Am I Doomed????????
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 282
From: Back in Nebraska
Thanks everyone. Before I can do anything more I'll have to remove the windshield and access the total damage. I'll call a windshield company here in town and see if they are comfortable with coming to the house and removing it here. Again, you folks are great, thank you!!!
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 7
From: Ontario
Thanks everyone. Before I can do anything more I'll have to remove the windshield and access the total damage. I'll call a windshield company here in town and see if they are comfortable with coming to the house and removing it here. Again, you folks are great, thank you!!!
Last edited by Retro78; Mar 8, 2008 at 06:09 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,092
Likes: 2
From: walpole ma
Bottom line is you need to replace the rusted out areas. If you cant do the repair your self,then find a good shop that wil do it for you. There is no way to sugar coat that kind of damage.
Dont worry though. It is very fixable, and if done correctly you will never know it was even there.
Dont worry though. It is very fixable, and if done correctly you will never know it was even there.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,164
Likes: 7
From: Beringen
Front windshields usually crack on removal..although some do come out ok with luck. The good news is that new glass installed at your home is cheap. $300 for glass including installation at your home. If it was mine, I would take it our myself(likely will break) then call the glass company when you are ready for the replacement. The modern adhesives they use on reinstallation will not dry and crack like the orginals...which is also one of the reasons for many rusted out birdcages.
Oh and when you start make sure that you are sawing through the sealer and not the windshield
Takes about 10 minutes like it is said and saves you money.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,246
Likes: 114
From: Watkins Glen NY
[QUOTE=Belgian1979vette;1564461399]
Oh and when you start make sure that you are sawing through the sealer and not the windshield
QUOTE]
When I removed mine I made sure that I was cutting UNDERNEATH and below the adhesive, between it and the frame.
I did this in an effort to keep any little bit amount of pressure away from the glass, thinking that the adhesive would help to cushion the glass a little as I was cutting. WD-40 seemed to help loosen up the adhesive, but it also made a bad mess of the stuff, too!
I took out my dash, wiper doors, and t-tops to give myself mobility in as many directions as I could.
Windshield came out like a charm
Oh and when you start make sure that you are sawing through the sealer and not the windshield
QUOTE]
When I removed mine I made sure that I was cutting UNDERNEATH and below the adhesive, between it and the frame.
I did this in an effort to keep any little bit amount of pressure away from the glass, thinking that the adhesive would help to cushion the glass a little as I was cutting. WD-40 seemed to help loosen up the adhesive, but it also made a bad mess of the stuff, too!
I took out my dash, wiper doors, and t-tops to give myself mobility in as many directions as I could.
Windshield came out like a charm
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 282
From: Back in Nebraska
I think that I might try this. I did some pre-op and am puzzled on how to remove the chrome moldings along the side of the windshield? Are there some hidden screws or clips?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,246
Likes: 114
From: Watkins Glen NY
Sorry, thats not what you were referring to I think. The side mouldings come off with 3 screws that are hidden by the weatherstrips. You might be able to find them by gently poking around with a screwdriver. Also don't forget the screws holding your weatherstrips to the body at the very bottom on the body by the top of the door.
Last edited by champs65; Mar 9, 2008 at 10:46 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
That is not that hard a fix, provided the rust is confined to the upper header. However I agree, the water had to go somewhere and it probably ran down into the birdcage and collected down there. So I would do as the others stated and verify the complete birdcage structure. You can buy a compete windshield frame for about $600. They normally come in three pieces, upper header (where yours is rusted) and two sideposts. If you are not the do it yourself type I recommend you research for a good shop to do it. If you decide to do it yourself, take measurements to the top corners and center of the header from at least two central locations (front and rear) so you can ensure you get it back in the right location. If you get it wrong you will have issues. You can remove a windshield without breaking it, but I dont have the patience and sooner or later I end up breaking them, so figure that into your cost if you want.
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Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,570
Likes: 1
From: Algonac Michigan
With the kind of damage I've seen in the following posts I had an idea!!!(Maybe good maybe stupid!) Could these areas be sandblasted and then be filled with lead? What do you guys think???