some sort of addition to the process that makes it look better appearing on the A pillars, but everybody’s bypassing that today so I just want to do it right. It is not see weather but I want the moldings to fit correctly.

 

I have installed a new windshield by myself twice on my 70. The first replacement got busted by a deer.
Test fit your glass dry first to see how it fits.Then you can determine how thick the spacers need to be at the bottom to center the glass.Then use painters tape to make reference marks in the glass and the frame so when you do lay the glass in with sealant it will be aligned.
You can also determine how thick of sealant you need by placing test spacers under the glass to raise the glass from the frame to establish a good fit with your stainless trim.
I like to use butyl tape for sealant. Easy to use and not messy. It is very strong sealant, I had a very difficult time removing the deer busted glass from the butyl seal I used the first time. The glass broke before the sealant released.
I ended up needing 3/8" thick butyl tape for my install.
For the second install, I used a self sticking 1/4"foam dam on the frame adjacent to the butyl. This will give you a nice crisp edge once the glass is installed, instead of a raw butyl edge which you can see from inside and outside.
C3 glass is fairly small and light, easy to handle by yourself.

 

you said you're near PGH- good luck!

I dont know why nobody around here will install old glass. i finished a 69 Chevelle last year, and i must have called a dozen places. of the 2-3 i was actually able to talk to, I only had 1 guy even remotely interested. of course once he found out i had glass and just wanted it installed, his price was crazy- something like $700 to set a front and rear window.

i would assume vette glass is similar to chevelle- you used 5/16 butyl ribbon on original glass, for newer stuff you have to jump up to 3/8 due to the glass being thinner. its really not hard.

 

PM sent

 

Some good photos of the process in RBrid's thread around post #767-768: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ft-off-39.html

Post #8 in this thread has a great step by step guide as well: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...placement.html

I'll be referring to these when I get to the point of replacing my windshield. Good luck with the install and let us know how it goes. :-)

 

Thanks for the reply so far the guy that I talked to wanted to use butyl out of a gun and I don’t think we would’ve gotten the right thickness. You guys are great.

 

I had an Escape windshield installed at my house last year and talked to the installer. He was a seasoned veteran and a master at applying the urethane. He showed me the different nozzles he uses with the gun and we talked about my 69 and the thinner windshield I recently got. No issue from his perspective- just use a larger diameter nozzle, lay down the bead and set the windshield normally.

I don’t know if you can buy the butyl tape in the exact thickness you need to the thinner windshield. That’s the advantage of urethane - you have some wiggle room to make micro adjustments.

 

This is great advice if you want your trim, especially the upper windshield stainless steel, to fit nicely. I contacted Belden Speed & Engineering and ordered the urethane, the foam dam, and easily cut spacers to install mine. It took a few test installations and some patience to get the spacers to be the right height so the SS trim would fit as it should. I think they have some older videos on Youtube that pretty much show the process and the kit I got included good directions about the way to cut the tip so you are sure to get a neat and tall bead of sealant on the edge of the glass.

https://www.beldenspeed.com/

Here is what I did on my 71:

1. First I adjusted the lower stops to hold the glass to the proper height.
2. Then, through trial and error, I cut and fit spacers to hold the glass off the windshield frame. I think I used three across the top and four across the bottom. This took more than a few tries, but I got real good at removing the upper trim. Without doing this I would guarantee the windshield would sink too far in and you would end up with an ugly gap between the glass and the upper SS trim.
3. Then I used a dry erase marker to trace where the glass projects over the metal frame on the sides and across the top. I traced it from the inside of the car.
4. I put a dab of contact adhesive on the spacer blocks and attached them to the metal windshield frame. Those spacers were very small. I wanted to make sure they would be completely surrounded by the urethane adhesive so they would not leak.
5. Then I applied the foam dam to the outside of the line the marker left. I wanted the foam to be in line with the metal so it was not really visible in the end.
6. Test fit one last time.
7. Cut the tip for the urethane.
8. Apply it with a great caulking gun...not one from a home center...at least not for me.
9. Set the glass into place and leave it alone.

I have done two like this, one on a 71 vette and the other one on a 67 Camaro. It worked really well for me. Just be patient when you are trying to get the glass to the proper height and you will be very pleased.

If you had a few buddies to help, it would make things much easier. Really, this is not very hard at all. It just takes time to do a good job.

Good Luck,
Mark

 

Thanks everyone for the step by step procedures. Will start next week and let you all know how it goes.

