Dreaded Windshield Frame rust....

[drquazar]

I have discovered a gold mind of rust above my windshield. The screws are even falling out of the inner plastic trim.. I have noticed also that my water leaks have gotten worse and wetter. ( Now I even get water down by the kickpanels forward of the doors inside.)
My question is how screwed em I? I know its something to look for when buying an older Corvette, but I have had my baby several years already. The rest of the car including underneath are in fine shape. No major rust of any kind. But the windshield frame is definately seriously rotted. We are talking crumbles of rust on my lap when I hit a bump....
I am definately not that mechanically inclined, ( although I fixed my stuck headlights and replaced a wiper motor all by my lonesome... and the prospect of actual "body" work is outta the question. ( If I can't duct tape it, I can't fix it....
Now I have no idea what the windshield frame looks like under all the plastic trim, but from looking through some parts catalogs, it seems there is a part called the WINDSHIELD FRAME UPPER HEADER for about $199.00. I am assuming I need one of those. And likely the posts as well. Plus a dozen other parts that likely go in there.
Bottom line does anyone have a ballpark estimate of what a Body Shop might charge for such a job? I hate to go in knowing absolutely nothing about my Vettes windshield frame..... Any advice, stories or heresay would be appreciated....

Drquazar
1981 Black on Black Cloth Seat Corvette
mods: A $49.00 Chrome Air Cleaner Top... Oh and two Chrome Tailpipe extenders.... about the extend of my mechanical abilities..

 

[AUSSIEVETTEMAN]

Do you have some pics?

Got any pics?

You will have to take the t-tops off as well as the plastic pillar covers. From here you will have to take all the trim and chrome covers from the t-top bar and even remove the pillar rubbers.
Once you get the chrome off, you will be able to check out the damage.
If the frame just has a few flakes, I would just scrub the $hit out of it with a wire brush attachment on a drill. Once you do this, repaint it after all the rust is gone. I used POR 15.

The reason it is there is because the windscreen is not sealed at the top and the urethane that seals it has hardened and water can now get through.
The window will need to come out to repair the frame if it is too bad and this will also expose the cowl and the factory tooling holes. If your rust is bad, then these will be cactus and a new bird cage frame job needs to be done. It is a big job and the rest of the dash needs to come out! :cry

Sorry, but rust in the windshield is BAD and I pretty much think you are screwed as you said if it has gone too far.

Tony

 

[drquazar]

not promising sounding ..... but it IS fixable it seems, abit difficult and expensive
I will build the nerve to start unscrewing chrome and plastic.......bad feeling I am gonna find crunchy dirt..

 

[AUSSIEVETTEMAN]

Yeah take the trim off.

Just take the plastic pillar trim off and have a look. It may not be all bad.
The screws falling out after going over a bump sound a bit alarming! :eek

I had a few bits of flakey rust, but after I scraped that off and wire brushed it, the frame under that was still OK. I managed to get it back to bare metal. I over killed mine a bit in the sanding department, but then covered it with some killrust, then POR15.

If it is too bad, you may need to take it to a panel shop. Luckily you can get all your parts and things you need. The dash and windscreen will need to come out so the repairs can be done as I said before.
I pulled my glass out to repair the leak and found the rust above the old drivers side (she is now right hand drive). Lucky I did, saved a St Louis Shark!

Good Luck

Tony

 

[John Ulrich]

I found out that rust was the source of the header leak on a '70 roadster I owned years ago. The glass man was out to replace a cracked windshield and upon removal, a few holes exposed themselves. He was real nice and said he'd come back after I fixed it. I fiberglassed-in the bad areas and was good to go.

This was back in 1979 and no one was concerned over a few holes. Now I'd handle it much differently!!!

Later,
JU

 

[jeff72]

Rusted windshield

Hello Drquazar -just curious how the windshield repair went. I too have been seeking that frightful question to "I have a rusted windshield" ...how much to repair?

Scary, but I shall find out soon since I'm taking her in for an estimate. Problem is its only an estimate -they tell you it could be more depending on what they find (72 convertible -rusted below the dash)

Anyway, any updates on your situation?

jeff

I have discovered a gold mind of rust above my windshield. The screws are even falling out of the inner plastic trim.. I have noticed also that my water leaks have gotten worse and wetter. ( Now I even get water down by the kickpanels forward of the doors inside.)
My question is how screwed em I? I know its something to look for when buying an older Corvette, but I have had my baby several years already. The rest of the car including underneath are in fine shape. No major rust of any kind. But the windshield frame is definately seriously rotted. We are talking crumbles of rust on my lap when I hit a bump....
I am definately not that mechanically inclined, ( although I fixed my stuck headlights and replaced a wiper motor all by my lonesome... and the prospect of actual "body" work is outta the question. ( If I can't duct tape it, I can't fix it....
Now I have no idea what the windshield frame looks like under all the plastic trim, but from looking through some parts catalogs, it seems there is a part called the WINDSHIELD FRAME UPPER HEADER for about $199.00. I am assuming I need one of those. And likely the posts as well. Plus a dozen other parts that likely go in there.
Bottom line does anyone have a ballpark estimate of what a Body Shop might charge for such a job? I hate to go in knowing absolutely nothing about my Vettes windshield frame..... Any advice, stories or heresay would be appreciated....

Drquazar
1981 Black on Black Cloth Seat Corvette
mods: A $49.00 Chrome Air Cleaner Top... Oh and two Chrome Tailpipe extenders.... about the extend of my mechanical abilities..

 

[drquazar]

I found out that rust was the source of the header leak on a '70 roadster I owned years ago. The glass man was out to replace a cracked windshield and upon removal, a few holes exposed themselves. He was real nice and said he'd come back after I fixed it. I fiberglassed-in the bad areas and was good to go.

This was back in 1979 and no one was concerned over a few holes. Now I'd handle it much differently!!!

Later,
JU

John,
I have never repaired the rust damage and my leak is as bad as ever. I did remove the inside black trim. Basically filled with about a pound of rust crumbles.. I removed all I could and cleaned it out, to my knowledge the entire driver side top windsheild frame is disinegrated... definately heading down the driver side colunm now. The passenger side is likely a tad better, but it requires an entire birdcage repair to be done right.... a little beyond my means.... I price the frame parts out to be about $500 or 600 alone.... I cant imagine the labor to do it correctly.... Please let me you know anything you learn about how and how much a repair can run
Drquazar

 

[John Ulrich]

Please let me you know anything you learn about how and how much a repair can run Drquazar

I sold that car in 1981. I did not want to stick the money into it. A complete strip and paint job was running $2,500+ back then on a $4,000 valued car!

Good Luck,
JU