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Post by neil183 on Oct 6, 2021 8:54:51 GMT
Hello everybody.
My beloved 1969 Coupe is back from the paint shop now and looking great (original Bordeaux/Silver Birch), but the windscreen company they use don't wont the job of refitting both as they are apparently a nightmare...
I have all the clips/screws/stainless trims etc cleaned and ready and photos of them before removal, plus NOS rubbers.
Does anybody know of a Company that is happy to take on the job please? Im near St Albans but can travel if need be...
Many thanks
Neil.
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Post by lagain on Oct 6, 2021 19:52:25 GMT
This is a nightmare job and windscreen companies generally do not want to know.
A local member has just fitted front and rear screens and said that the rear was easier.
If the 'new old stock' rubbers are too old they may not be flexible enough and you may have to purchase re-manufactured ones that do not fit quite as well. If the rubber can be fitted around the screen and left for a few weeks it helps with the fitting as the rubber moulds to the screen.
It can take several days to fit a front screen and when in place it seems to be too small, our member used plastic spacers to lift the screen in the bottom section of the rubber so that it fitted at the top.
It is a two man job, you might find a mobile mechanic who could assist.
The screen needs to go in dry before sealing it with black windscreen sealent and you need to be very generous with it or the screen will leak.
When you re-fit the trim make sure that the screws holding the clips are not sticking up or when you clip the trim back on they can damage it and the trim also needs to be sealed to prevent water getting in.
Good luck with it.
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Post by Phil Nottingham on Oct 7, 2021 9:48:17 GMT
Auto Windshields did our Coupe but that was 18years ago. It had to be done twice as a flying stone cracked the new screen 6 months later!
It took them a day the second time but a trim was damaged which they had to source a replacement which took a week
This was all paid by insurance and they used the chain windscreen fitters and some branches did not have the expertise so check. Our local branch just down the road did but that is now closed.
Where are you based
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Post by neil183 on Oct 7, 2021 12:36:11 GMT
Thanks for the updates.
Im near St Albans but have a covered trailer so could travel if i have to!
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Post by enigmas on Oct 7, 2021 13:37:41 GMT
Sorry to contradict any doom sayers about fitting the windscreens. Yes, it's a tedious job but not outside the scope of any restorer with a modicum of practical skills and a patient demeanor. It's definitely not something that can be done in a couple of hours and as such is not a viable financial option for most windscreen fitters.
Put aside an afternoon for careful removal of the screen and any cleaning required where the screen fits into the body aperture. Take note of how it all goes together. Set another afternoon aside for refitting the screen and trim. Note that nothing will fit perfectly, that it requires both a practical method as well as an artistic eye to produce a best fit.
You'll also require a cartridge of black mastic that is applied between the windcsreen seal and where it contacts the metal screen frame. Squeeze this black goo copiously into every possible place that water may enter and clean off the excess (it will be everywhere) with turpentine. Use an artist's pallet knife to smooth around angles and corners where required. Fit the stainless trim the following day or wait several days for the sealant to firm up.
It can be done largely solo but an assistant is handy when fitting the screen in position. It's not rocket science nor does it require high IQ, it's just messy and time consuming. As a matter of fact I'd never let a fitter of modern car windscreens anywhere near a task like this.
NB. If you think you can or think you can’t, either way you are right. Henry Ford.
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