 

I've installed several windshields in various cars & trucks. I seem to end up doing them myself on install day...not that hard to do on yer own. I actually prefer to do them myself. If you have a wife who can help that's handy..but not really necessary. The key is to plan ahead and prepare. A lot of installers, their main goal is to get out of there. If you have a "Pro" help you they just want to rush the job, so forget about that. Too many guys and they pick at everything ya do and you can't concentrate. I like to take my time and do whatever else is needed when the windshield is out to do the best job. For example, what if you find heavy rust on the pinch weld? Then you can sandblast it clean. On some vehicles, changing dash speakers is something easy at this time (or re-doing a headliner -- remove through windshield), removing the dash for some reason (heater core??).

Here are some real-world steps to fill in the gaps of the other great advice guys have given.

1) Removal: If you don't have the glass out yet... this kind of tool made up like this ......for a Milwaukee Hackzall for $110 at Amazon , and the which you can buy for $13 ..cheaper on Ebay. And Torpedo scraper for windshields, makes a hard job super easy. Esp if your windshield is urethane'd in, or you ever want to do another one. I fabb'd up an adapter for my sawzall, but it was a waste of time. For all the time it took, I shouldda bought the $110 Hackzall (having m18's anyway). But it works great. Nice thing is a guy can remove a windshield w/o damaging it with the above tool.

You can use cord or wire/cable. You might need a 2nd person. Definitely get some good handles like THESE. Sometimes things go real easy, sometimes wire can be a pain. If you have a buddy who can help, the wire isn't too bad. Sometimes it can take some tugging. Just get behind the glass...is the key. Butyl is usually pretty quick and easy as it doesn't have as much strength. I've used the wire...The Milwaukee tool above makes it a super-easy 5-min no-sweat job. Assuming you're comfortable with power tools. I usually go in at an angle and just go across the bottom at an angle ...and top at an angle too...which just zips along. That guy in the first video keeps getting out and walking all over the place??? WtF?. You MUST use some spays of water like the video shows! If you're a DeWalt guy, maybe there's an adapter for a similar DeWalt tool?? I've found the windshield removal tool works fantastic for other jobs too....like removing big trim pieces w/o damaging them, which I could have never done any other way. You have to hold the tool with authority.

2) Clean-up: Once you get the glass out, clean up the pinch weld and see what you have. You could well have rust. Maybe major rust. So beware, you might have more work to do once the glass is out, and not get the new glass in the same day. If there's no rust and yours was urethane'd in, cut down the urethane. You don't need to remove it all. The new will stick to the old. But butyl you need to remove.

3) Trim Clips: Evaluate your trim clips. If they're rusty, you should probably put in new ones. Maybe you have new ones already??

4) Dry-Fit and cut blocks: You can...and probably should put the glass in dry and snap on at least part of the trim...and push out the glass and cut foam blocks and put in place from the inside (remove the plastic side trim if you haven't already). That way you can get it the right height for sure. These cars weren't all made to the same exacting Japanese micro-tolerances. If you use blocks, make sure the blocks are outside of the butyl or urethane sealant area. You can use anything... parts of paint sticks, small pieces of wood, whatever ...and just pull them out after the material has partially set up. If you use rubber or urethane spacers, you can just leave them in place forever. They don't need to be big..just enough to keep the gap you need. With Urethane you have the ability to adjust the height after you set the glass down by pushing down more...or possibly (carefully) gently lifting it up with a non-scratching tool. It doesn't lift up easily..but if a corner is too low, you can push it out some. Which you can't really do with Butyl. Any chip you make on the edge of the glass could become a crack later on...so handle the new glass with care.

5) Prepare to Install: You can install yourself if you find yourself solo. Set a blanket or a large towel on the hood of your car so you don't scratch the paint. It's helpful to set some rolled up towels on each side to support the windshield edges. Then set the windshield on the car's hood facing up. When you're ready, you can tilt the glass 'up' and in place by yourself. Corvette windshields are pretty small. Not to difficult to handle. I would get one dual-suction-up from Harbor Freight...to help out. But that's up to you. I can't remember if there is a 'ledge' at the bottom of your Vette to position the windshield. If there isn't make something beforehand...like out of wood or metal as needed. You can remove it later. Make sure you clean the new glass well around the sealing area with glass cleaner and clean lint-free paper towels. Read the instructions of whatever urethane or butyl you use. Urethane is stronger and the windshield (due to the T-top) is part off the 'structure' ...which is an argument for urethane. Might help reduce creeks and groans.

