bdboyle@bdboyle.com<br>
Date: </span>
Fri May&nbsp;7,&nbsp;2010 10:25&nbsp;am<br>
Subject: Re: Windshield Placement?<br><br>
<tt>--- In <a href="/group/lotuseuropa/post?postID=QNREufWpJvWyYZRNBHpEabCvbfT8eNrJEagjYUGDOpsUmkg0nzHuhtUqbln68ZMh87D4zFcCRZP-OweD5Zt6-DNu8w">lotuseuropa@yahoogroups.com</a>, &quot;rotary911porsche&quot; &lt;rotary911porsche@...&gt;
<br>wrote:
<br>&gt;
<br>&gt; Getting ready to set the windshield/windscreen in the body.  I assume the
<br>glass should be flush with the fiberglass to get the best fit for the trim.  Am
<br>I close?
<br>&gt;
<br>
<br>Close.  Depends on whether you're going with pattern trim from RD or Bean or ?.
<br>
<br>Pattern trim that the usual suspects are selling is usually attached to the
<br>window first and then the whole magilla is set into a THICK bed of urethane in
<br>the channel and pushed in (don't forget to support the roof with a couple of
<br>2x4s from the roof to the floor...otherwise, you'll be assuming the modified
<br>lotus position inside the car applying a make-up bead of urethane along the top
<br>edge...ask me how I know...).
<br>
<br>What I did (and free free to comment...it's a free country...).
<br>
<br>You'll need:
<br>1. pair of big suction cups
<br>2. masking tape
<br>3. Glass edge primer
<br>4. 2 or 3 tubes of urethane windshield compound (that fit in a normal caulking
<br>gun...try NAPA)
<br>5. Heat gun
<br>6. Trim
<br>7. End pieces
<br>
<br>(why a heat gun?  To GENTLY warm the trim so as to form it to the contour of the
<br>windshield...).
<br>
<br>You'll also need the small spacers for the bottom as specified in the workshop
<br>manual.  FWIW, they're pieces of plastic, about 3/16 thick, that keep the bottom
<br>of the windshield off the body and allow it to be centered vertically in the
<br>opening
<br>
<br>Just follow the directions in section B.38 of the workshop manual (I'm assuming
<br>you have a post-1/1/1970 car, which is when they went to the direct glazing
<br>method...), substituting using the urethane sealer for wherever the manual says
<br>&quot;Butyl&quot;.  Butyl dries out and eventually releases the windscreen.  Not good. 
<br>Butyl is still good for doing the side windows and such, but, the windscreen is
<br>a stressed member of the body, so...
<br>
<br>You'll want to use the primer to mask the edge (called the 'frit' of the
<br>windscreen; I came up onto the inner edge about 1&quot; on the tops and sides, and
<br>1.25&quot; on the bottom to give a black border to hide the dash edge etc and provide
<br>a more 'finished' look.  How do you get a clean edge?  Use a piece of 1&quot; masking
<br>tape aligned with the edge all the way around, then set more masking tape butted
<br>up against the outer piece, make sure the edge of the second piece is tight
<br>down, then remove the 1&quot; piece.  Nice and clean.
<br>
<br>I've some photos in my web site in the 693R photo album, 2007 directory, under
<br>10.27.07 entry with some photos of the installation.
<br>
<br>As I said, use some braces along the top edge to support the roof when you put
<br>the windshield in place.  Otherwise, you won't get a good seal there, and will
<br>have to come back, from the inside, and lay in a bead along the top edge and
<br>push more urethane in to close it off.
<br>
<br>I have a complete description of the process in the restoration journal of 693,
<br>btw, so, I won't reprint that here.
<br>
<br>HTH.
<br>
<br>Bryan
<br>693R 65/2678
<br>www.lotuseuropa.us
<br>www.lotuseuropagaller.com<br>