Another Mopar Off My Bucket List - Barracuda Fastback
I decided to go ahead and freshen up the paint on the dash while the windshield was out. And I also repainted the metal opening (windshield frame). With the length of time needed to clean the old rubber seal I figured the paint would have time to dry out in the sun.
I layed the new windshield down on the lawn while I prepped some blankets to put over the hood and cowl. Then I set the glass down on the blanket. I installed the rubber seal next. It didn't want to stay on the middle of the top of the windshield because of it's concave shape.
The other day I tried to buy some 3/16" nylon rope in town but all they had was 1/8" so I made do with it. Once again, I had trouble getting it to stay in the groove on the top of the windshield because of that concave shape. The soap helped to hold it in place.
I lubed the crap out of the seal at this point. While I was at it I applied the soap to the metal framework as well. It seemed as though everything was going by the book to this point, but working by myself made it difficult to stay centered in the opening. I really could have used a second set of hands to help apply pressure from the outside while I grappled with the strings. I couldn't make any progress on either side without the glass wanting to shift to the opposite side. I jumped back and forth slowly working the seal into the frame and tried to stay centered as well as possible.
After I got the bottom started on both sides I tried to use the string to unfold the seal. When I pulled on the one side the other popped out. I tucked it back into the frame and tried to pull the other side. Once again the opposite side popped out of the frame. A second set of hands holding the windshield down probably would have prevented this. I kept tucking the seal down into the frame each time it popped out. Eventually i got it in on the sides but the top was still out.
The glass slid out of the seal on the right upper corner. I worked it back in using paint sticks and plastic putty knives. The string broke on me next. Although I didn't have the benefit of it I was still able to get the seal pushed onto the frame.
I was losing daylight fast and with it the temperature was dropping. The cooler it got, the more difficult it became to get the rubber to move. I continued until I had the windshield back in the rubber all the way around and the seal's lip seated. That's when I noticed that I couldn't get the glass/rubber to lay flat into the opening. I slapped the crap out of it and finally realized that the left bottom rubber wasn't lipped in properly on the last few inches.
I gave up for the day because I felt it may have cooled down too much to make further progress easy. Tomorrow's another day. Hopefully I'll have time to get that headliner installed in that GTX and still have time to get back to the glass.
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I decided to go ahead and freshen up the paint on the dash while the windshield was out. And I also repainted the metal opening (windshield frame). With the length of time needed to clean the old rubber seal I figured the paint would have time to dry out in the sun.
I layed the new windshield down on the lawn while I prepped some blankets to put over the hood and cowl. Then I set the glass down on the blanket. I installed the rubber seal next. It didn't want to stay on the middle of the top of the windshield because of it's concave shape.
The other day I tried to buy some 3/16" nylon rope in town but all they had was 1/8" so I made do with it. Once again, I had trouble getting it to stay in the groove on the top of the windshield because of that concave shape. The soap helped to hold it in place.
I lubed the crap out of the seal at this point. While I was at it I applied the soap to the metal framework as well. It seemed as though everything was going by the book to this point, but working by myself made it difficult to stay centered in the opening. I really could have used a second set of hands to help apply pressure from the outside while I grappled with the strings. I couldn't make any progress on either side without the glass wanting to shift to the opposite side. I jumped back and forth slowly working the seal into the frame and tried to stay centered as well as possible.
After I got the bottom started on both sides I tried to use the string to unfold the seal. When I pulled on the one side the other popped out. I tucked it back into the frame and tried to pull the other side. Once again the opposite side popped out of the frame. A second set of hands holding the windshield down probably would have prevented this. I kept tucking the seal down into the frame each time it popped out. Eventually i got it in on the sides but the top was still out.
The glass slid out of the seal on the right upper corner. I worked it back in using paint sticks and plastic putty knives. The string broke on me next. Although I didn't have the benefit of it I was still able to get the seal pushed onto the frame.
I was losing daylight fast and with it the temperature was dropping. The cooler it got, the more difficult it became to get the rubber to move. I continued until I had the windshield back in the rubber all the way around and the seal's lip seated. That's when I noticed that I couldn't get the glass/rubber to lay flat into the opening. I slapped the crap out of it and finally realized that the left bottom rubber wasn't lipped in properly on the last few inches.
I gave up for the day because I felt it may have cooled down too much to make further progress easy. Tomorrow's another day. Hopefully I'll have time to get that headliner installed in that GTX and still have time to get back to the glass.
View attachment IMG_4741.jpg
View attachment IMG_4748.jpg
View attachment IMG_4742.jpg
View attachment IMG_4743.jpg
View attachment IMG_4745.jpg
View attachment IMG_4746.jpg
View attachment IMG_4747.jpg
View attachment IMG_4742b.jpg
