Some of you might have seen the restoration work I have been doing on my Dad's 69 GTX convertible titled "Bringing it back to factory specs". Over the last couple days, I have gotten to the point where it was time to reinstall the windshield. I initially removed the windshield because we had some rust starting on the lower left corner of the steel dash, an all too common problem with these cars since it seems like these windshields leaked from day 1. Anyway, after getting the dash all squared away, it was time to put the windshield back in. If you can get a new rubber gasket, I strongly recommend it as it makes the installation go so much smoother due to the rubber being a lot more flexible.
Tools needed: tube of 3M Bedding & Glazing Compound, NYLON Pry Bar Tools, Spray Window Cleaner
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First, you will need to clean off the area where the rubber gasket will sit. If this area is not clean, you could potentially get a problem with the gasket sealing which will lead to a leak.
Next, you will want to get a tube of 3M Bedding & Glazing Compound (sometimes referred to as Liquid Butyl). You will need this to lay a 3/8" bead on the lower windshield channel where the cowl meets the dash. If you do not do this step, I can guarantee that you WILL have leaks!
Now it is time to install the rubber gasket. What I did was put a small bead of Bedding & Glazing Compound on the pinch weld area around the window frame to add as an extra sealer between the body and the gasket. This is not a necessary step but I chose to do it for extra sealing protection.
Now you are almost ready to install the glass. First, trim off any excess laminate from the edge of the glass. Next, while you are doing the trimming, check to make sure there are no chips or any rough edges. This will cause a weak point when trying to install the glass which could enable it to crack.
To install the windshield, lay the windshield down in the bottom channel first. Spray a liberal amount of window cleaner onto the rubber gasket. This will help with lubricating the gasket and allow it to slip around the glass and let the glass seat into the channel. Start with getting the lower channel of the gasket around and having the window seat into the channel. It is important to take your time with this so as not to rip or tear the rubber gasket. Continue working the gasket around the glass into place making sure you do not pry on the glass itself. Continue working the gasket into place with occasionally slapping the glass with the palm of your hand to help it seat into place. One area that I noticed a great deal of difficulty was the top corners of the gasket. Again, taking your time and using ample amounts of spray window cleaner, it can be done, however, your patience can be tried!
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Now that you managed to get the glass into the channel for the rubber gasket, you need to get the locking strip in place. What I did prior to engaging the rubber locking strip was to put a thin bead of 3M Bedding & Glazing compound under the rubber gasket where it meets the glass to prevent any water from getting into the laminate between the glass and causing fogging or leaking to the inside of the glass. You do not need much as once you engage that rubber locking strip, it will push the excess out. This can be later cleaned up with a little lacquer thinner on a rag. Once you have the locking strip in place, I squeezed a little Bedding & Glazing Compound in the open holes on the corners of the gasket where the locking strips did not meet. Again, this helps prevent any water from getting into places where you don't want it.
The final step is to put the stainless trim back on around the windshield and install your wipers after you've given the windshield one final cleaning.
Hopefully this helps some people as I learned this from watching the professional glass installer do mine in my Charger only to have him skip the Bedding and Glazing part. Like I said, without this in the lower channel, your windshield WILL leak! Hence why I had to pull my windshield and do it myself.
DISCLAIMER ! ! ! ! DISCLAIMER ! ! ! ! DISCLAIMER ! ! ! ! DISCLAIMER ! ! ! ! DISCLAIMER ! ! ! !
I am not a professional glass installer. If you do decide to try this on your own, the above information is suggestions only and how I did my own glass installation. I do not know your level of experience and should you have any doubts, please consult a professional glass installer. Do so at your own risk to your glass and to your vehicle. I can not accept any personal responsibility for anything you chose to do on your own car.
