Ok, I have everything ready to install my new windshield and now need some detailed guidance. I have probably done almost every aspect of Corvette maintanence over the years, but replacing the windshield has not been one of them. As I understand the process, I start by running the bead rope seal around the inner edge of the windshield starting at one of the upper corners. Ok, but how should I position the bead across the bottom relative to the lower firewall frame shown below??????




Then, the Urethane adhesive is applied to the windshield frame with a caulking gun. How is this done relative to the position of the bead on the windshield and how is it applied? Spread thin and evenly over the metal frame surface or left in a caulk bead and flattened by the windshield when placed????




Then, after I set the windshield, is there any final sealing applied around the edges to ensure no water can be trapped????




Any other things to consider?

As I understand this, It has to be done right the first time....no second chances

Bullshark

 

It is very inexpensive to have a glass company drop by your home to drop it in. Why not do that....have it done by someone who does 10 of these per day. I started down the same path as you until I realized that I was not saving any money doing it myself

 

Work a little overtime and pay an Auto Glass company to install it.

 

Doug, I have gone down that route in the past. My experience is, "if I want it done right, I better do it myself". The repacement glass cost me $86 and $20 for the installation kit. If I paid a glass guy to come out and do this, I'm bettin a minumum of $225 and no frame reconditioning and cleanup. (insurance claim is not appropriate in this case). I had it done on one of my other vettes a few years ago and was not impressed.

Bullshark

 

Just did this last summer after "derusting" the windshield frame. Keep in mind I am an amateur and have only done this once but maybe you can learn something from my experience on a 71 vert.

I bought both the bead seal with the two sided tape and the caulk gun adhesive because I could not decide which to use. I was told that you normally use one or the other but not both. I went to a glass shop and talked to the owner who convinced me to use the tape along with a primer/catalizing agent. I never opened the caulk sealer and eventually returned it.

Lay the the glass in place and adjust it so that it fits snug and is centered. There was about a quarter inch of slop where I could slide mine around a bit. Get it where you like it and then mark the frame with a pencil so you know where to lay the tape later. Also mark the frame on the outside so you know where to put the glass after the tape is applied. Feel under the lower "tongue" of the W/S on the firewall. The gap there on mine was much larger than anywhere else around the frame. Now put a piece of your outer trim side molding back in place temporarily. Notice the considerable gap between the inside edge and the glass surface. More about this later.

Remove the glass and "paint" frame with the catalyzer. The jar comes with a wire handled cotton ball to swab it on.

Lay the tape in place around the upper frame. It is quite sticky. Along the bottom edge I used a double layer (one on top of the other) under the tongue area to take up the larger gap.

Then paint the inside edge of the glass with the sealer. I cannot remember whether you are supposed to let it dry before you put the glass on but I think you are.

Get a friend and lay the glass in place. It is very difficult to move once on the tape so get it close on the first try. Remember the chrome trim pieces will hide alot so don't worry too much if you are a little off.

You can mush the tape around with you fingers to fill in any small gaps.

I can only think of 3 tricky things to look out for. First remember to reinstall the upper chrome corner pieces before you put the glass in. The front screws on mine were not accessible with the glass in place.

Second dont put the tape seal up too "high" on the firewall. During you prefit check sit inside the car and slide your fingers down the glass toward the bottom edge. If you put the tape seal too high up on the firewall it will not contact the glass. Don't ask me how I know this.

Last, the main reason I went with tape is that you need something "thick" under the glass. If you use the caulk and push the glass down into the frame too deeply there will be a big gap between the inner edge of your chrome trim and the glass surface. The tape is thick to start with and takes up alot of that gap. I think you can use rubber
spacers under the glass along with the caulk to raise the glass up if you decide to go that route.

I have driven mine in the rain with no problems.

Good Luck

 

i watched the guy put in a new windshield on my 77...... all he did was run that butyle tape around the frame and put some calk where the tape ends came together/met.... he put the windshield on and that was it..... pushed on it a bit to make sure it sealed and i had some caulk and and he gave me some extra butyle (so i could do the rear window).... i just put some caulk around the winshield and the frame and then put the trim on...... the trick is to make sure you have enough clips for the top trim piece and you might have to struggle a bit to get the trim to fit snug against the glass...... i didn't have enough clips so i have a few mini gaps...... that's why there is caulk...hehe....

good luck

i think i paid 180 for my windshield and installation..... i broke the original when i removed it..... then the hammer took care of it.....then the shop vac took care of it....... then the gabage man took care of it.... now mother earth is taking care of it...... then aliens invade the planet earth and.........

b

 

linked from CorvetteFAQ.com . . .
1969 Corvette Windshield Install
http://www.speakeasy.org/~pws/Corvette.htm

 

I just did this on my 84.I had planned on doing the whole job myself but by the time I got the windshield prepped,primed,paint I was so burnt out on the job I had the glass guy come out and set the glass in place.He spent 10 minutes doing the job.

