Windshield and headliner questions

[beerbelly]

Next year's project is a new windshield, front and rear seals and a new headliner. I haven't yet decided if a friend and I are going to try to tackle this, or pay a pro to do it. I'm not too worried about the rear glass with the plain seal- I've done flat glass before.

Could someone please school me on the correct way to remove the rock hard windshield seal without screwing up the stainless trim, and the right way to install them?

[Luva65wagon]

Best way to remove it is with the windshield and rubber as a whole. From inside cut the sealing lip away so the entire windshield/rubber/stainless can be pushed away from the car from inside.

Remove trim from glass and rubber is now easy.

On sawhorses working with outside of glass/trim upwards, apply a thin bead of windshield bedding (stuff that is made of tar and doesn't harden you get from autobody supply) into the windshield groove of the new seal and insert the glass into the rubber. Get it all centered correctly! If possible, use masking tape to hold it on. Leave trim grooves available with no tape covering them. Then pre-insert the trim (do whatever straightening and polishing first) with the exception of the two corner pieces, and using masking tape to hold all this together. Now flip the assembly over and insert your pull rope with the ends near center/bottom. Tape the ends of the rope to the windshield. Apply a good bead of bedding to body and rubber and place glass/rubber/trim into body and with two outside and one inside pull the seal into the car slowly while users outside apply firm pressure as you go.

It may get a little messy so be prepared to use mineral spirits to clean up what oozes out. If you can mask off the headliner at the top, that will save you time scrubbing that of the tar. Don't try to go too easy on the tar to avoid this, since a leaking winshield is a far worse hassle.

Once the seal is all inside, do some flat-handed pats to the windshield to work it firmly into place. Clean some more. Then insert screws and corner pieces.

I'd say "have fun" but it's not really. But it is rewarding.
[thumb]

[beerbelly]

Thanks for the info; very helpful. Now I have about a year to work up the nerve to do it!

[Voodoofalcon]

Headliner not nearly as bad as I thought it would be to do yourself . I can come help when the time comes. Just make sure you mark your rods when you pull the old one out.