[Dieselman]

OK, I started the tear-down of my coupe. I pulled the motor over the weekend with no problems, except finiding a nice mouse house inside the bell housing. Luckily, I haven't seen any of the little buggers.

Last night I decide to start removing all of the parts necessary to tackle the cowl repair that is desperatley needed. I start with removing the exterior molding, getting some of the clips was a royal PITA as this car sat oustide under a pine tree for many years. So, the moldings come off with no damage. I clean around the windshield gasket with an old screwdriver to get all of the shrubs out.
Now, I need a beverage........ ( Lesson # 1 - don't drink and remove glass.......ever )
Next, I start to pry the window out..........I started very carefully in one corner prying gently beneath the gasket attempting to take the gasket and windshield out at the same time. The gasket starts moving slowly away from the sheetmetal. - Background, I've butchered a little of bodywork on one car to date, but I has a side business doing home repairs so I figure a window is a window - right!! I continue slowly moving along the top and sides of the window making good progress. Having never removed a windshield before, I figure I'm almost home free and start getting comfortable doing this job ( lesson # 2 - don't get comfortable or cocky )
Now I start giving a little more leverage on the lower corner on the passenger side......POP! - ( lesson # 3 - it is important to remove the upper dash pad trim PRIOR to attempting to remove the windshield )

Now.......aaaaaaaaauuuuuggh, all I could do was look at my crack in digust (in the windshield that is).

So, I remove the upper dash pad trim, and the windshield came right out.........I hope to remember this when I remove the back window.

I hope this amused you veterans, and gave some help to other noobs.

Be good
George

Where's my beer?

[andrewmp6]

Sucks don't it get it almost out and pop i have tired cutting glass out of junkyard cars i never do it with out breaking them.

[Frugelbinder]

do you have to remove the windsheild to put in a new headliner? a guy i asked to do it said that it's a big job on old mustangs b/c you have to remove the windshield. i was wondering if he was full of crap or he's right....

[Jay H 237]

Originally Posted by Frugelbinder

do you have to remove the windsheild to put in a new headliner? a guy i asked to do it said that it's a big job on old mustangs b/c you have to remove the windshield. i was wondering if he was full of crap or he's right....

Yes, he's right.

It was one of Ford's less than brillaint ideas to install the headliners first and glue the edges to the pinch weld that the glass gasket holds onto.

To do it properly the front and rear windows need to be removed which also means new gaskets. However you could slice the old headliner right at the edge of the gasket and then tuck the new one under the gasket as far as you can. The problem is since the new one isn't fully to the pinch weld it can pull out over time with expansion and contraction and loosen up.

Some upholstry shops won't do these cars due to having to remove the glass, which is understandable since they don't specialize in glass and may not have the tools or know how. Damaging the chrome trim during removal and installation is something they may worry about too. Then there's the cost of replacing the gaskets and worrying about whether or not they did the sealer right and the possibility of leaks if not done right. Gotta take of the wipers off too. It's a bit involved to be done right.

[Bob A]

OK, bad experince, but did you sit down and have one more beverage. You desire it. SORRY to hear that, I hope I remember this story!!!!

[Ervinr82]

Lol well you will help the next guy ,a.k.a. me, to realize that i should just take it to a pro when taking out the windshield when it comes time

But it sucks that it had to break

[Dieselman]

I thought it was rather odd to see the headliner tucked under the gasket.

Actually, removing the windshield was not all the difficult, or would not have been had I removed that interior trim piece. I had started slowly, using light pressure, moving the windshield slightly. I would then move a couple of inches away and do the same thing. This was breaking the seal slowly. The only problems were noted in my first post.

Oh yeah, I did have another beverage or three after.........

One last thing, have beverages only AFTER the windshiled is out!

[CPRsm]

lesson learned

Don't drink and remove glass