6) Apply primer: Usually you need to use a 'Primer" first (verify with whatever product you use), esp if you use 3M urethane. Like . You can get that stuff at an autobody store too and it was a little cheaprer locally at our Autobody Store. I'm not sure if you need primer for butyl..I haven't used butyl in so long. Part of the reason for primer is adhesion, and to seal any bare metal. If you go with urethane, you apply the primer according to directions, again....make sure there isn't any bare metal left over which WILL lead to rust down the road. I pour some on a paper towel..as double-dipping will contaminate the bottle. I would put two layers of urethane one on top of the other. Build it tall. You'll know how tall depending on the gap you found during the fitment stage. Then carefully tilt-up & set your windshield in place. Slap it a couple times with an open hand to settle. If you need to slide it one way or the other you can do that (with urethane). If you have a helper, make sure they don't have dufus tendencies ...um, ...might be inclined to do something predictably stupid like drop their side of the glass on your hood! You can practice the 'set-in' ...before you actually apply the sealant/butyl, so the helper knows how things are going to go. Probably not a bad idea.

7) Check your work: Look around and make sure it's all good. You can always work urethane into an edge or two as needed with a piece of wire or homemade tool. If you use urethane try not to get it into the molding clips or clean it away if you do. If the gap is small, put some tape or something to keep urethane out of the clips. It'll make getting the moldings off REAL difficult in the future! You can snap on the moldings at this time. If the glass is too low, you could pry it up (gently) with something non-metal (carefuuullllly).

Make sure your side window is rolled down. You should probably do that before you start. You DON'T want to slam the door shut, b/c the big whoosh of air will/can create a pinhole in the urethane sealant and most likely an air/water leak. Once you have things how you want them, walk away and leave be for a few hours. Don't let anyone in the area. Put tape on the rolled-down window so someone doesn't come along and roll it up and shut the door! Anything can happen.

Sorry for the long post. If you buy any tools, they can come in handy if you want to change your car/truck windshield in the future. If you call around a few shops will sell glass outright to a guy who knows what they're doing. Usually pretty cheap. I just bought a glass for a vehicle that was $140. It would have been $120 but I wanted the proper shade (so they had to order it). I think the install price was $350. Another truck windshield that would have cost me $300 from Summit (and it's not 'quite' right either)...I got exactly what I was looking for from some warehouse ...from my glass place for like $160. I have 5 windshields sitting, waiting to go into projects when I get them ready enough. Including a PPG USA-Made glass for the C3 I bought a long time ago. Once you do a couple, they're fun! Good luck ...Hope it helps!

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Below shows my home-brew sawzall Torpedo tool adapter. It took a lot longer to make than I planned ...the tolerances have to be tighter than I had figured. I like making tools as needed, but this one was a waste of time..lol. Looking back I wish I would have spent the $110 for the Milwaukee Hackzall and $12 for the mount/adapter ....esp since I already have M18 batteries. Plus a sawzall is longer than a Hackzall, which isn't desireable inside a vehicle. But overall it works great now that I have it. Actually works fantastic. I've used it on a couple windshields and other projects. Those OBS Chevy tk windwhields are known for being rather difficult to remove. No problem with the tool. Another windshield I thought I would see how easy it was with the wire first. After 10 or 15 minutes of sweating and sawing and not making much progress....I put the Torpedo tool to it and it was out in like 5 easy minutes. If I would have had a strong helper, the wire would have worked ok on the other vehicle. Note: You can see how to lay the glass out, and then just tilt the new glass up into place during install. A 4x4 pickup is a lot bigger/harder longer reach than a C3. One person can do it, but a competent helper would be handy.

The 2nd pic shows rust on the pinch weld (same vehicle). I sandblasted it clean. Hope you don't run into THAT!! I can't believe it didn't leak water! Um...don't worry...the 'Birdcage' is fine on it ...LOL. It was just the pinchweld area.

 

 

Thank you for the replies thus far I am this far on the car and yeah, it was a pain in the rear to get the old one out and get it this clean but here we are. The glass arrived yesterday and going to unwrap it over the weekend to make sure it’s good. I’ll keep you all posted and thanks for the great information.

 

Looks really good! Scuff up the paint there where the adhesive will go with a scuff pad. If you had any thoughts about removing your dash (heater core??) put the glass install on the backburner and do that now with the interior and glass out. Otherwise, she looks good for fresh glass.


P.S. Is that foam in the upper windshield frame tray... a NON Moisture Absorbing foam? I'd be hesitant to put anything in there which would or could hold moisture.

 

Thank you for the advice. I am the second owner of this car. It only has 17,000 miles and it was well kept before I got it. The dash has been out cleane,speakers repaired. Anything else that needed to be done. The heater core also done. The foam was just put in there for fitment of the upper stainless moldings. We use something different. Car is never going to see weather stays in the heated floor garage.

 

Looks really clean. The whole car must be really nice. Nice to have clean substrate to work with.