E-Bodies.org Cuda Challenger Forum

ooh, second question. Do you center the window all around? If I recall correctly, the little black spacers that came with my butyl tape don't really center the window properly. I'm going off of memory so I might be wrong. I would thing it would want to be centered top and bottom as well as left and right.

I like to follow this procedure:

A friend and I installed a rear glass on one of his cars.First time for both of us.It can get very messy.I called a pro for my Cuda and he charged 150.I supplied the rear glass went into the house came out 45 minutes later and the glass and trim were installed with no clean up.If you hire someone make sure they are schooled on older cars.

I've used the same glass guy since 1986...He's been responsible for EVERY windshield and back glass in EVERY car I've restored...that's 50+ cars... :clapping:

It's a simple process, so trying it yourself is a great plan if you want to gain experience and save a little too along the way :alan2cents: but it's also something that can be left to the experts....I agree, make sure they have plenty of "old car" experience :drinkingbud:

I didn't hesitate to remove and install all of the glass during my restoration. I considered the process straight forward and fairly easy. I installed the rear SE glass by myself but had a helper for the (much) heavier windshield. My thoughts:

- Glass channels clean and properly painted
- Install the trim clips and test fit the trim prior to installing the glass
- Use the proper rubber spacers for the bottom edge of the glass to sit on (I reused the original spacers)
- Test fit the glass - sitting on the rubber blocks, get the gaps even around the glass
- Use at least 4 pieces of painters tape, two for the top edge, one on each side. These will mark the correct location of the glass. I also drew a black line through the center of the tape for even better alignment
- Cut the tape with a razor knife at the outside edge of the channel
- Paint the channel (where the butyl tape touches) with 3M Pinch Weld Primer
- Clean the glass thoroughly where the butyl tape will touch
- Install the butyl tape on the glass all the way to the outside edge. I put the joint on the bottom of the glass. Make a slightly overlapping cut and knead the joint together.
- install the glass using your pieces of tape as guides. Try to place the glass straight down, hitting the butyl tape equally at the same time.
- Push down along the edge of the glass. Wait 30 minutes and push down again.
- Install a bead of 3M Fast Urethane from the top edge of the glass tapered down to the bottom of the glass channel. I used a small plastic squeegee to taper the urethane. Avoid getting any on the trim clips.
- Let the urethane cure and install the trim
- Hit the "That was Easy" button

I found 5/16 tape worked for the ones I've done.

Getting it lined up is actually pretty easy. If you don't have spacer blocks you can cut your own from rubber laying around. You can use masking tape but once you have the spacer blocks in there do a dry run with your helper and note the spacing, it's really pretty self explanatory when you do it. The windshield is actually easier than the back window because you and your helper can reach around the windshield post with one of your hands and guide it in with one hand on the front of the glass and one hand on the back of the glass. Try to come in parrallel to the final resting place so you don't catch the sealer with a corner before the rest of the surface makes contact.

Awesome things all. Should be easy. I'm going to do a dry run today and make sure the trim fits good. Hopefully tomorrow is sunny and I can get'er done tomorrow. Gonna wait until there is some sun to warm things up abit.

The Butyl comes in a roll with a paper material between coils to prevent it from sticking together.  Lay the rope in the channel but leave the paper on the tape.  Then you can test fit the window to check the height and also the fit of the chrome trim. If necessary  add or remove material to get the height correct and then remove the paper and install the window.  Also, a good paint stirring stick, cut in small sections will also work to get the glass up off the bottom channel at the proper height/position.  Then you can fill in the channels with urethane and then remove the paint stick pieces after everything is dry.   :bigthumb:

Quick question.

By any chance is it possible to remove and replace the stainless trim clips with the windshield glass still installed.

I don't think so. The windshield is inline with the screws which would make it hard to access. And mine wern't that easy to screw in to make it worse. It would depend if you can get a screw driver into the screw.

Maybe someone has a clever solution.