<VV> windshield install

[Tony Underwood]

At 05:52 hours 06/15/2005, Geoffrey A Johnson wrote:
>  As the instructions that come with the  seals usually explain, the depth 
> of the channel that the stainless fits in is not as deep as the 
> originals, and unlike the originals, the depth remains the same the whole 
> length of the stainless.


I learned this the hard way, after finding myself installing a NEW early 
windshield with new gasket for another club member and finding it damned 
near impossible to properly reseat the stainless trim...   paperwork with 
the trim having gotten sidelined somewhere and I never saw it.

After a boatload of grief, the glass, gasket, and trim are all in the car 
and the owner is satisfied... but it was a learning experience.    And Yes, 
boys and girls, the new gasket is NOT quite deep enough to properly mount 
the original stainless trim and it's not linear in depth across its 
length...  although it *is* available and that in itself is saying something.


>So what you ideally need to do is take the lower stainless piece  and bend 
>the lip that retains it in the gasket flat on the outer edges, then mark a 
>line that is the same height as the the center area of the  bar.  Then 
>rebend the lip following that line, so it has an even depth at the outer 
>edges, the same as the center, same height all the way across.  Then cut 
>using a dremel or tinsnips etc, the new 90 degree retaining  lip off so 
>that it is 1/8 inch or so.  The stainless will then fit correctly in the 
>new gasket. It is critical when installing the windshield to mark the 
>center of the windshield and center of the body and line it up by those 
>marks when installing.  Do the install on a hot day with car facing into 
>the sun.


AB-solutely.   You won't enjoy arguing with that gasket when it's cold.


>Then once in the car  you have to do considerable massaging of the 
>windshield to get it to fit in all the way.


WD-40 helps... and a soft rubber mallet and CAREFULL tapping on the trim to 
help seat it.   Again CAREFULL tapping, on the trip and never on the 
glass.   A couple of vacuum grips will help too, for wrestling the 
windshield around while positioning it into place.


>Eventually it will pull in all the way and be correct, but you have to 
>push and pull a fair amount to get it centered. HTH

Did I mention CAREFUL?   ;)


It *has* to be a crestfallen experience to break a brand new hard to find 
windshield while trying to install it with trim that refuses to cooperate.


tony..