 

You've already done all the stuff that a glass guy would potentially rush and charge for, and you have the glass. An experienced glass guy can set a windshield in his sleep, so why take a chance on this critical step? I'd bet it would be inexpensive as well.

My vendor that does all the glass in our fleet is coming by today, so I'll ask him your question and if there is anything else you should consider. Ironically, I did the same as you on my BOSS. Luckily, I got cold feet on the install (using an original LOF Ford windshield!), because the kit that came with the glass was c**p. The installer had good stuff on his truck, slapped it on in about 10 minutes (with my help - that was cool), and charged me $25 bucks (ten years ago). Worked for me.

Hans

 

I know the guy,Paul ,who wrote this. He is really good..
He has helped me on countless projects.
Thanks,
Joe

 

Thanks MikeR and Yellow71, Your input is exactly what I was looking for

Hans, Unfortunatly, I am one of those engineers that think there is nothing they can't do, and do better given the time to plan and research the task. Don't take me wrong, I do appreciate the value of experience Problem is, as you said, I have already done all the stuff that would provide the pro the opportunity to make a buck. Not many want to take the time to come out and drop (no pun intended ) the glass in for a 10-15min, $25 job. And those that would probably don't have much experience anyway .... unless of course he is a friend who is doing it as a favor. Besides that, considering all the various tasks I have done on Vettes over the years, this is a walk in the park , so why "chicken out" and compromise our great hobby now?

Bullshark

 

On behalf of all us chickens everywhere, we salute you.........

 

Bullshark
Not to worry, I will stay in front of you on the way to Columbia to deflect any rain ...LT (Gatorshark)

 

I agree. Part of the process of rebuilding my cars is that I want to learn how to do things. Generally speaking, if there's something another person can do, I feel that I can do it too. Granted, I know that for a whole lot of things, I am not going to be able to do a good job on the first attempt. For most of my first time attempts, where I decide to do it myself, I just decide that if I make a mistake I'll just start over and do it again, even if it means I have to accept a financial penalty. Also, just doing things myself means I've already accepted a financial burden by buying special tools. I've paid a lot of money in my life for tuition for university degrees, etc., so hey, if I screw up, this just means I'm paying a little tuition. I'll start over and do it again, and again if necessary.

I'm not really out to save money rebuilding my Corvettes. If I wanted to save money I'd get rid of them and spend my spare time watching television. Part of the process of rebuilding them is to learn...to learn how to do things myself and particularly rebuild all the stuff on the car. ...About the window installers. They install windows on a lot of cars. Some of these people, I can well imagine, would have feelings of jealousy, or disdain for someone rebuilding a Corvette. A previous poster to this forum recounted an anecdote where the windshield installers got aggressive and did damage to his car. (There's a shop near me that does windows and interior work for specialty cars so I have let them replace my windshield that I had to remove to redo the outer upper windor frame brackets.)

There are things that I will pay people to do. I'll pay professional Corvette service people to rebuild things: the rear wheel bearings, the differential, align the suspension, the radio(!), the instruments, and of course machine work on the engine.

Bullshark, can you give us a recap as to how your window replacement project went! Thanks

 

Hans, from your post, I see great minds think alot alike Well if not great, certainly ambitious minds Without a doubt there are some jobs I won't take the time to master. You mentioned a few of them. Electronics is my background so Radios don't scare me.

Well, this job started out with one primary objective, Fix the leaks. I was pretty sure there was two places water was finding its way in.
A fiberglass panel seam in the windshield wiper canal and the windshield frame top. I also had a small corner in the upper right cracked in the original windshield, so this was the time to replace it and tackle the rest. This car, which I affectionally refer to as Project Ramjet, is my designated trip car for Corvette cruise-ins so continued tolerance of rain leaks was out of the question.

Everything was pretty straight forward, turned out I only had minor rust in the windshield frame. Two small holes the size of my finger in the corners and some small pinholes in the lower riveted metal corner covers. I was going to have to deal with those without removing the fender. I used a die grinder to clean out all the rust and get it down to clean metal. I then treated all areas that showed any surface rust with Permatex rust treatment. I was lucky, the structural integrity of the frame was not compromised. I decided to foam fill the window frame as best I could and patch the holes with screen and JB Weld. I then painted the frame. I sealed the upper portion of the frame under the chrome corners and stainless steel T-header cover with brushable seam sealer. (probably overkill). I also used the brushable seam sealer around the fiberglass seams, rivets and wiper brackets in the lower wiper channel in case there were any small voids. It's now pretty much ready for the windshield placement and final assembly and adjustment of the wiper mechanisim.

I need to get this job done by April 1 so I don't have to ride up to Columbia for the Mid-Missouri Corvette Cup with GatorShark

Bullshark