Windshield installation?

[Racebrewer]

Hi,

Anybody install their own windshield? How do you do it?

Thanks,
John

[wallace18]

You would be better off to have a Auto Glass shop do it IMO. It must have the correct primer for the windshield glue/urethane to stick properly. It cost me only $74.00 to have both my windows installed for my 33.

[AZPete]

A Safelite shop did mine for $65. I would not attempt that myself.

[Racebrewer]

Good reasons. Thank you guys.

Anyone do their own?

[Wayne Presley]

Local glass shop did the GRM car with a trim gasket for $70, well worth it.

[flynntuna]

While on the subject of windshields, how strong is the windshield frame? With the roadster you run the risk of breaking the glass if you use the frame as a hand hold to get out of the car. Is the 818's windshield frame able to withstand this treatment?

[Wayne Presley]

More so but still not a grab handle...

[07FIREBLADE]

Sorry for bumping an old thread but for anyone who has installed their windshields, did the local shops you went to have any special concerns about doing the install. Any particular glues or adhesives/ moldings. My local safelite is being quite hesitant and doesn't want to tackle the job.

[gwarden]

Wayne what style gasket do you use?

[Quiny]

Did anyone paint the frame before installing the glass and did you paint over the plastic molding the covers the gap on the inside? My concern is not with installing it, I'm more concerned with replacing it someday.

[AZPete]

Several have asked about a gasket but I took my windshield & glass to a local Safelite shop and they did it for $65. I asked about a rubber gasket since the manual says to have one installed but they said they would do it without a gasket like many new cars - Corvette, Mercedes, etc. I doubted them so I walked out to the parking lot and looked at my Mercedes SUV, an Audi, and a 2013 Corvette to see that they all had no gasket. I then told them to go ahead. The glass is glued in with a straight line (how'd they do that?) and I'm happy. Here's a close-up:

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/AZPeteCobra/Windshield%20glass%20close-up.jpg (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/AZPeteCobra/media/Windshield%20glass%20close-up.jpg.html)

[TouchStone]

Does the windshield frame need to be attached to the car frame when installing the glass?

[AZPete]

I just took the frame and the glass to the shop. The glass was duct-taped in as received from FFR. They had it ready the next day and I picked it up.
Actually, when I got my kit I hung the windshield with the taped-in glass by 2 short chains to store it. Several days later I noticed the glass on the floor! Amazingly, the glass was not chipped or cracked at all so I'm guessing that the duct tape had slowly come loose so the glass slowly descended. That's when I took it both the frame and glass to Safelite - over a year ago and all's good. No, I did not paint the frame, but might in the future.

[idf]

I fitted mine to the chassis to make sure there were no major fitment issues then brought the frame to the glass guy. He installed it with adhesive then put a trim strip around the top and sides because he thought the gap was too big otherwise. $95. Hopefully there will be no issues when I install it for real.

[xxguitarist]

We fit ours to the chassis, tweaked until it measured square & also looked square relative to the rollbar.
We dry fit the glass a few times, and actually pressed the fiberglass frame up a bit in the middle with a 2x4 as a brace for a spreader to get a consistent gap.

Tamra's dad did the install for us, it's his day job. Came out great, and we did use trim.

[Wayne Presley]

Did anyone paint the frame before installing the glass and did you paint over the plastic molding the covers the gap on the inside? My concern is not with installing it, I'm more concerned with replacing it someday.
I painted mine before installing the glass


We fit ours to the chassis, tweaked until it measured square & also looked square relative to the rollbar.
We dry fit the glass a few times, and actually pressed the fiberglass frame up a bit in the middle with a 2x4 as a brace for a spreader to get a consistent gap.

Tamra's dad did the install for us, it's his day job. Came out great, and we did use trim.
+1 on the glass shop installing it trim rubber


Does the windshield frame need to be attached to the car frame when installing the glass?

No it does not

[Buzz Skyline]

Had my windshield installed today. The guys who did it said it was way too tight a fit for a gasket, so they didn't use one. The whole thing seemed pretty easy and straightforward. These guys were great, but I'm absolutely going to do it myself next time.

44073

[wallace18]

I had a glass shop install the windshield on the 2 818S's I built. Cost about $75 to $125 bucks. They installed a seal as well and made it look much better IMO.

4407744078

[CU9DZ]

Somewhere I read the gasket for the window is PGW17JR. Can anybody verify that?
Thanks

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Somewhere I read the gasket for the window is PGW17JR. Can anybody verify that?
Thanks
Bottom of post 731
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?11586-Honolulu-818S-Hana-(work-build)-Thread&p=164189&viewfull=1#post164189

[Lumpyguy]

So the guys that needed to push the frame up in the middle with wood have you had any issues? ie cracking?

[tmoretta]

My rear view mirror is loose on the windshield. My windshield installer mounted the mirror. What is the procedure to remove and tighten it?

[TouchStone]

My rear view mirror is loose on the windshield. My windshield installer mounted the mirror. What is the procedure to remove and tighten it?

Mine was also loose. Twist the base 90 degrees and slide it downward. There is a metal wire inside the mount that holds the mirror in place tightly. I remove this wire with pliers and increased some of the bends so that it increases the holding force. When reinstalling the wire be gentle with the wire so you don't over stress it.