Windshield trim
 

Hi all

Strange question here, but I'm wanting to replace the rubber and metal trim around the front and rear screens, I'm wondering if this can be done without removing the windshield? The company that fitted it did a really awful job of it, leaving gaps and not seating the rubber properly... Worst job I've ever seen on a windshield. Anyways, am I able to fix this myself?

Yes you can. These need to come out before the glass can be removed. Rubbers come out first, they are only pressed in therefore should just pull out (unless PO has bonded them in with windscreen sealant as I've done with mine for a more water resistant seal).

These parts will not be easy to find and I suggest you source the new ones BEFORE removing the old. The rubbers can tear, and the metal trim pieces bend / crease very easily which will render them useless.

Is this a series 3 car ? If so the stainless trim is embedded in the windshield sealant when the glass is installed. If this is a series 2 car, it uses a rubber gasket IIRC

The last one I did I sourced new metal trim, SeriesIII, car from Barrett. Messy job.
There are many sealers but Permatex works for me.

Thanks for the responses, yes indeed she's a Series 3. How would I go about removing the metal trim and the rubber trim, what is the procedure? Rubber pulls out before metal? How does the metal trim come out? I can get locally, the company that did it had the right profile, just really didn't want to get it right.

search the archives I remember posting the entire procedure

But to summarize.. Use a short serrated knife (old steak knife) From outside of the car, poke the knife right through the sealant at the upper right corner,.. not easy but can be done,.. begin slicing (sawing) downward to the bottom corner. Same on other side. Then cut across the top. At that point only the bottom is holding the glass in ,..and probably not much sealant there. So grab the top of the glass pull forward and down (rip the glass away from the car along with any attaching /clinging sealant.

Carefully separate the sealant with the stainless from the glass.

Clean away all old sealant from channel and glass /stainless. tedious stuff .. try not to bend stainless . If you do,.. check for fit (as it lays on the new glass) adjust (bend) as necessary.



Trial fit the glass in the aperture ...should be same spacing from glass to body all around. Sit the glass on little feet (little 1/4 inch pieces of wood that will eventually be buried in the sealant.These little feet hold the glass up off of the bottom of the windscreen channel. (this is the part your guys probably missed )

Be prepared - do a dry run. Get the sealant and some mineral spirits .. the solvent that cleans up sealant. Rags and more rags...

I did not use the useless "finishers" instead
I filled the windscreen channel to the brim with sealant. Set the glass on the little feet and centered it - quickly as the sealant sets up fast.. Pushed the glass down into the sealant, then inserted the stainless into the sealant and pushed down firmly - all the little pieces. Shoot in more sealant if you are not using finishers then clean up with mineral spirits.

Clean off the excess sealant with mineral spirits and rags


image is of rear windscreen near "upper middle" of rear door

Thanks Alyn, neat job you've done there.

Unless they really have bodged the windscreen (should I mention they cracked it) I'm not wanting to remove it, but it doesn't sound too tricky, time will tell, thanks again.

Hi again

Been thinking about removing the whole windscreen and fixing it properly one shot.

Alyn, I'm inclined to ditch the "finishers" too, I've got a drip on the mat after rain, so I'm inclined to believe the windscreen isn't sealed either.

Just to clarify, you mention cutting the sealant to get the glass out, how should I orientate the knife, I assume all cutting work is on the outside of the car, is the knife parallel to the glass when cutting? ie it pokes out the other side where the top "finisher" would usually sit? I also assume the "finishers" just pull out?

Sorry for any silly questions, just don't want to mess up, I plan to do front and back.

Many thanks

I use a bit of wire wrapped around a pair of wooden handles.
Poke a hole through the sealant and with two folks “saw” out the old screen

I use .30 thousand safety wire.

Tear the stupid finishers out.
Stand in front of the car looking at steering wheel through glass, push knife into the sealant at the top corner in front of you ...just slant the knife enough so that you do not cut the inside upholstery. You are trying to cut through all the way down ...each side then cut across the top. Super easy stuff no brain surgery experience required - Just a bit of muscle. Cut the sealant that is between the stainless and the body after the finisher has been removed You have to get the knife pointed towards the middle of the car ....keep in mind there is a pinch weld that the glass lays on. So the knife has to penetrate the sealant and get past the edge of the stainless and the pinch weld under the sealant. Don't scratch the stainless with the serrated knife edge.

Thanks Alyn for clearing that up, I'll get to it when I have the time. What sealant to you use? Any good brand that you recommend?

Thanks for sharing your method too Johnny6jag, always good to know how everyone goes about things on here.

I used 3M 8088 (I think that was the number) but use a well known name brand. I think I paid 20 bucks a tube. Because I chose to fill the channels to the brim, (needed 2 tubes per glass) with sealant and forgo the finishers (they are the main source/ cause of the rusting in that area - I call them water traps)
My car is so nice and dry ,..since I sealed the windscreens, more comfortable now.
The problem with this rusting is that, at the front, there can be rust under the front dash where the water ran down and corroded wire connections.
At the back you can get water under the rear seat that has come from leaks at the back windscreen corners and puddled there, after soaking the parcel shelf. Driving the car with water under the rear seat can cause it to slosh about and wet the trailing edge of the rear floor carpeting ,, causing mold / mildew and, if bad enough, the water will wick up into the rear door cards warping them.

Have you had a chance to read one of my posts somewhere in the archives about all of this I remember writing quite a bit about this in the course of answering someone elses post in the past.

Beam me up Scotty there is no intelligent life on this planet !!:icon_beamme:

Thanks a lot Alyn, yes I have searched the forums briefly, but with no success in finding your post. I'll post my results when I get around to it, thanks again.

.

Hi all, thread bump, I'm wondering if a Series 2 and Series 3 have the same windscreen? I'm looking to install a windscreen from a '78 in my '82. Possible? Many thanks.

Check with ant supplier who sells both and compare part numbers

Check with any supplier who sells both and compare part numbers

A quick check of the respective parts manuals shows the windshields have different part numbers, so I would conclude the S2 part was not carried over to the S3.

Andrew.

The Series 3 was a restyle and the windscreen was angled far less and the windscreen is different.

You can cut out the screen from the inside using a Stanley knife, as I have seen this done. The windscreen complete with trims can then be removed and the trims extracted from the sealant for re-use.You only cut top and sides, then hinge the screen forward on the remaining part of the sealand and cut that.

BTW the whole front screen seal is a very bad design, and I think it was originally intended for a rubber seal, but sealant was used in an aperture not designed for it. That is why so much rusting occurs, as there is not drain at the two bottom corners so the water collects there.