the late model windshields are bonded to the body (window opening). the Mav/Comet windshields are set in rubber and rubber to the opening. flexing of the rubber is why I use the Butyl.
Just my thoughts on this.....I don't think the windshield in these cars helps much in the structural integrity of the firewall and pillar area, you must be thinking of late model cars where the windshield actually does contribute the the structural design and when properly installed using urethane sealer it becomes bonded to the framework, this came about in part because of the use of airbags and the need to hold against the pressure of them being deployed, and in part to reducing the size of the pillar to allow for better visibility, our cars (mavericks/comets) have the rubber gasket to allow movement of the windshield as the auto body flexes in everyday driving, if you choose to eliminate that ability of it to flex with everyday driving, I would think the windshield could be put under stress and be more prone to cracking, why not just forget about the gasket and stick it in with the hardening glue if you think it would contribute to structural integrity? our cars are not designed for that.
Still on the fence about how I'll do my windshield after all my firewall and chassis mods are done. And you actually you bring up a very good point about these older "floating style" windshields. I once saw a guy do just that to a 66 mustang coupe road racer(R-style apron/fully caged/shelby'ized type deal) and I have always considered doing the exact same thing to any more serious unibody car I decided to build for myself. Realistically, with how far off I am from completely gluing my windshield down.. I haven't really spent much time or energy on it. Heck, this was over 20 years ago and there might be someone who did a write-up on some forum.. or even a youtube video by now too. lol I wasn't there for all the steps involved, only to apply 2 tubes of black urethane(I still vividly remember him saying.. "hey.. you're a painter, right?.. my caulking sucks and I make huge messes and end up wasting it!" LOL)and help place the glass, but basically he did this. Etched the edge all the way around of the glass by sandblasting it and primed it black(have absolutely no clue what primer he used).. placed some short rubber snubbers of thick walled hose that looked like sliced olives(don't remember what thickness but pretty sure whatever made the windshield sit at right height to gasket and trim slit the rubber gasket all the way round and used it only to fill the outside gap up to the trim.. basically removed the channel and inside edge.. we installed the "rubber spacer" as he called it.. from the outside once the window was set in place After racing around in faster old unibody cars for some time leading up to that point, I must have thought the same exact thing that you mentioned here too.. because I also remember specifically asked about concerns of flexing and cracking the glass with how much front tire that car had(somewhere around a 255mm race compound). He simply shrugged it off and said the chassis is stiff enough to reduce the window channel flexing and that the mod would actually help reduce flexing overall by "tying it all together as one big section". Only really knew him through a friend and lost track of him when we moved away from Seattle.. and don't know how it all worked out from a longevity standpoint. But this was a very seriously built track car(had 4 Webers that I drooled all over and practically layed in his engine bay to study like I was blind and they were in braille) and it always seemed to be a logically effective trick if one could implement it onto these little cars. I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get there and might even have to sacrifice a window or two to figure it all out in the end. Anywho.. thanks for the responses and "straightening me out".. sorry if I derailed the OP's thread at all but thought it was pertinent to the whole end cause here. Carry on gents.
Lots of interesting comments/ideas/thoughts on this subject. I had a new windshield installed last spring; the old one had a lot of tiny specks imbedded in the glass and was distracting my vision, esp., in the evening facing the sun. I had considered a DIY install and read many posts along w/ watching some videos on the net. I finally decided to have it done by a speciality shop in my area who does old car glass and vinyl tops, "the top in my avatar installed by them". They done a nice job and so far haven't seen any leaks. Letting them do it I didn't have to worry abt breaking the glass, finding a helper, damaging the trim or anything else associated w/ the job. As I recall, the charge was $125.00 plus glass; I had the gasket. At this stage of my life, I don't ever planning on doing another, so it was a gud deal for me. I don't know what they used to seal the glass but as do a lot of old cars I assume they know what to use -- If I have any issues I will just take it back to them. I really like the new glass, it has a lot more tint than the OEM glass. Northern, you may be well served to try and find a similar solution on ur windshield. JMO..
