IML: Remove/reinstall 1959-66 (and other?) windscreens yourself. SOOO EASY.

[Kenyon Wills <imperialist1960@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jay,

I'd bet on what you have being great.  Unless the car
was outside in LV for 20 years.  The stainless trim
preserves the rubber very well here in Northern Ca.
and most other places.  


The gasket on that car is a superior, ingenious design
that leds itself to being reused.  So much so that you
can open it yourself with a butter knife and see.

Feeling even the least bit  adventurous?  Follow
along:

Take the stainless trim off.  Mostly screws and clips.

Look on the A pillar section of the gasket for what
appear to be tiny ribs or a seam.  

On any other rubber, this would be the mold seam, and
your eye will tell you that it can't be anything but. 


Disregard what you think you see.  

On this thing, it's where two parts of rubber actually
touch and are squeezed together.  

Gently dig/probe your butter knife into the seam and
pry it apart.  You will have the outside section fold
out and back.   Work all the way around the edge and
get it open.  It's not exactly a zip-loc bag device,
but that's the closest analogy I can think of.

When you have that lip up and out of the way, you have
then opened a path to allow the inner lip to fold up
90 degrees, and somewhat under the outer lip so that
it occupies the space formerly filled by the outer
lip.  

You can do this with your fingers after a certain
point, most likely, and the butter knife if not. 
Seriously, if you're under 95 years old and your hands
work, you're in.  Sneak the butter knife out the back
door when she's not looking - better to get
forgiveness on this one.

Fold the inner gasket up and the edge of the glass
will be visible all the way around.  Put a moving
blanket on the hood.  Maybe remove the wipers?  (cant
remember).

Sit in the car on the front seat with your butt on the
front edge of the seat.  Take your shoes off.  Use
your stocking feet to  gently push (not kick!) the
glass out all the way around.  The thing will pop out,
and if you screw up and crack it further, well, you're
replacing it, so.....

Rotate the glass on its bottom edge onto the moving
blanket and carry away.  I used a hammer to knock it
down so that it would fit in the recycle can that we
have, and the garbage man took it away and I didn't
even fill up the regular can with it.


This is something that you CAN do with 1-2 buddies.  

Glass installation was a black art to me until Jeff
Ingraham showed me this.  So stupidly easy!  



I can find a windscreen gasket if you need one, but
I'm almost certain that what you have is re-workable. 
Please don't write back to say that the glass place
used a blade on the rubber and that it's a goner! 
That would be a shame.


You can get gasket sealing material with a casual
search.  Try the local glass co? 

Installing is pretty much the same thing - clean the
channel with solvent, put in some sealant, fold down
the inner lip.  fold down the outer lip with your hand
and use a rubber mallet to clench the thing shut, and
you're done.


-K

--- JAY D'ANGELO <cadij@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I've decied to replace the windshield on my
> convertible.  Got a great price today of $500 +$100
> shipping to Las Vegas.Problem is, I can't find the
> rubber windshield channel molding.  Steele doesn't
> have it and neither does the other sources I
> contacted.  My windshield dealer is also making
> calls, but they can't find one either.Anyone have
> any leads?  I'm sure that the old one will fall
> apart when it is removed - doesn't do any good to
> get a windshield if I can't use it.HELP!Jay
> D'Angelo64 Iml CvtLas Vegas
>
_________________________________________________________________
> Get into the holiday spirit, chat with Santa on
> Messenger.
>
http://imagine-windowslive.com/minisites/santabot/default.aspx?locale=en-us


Kenyon Wills
 
 





















__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 


-----------------  http://www.imperialclub.com  -----------------
This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing List. Please 
reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your response will be 
shared with everyone. Private messages (and attachments) for the
Administrators should be sent to webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm