Tweet
Thought i'd share my windscreen experience, cheers to Andy (Rusty) and Alex (Error404) for their advice 
Had the windscreen replaced by Kevin from Auto Windscreens cardiff through the insurance. It worked out really well. Kevin hadnt done a coupe before but he was obviously quite experienced and was also keen to learn about how to do it properly. I was undecided as to whether to remove the whole screen prior to him visiting or whether to just remove the seals and side trims. In the end i decided to just remove the side trims, wipers scuttle and seals etc. When he arrived he was grateful of the side trims being already removed as its time consuming taking them all off (not if there is only 1 rivet each side
) it also gave me time to remove all the silicone sealant in the passenge door seal 
He just needed to cut the old screen out. I took the a-pillar interior trims off also on the day to improve access to cut the adhesive,
We got the new screen out of the van and it was the right one thankfully, he then produced the top windscreen seal... "Great" i said "where's the bottom one?"
So after a phonecall to his mate and inspection of my existing lower seal we all agreed a new one was required.
So we had a chat and he agreed to take the screen out there and then and clean the opening, he then agreed to come back the following morning (Saturday) and bond in the new screen with new upper and lower seals as they have to be fitted at the same time as the screen, he explained that he had a tight saturday so he wouldnt have too much time, so i agreed to refit all the trim etc after the screen was fitted.
This worked out really well for me as i was able to pop the car in the garage and clean the whole opening and treat the whole front edge of the roof as there was beginnings of rust the whole way along, so i ground it all back, rust treated it and primed and paineted the area. Refitted the interior trims and left it overnight to dry ready for the screen.
Kevin came back in the morning and he coated the whole opening in a quick drying corrosion inhibiting water resistant primer (awesome stuff was also the same black as my car!) we test fitted the screen with the seals on and made some alignment marks with tape where we were happy for it to lie.
We removed the screen i fitted the scuttle back in (to ensure the lower seal overlapped it nicely) and then he used a battery powered "mastic gun" type thing, to place a triangular section bead of sikaflex on the windscreen opening we then popped the new screen in between us, he was glad of the extra hand he said it can always be placed nicer with one on each side. we then positioned the screen so we were both happy with the alignment.
He left me with a little bag full of 30-40 of the correct rivets for the trims.
I then took the time fitting the A-pillar trims correctly and then before fitting the aluminium door top piece painted on a thinned layer of underseal int he door opening, then riveted on the aluminium door fram piece with all the correct rivets. All the rubbers were treated to lashings of vaseline (ooh errr) which should help them expand a little and repel the water, it also helped the door/window rubbers slip nicely into the rail.
Job done!!! Im even semi convinced it may not leak now? fingers crossed....
Had the windscreen replaced by Kevin from Auto Windscreens cardiff through the insurance. It worked out really well. Kevin hadnt done a coupe before but he was obviously quite experienced and was also keen to learn about how to do it properly. I was undecided as to whether to remove the whole screen prior to him visiting or whether to just remove the seals and side trims. In the end i decided to just remove the side trims, wipers scuttle and seals etc. When he arrived he was grateful of the side trims being already removed as its time consuming taking them all off (not if there is only 1 rivet each side
) it also gave me time to remove all the silicone sealant in the passenge door seal He just needed to cut the old screen out. I took the a-pillar interior trims off also on the day to improve access to cut the adhesive, We got the new screen out of the van and it was the right one thankfully, he then produced the top windscreen seal... "Great" i said "where's the bottom one?"
So after a phonecall to his mate and inspection of my existing lower seal we all agreed a new one was required.
So we had a chat and he agreed to take the screen out there and then and clean the opening, he then agreed to come back the following morning (Saturday) and bond in the new screen with new upper and lower seals as they have to be fitted at the same time as the screen, he explained that he had a tight saturday so he wouldnt have too much time, so i agreed to refit all the trim etc after the screen was fitted.
This worked out really well for me as i was able to pop the car in the garage and clean the whole opening and treat the whole front edge of the roof as there was beginnings of rust the whole way along, so i ground it all back, rust treated it and primed and paineted the area. Refitted the interior trims and left it overnight to dry ready for the screen.
Kevin came back in the morning and he coated the whole opening in a quick drying corrosion inhibiting water resistant primer (awesome stuff was also the same black as my car!
) we test fitted the screen with the seals on and made some alignment marks with tape where we were happy for it to lie.We removed the screen i fitted the scuttle back in (to ensure the lower seal overlapped it nicely) and then he used a battery powered "mastic gun" type thing, to place a triangular section bead of sikaflex on the windscreen opening we then popped the new screen in between us, he was glad of the extra hand he said it can always be placed nicer with one on each side. we then positioned the screen so we were both happy with the alignment.
He left me with a little bag full of 30-40 of the correct rivets for the trims.
I then took the time fitting the A-pillar trims correctly and then before fitting the aluminium door top piece painted on a thinned layer of underseal int he door opening, then riveted on the aluminium door fram piece with all the correct rivets. All the rubbers were treated to lashings of vaseline (ooh errr) which should help them expand a little and repel the water, it also helped the door/window rubbers slip nicely into the rail.
Job done!!! Im even semi convinced it may not leak now? fingers crossed....
)
Comment