not sure.. but I doubt he drove it very often unless he detuned it for the street and put radials on it. Then again.. if I owned it?.. I'd be hitting the side streets at the very least. lol If you're implying that the seal may not have been sufficient enough without relying on the gasket.. or could become compromised in the long term?.. I would have to guess no way in hell. 2 tubes of state of the art urethane sealants pumped all around the window channel = PITA when ABRA auto-glass needs to pay you a visit. As someone who's worked with very high end chemicals, coatings, and sealants in several industries all throughout his painting career(including a few auto-body shops using the same sealants we're discussing here).. in my professional opinion.. that sucker ain't coming out no way no how unless you actually cut it out. Even a big crash wouldn't take that thing out of its channel. Massive overkill. Not saying I want to do exactly that same thing.. but I will surely explore ways to make mine more rigid as well. Premium urethanes are tougher and longer lasting than any butyl-rubber made and is why they were created in the first place. To supersede its use in high end harsh environment applications. My underground utility foreman had me run to the CAT dealer last summer when our D6 bulldozer popped its back window out. 2 tubes of urethane sealant at $63 per tube plus the little bottle of primer for another $45 and major PITA to prep the frame. We even joked that butyl would have been much easier to remove and work with. Stickier and messier.. but still easier compared to shaving all that old urethane out of the channel. He's been a heavy equipment mechanic for more than 35 years and I think he probably knows more than I do about some things.. so I just listen and learn.
Do you know what brand of glass they used? Maybe stamped in the corner? And did it still have the greenish tint?.. or slightly different?
I DON'T KNOW OFF HAND WHAT/WHO THE GLASS MFG IS. I WILL CHECK IT TOMMORROW, IF IT'S NOT ON THE GLASS I WILL CALL THE INSTALLER. I BELIEVE IT IS MORE A BLUISH TINT, BUT LOT MORE TINT AT THE TOP, AND MORE TINT OVERALL. IT IS MORE PLEASING TO LOOK THRU AND DOES A MUCH BETTER JOB REFLECTING UV. IT'S MORE COMPRABLE TO NEW CAR TYPE COLORATION... LONG STORY ... BIG IMPROVMENT.
thanks for the heads-up here, mojo. Interested to find out what it is and save this little tidbit for later use down the road. I myself never really cared for the greenish tint so this is very good news to my ears.. err.. eyes. lol
that's the answer I was looking for... for the street we are looking for...no leaks. "As someone who's worked with very high end chemicals, coatings, and sealants in several industries all throughout his painting career(including a few auto-body shops using the same sealants we're discussing here).. " did you ever install a windshield with a rubber gasket?
I got a chance to go in the garage and take a serious look at my windshield. I was a little off base on my color assessment. The replacement in the Comet has more of a greenish tint, whereas the OE glass was more on the blue side. I took a comparison photo w/ my 06 Buick. The Buick was more in line w/ the color of the Comet OE glass. Pix 157 is a close up showing the trademark of the mfg., 158 is a little larger shot. I have another pix 159 of the Buick glass but getting error messages "uploaded file is empty" trying to upload it. I had problems uploading 158 & 159. I finally got them to upload.
Everett...you need to come back to the Roundup Nationals so I can adjust your windshield wipers. There was one year I brought my tool and I was adjusting everybody's wipers so they did not hit the rubber.
lol.. I been here a while now and already knew the final answer you were steering towards here, Frank. Not entirely sure what his track requirements were.. but I do know that race cars sometimes still race in the rain too. They even make special tires just for that purpose too. They have some kind of weird looking "grooves and sipes" in them. and leaks would never be an issue because of using urethane.. especially in the qauntity used in my example.. and I'm also at some loss as to why anyone would possibly think that urethane would be somehow inferior to butyl... when entirely the opposite is actually true. I understand the floating design and gasket involved here changes the dynamics and relationships between the various substrates.. but that stuff bonds like hell to anything out there and stays extremely flexible over the long term too. I'd use it 100:1 over butyl if given the option and budget to do so. and yeah.. owned enough old cars by now and also known dozens of others.. also one of those little "body shop prerequisites".. to have replaced a "few" over the years.
Thanks for the follow up here, Everett. Your time is much appreciated and the link is now saved in my windshield sub-folder.
Roberts, Here is one more supplier to add to your list. This is where I sourced mine. The price was very good and it is not Chinese junk. Actually made in Finland! The shading is a dark blue. http://www.pilkington.com/en/us/automotive/pilkington-classics Micah
