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Mustang Glue in Windshield - How To: Glue In Glass'69-'73 Mustangs Use Glue-In Windshields, And We Install One In Our '72 Mach 1 Lazarus Project From the May, 2000 issue of Mustang Monthly By Jeff Ford, Mark Houlahan Photography by Jeff Ford, Mark Houlahan
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We decided to do a site install... We decided to do a site install on the windshield at the Silver Springs Show. Wow, talk about pressure. When it comes to glass, we all get a bit skittish. After all, the stuff is expensive, and we really don't want to break it, let alone buy it twice. Most of the time, we want to let the pros do it. But on glue-in windshields, that's-well-foolish. Of all the glass to be installed in your vintage Mustang, it is probably the easiest and least stressful-especially when we give you some pro tips on how to make that happen. OEM Glass put together a windshield for us that is a Carlite-stamped and date-coded piece. Of course, when we ordered it, we ran into our first problem-the windshield is available only in tint. That's fine for most of the Mustang faithful with '69-'73 cars, but our Lazarus Project falls soundly into the realm of "Gee, I never saw one of them before." This is because our Mach 1 is a clear glass car, and did not use a tinted windshield. After a nationwide search by OEM and our staff, we gave up and went with tint. We guess that this is the price you pay for unusual options. We will also cover how to assemble the cowl, and how to get the windshield wipers to sit below the hood on your '71-'73. So follow along, and see just how easy it is to see clearly now.  Done. And not one crack, chip,...  Done. And not one crack, chip, or break.  One of the first things to...  One of the first things to do if the car has seen a ground-up restoration, such as our Mach, is to tape and paper the windshield edge, and paint the area flat black where glue will be applied. Be sure to tape down to the studs, and tape and paper over the inside trim. We used lacquer paint due to its quick drying properties. Mike Paremsky of Michael's Auto Body in Winter Haven, Florida, and Bob Myhrer of neighboring Lakeland were our hands for the install.  Paremsky uses thin coats of...  Paremsky uses thin coats of the black paint and builds them up. The reason you want this area black is so that after the glass is installed, you can't see any body color. Make sure you get good coverage and paint down to 11/42 inch past the lower moldings.  After the paint has dried,...  After the paint has dried, you will need to install the molding clips. Paremsky suggests that you grasp the center of each clip, and pry the retainer out just a bit. That way, the clips will install easier and won't chew up too much paint. We used a set of needle-nose pliers to set the clips after we tweaked them.  When you set the 31/48-inch...  When you set the 31/48-inch adhesive strip, make sure you get it as close to the inside edge as possible. Start the tape in the bottom center of the opening and work around the opening. We used the 3M Windshield Installation Kit. Be sure to use the 31/48-inch kit. Otherwise, the moldings will not sit flush to the glass when complete.  When the strip is back at...  When the strip is back at the center, snip off the end, and then carefully join them. Note that the bead is centered on the raised area of the cowl tank. This will not be the case on a '69-'70 car. The bead should be applied to the edge just as it is on the sides and the top.  Paremsky cleans the glass...  Paremsky cleans the glass with an ammonia-based cleaner. Be sure not to use a cleaner/polish, because these products will not promote a good seal. At this point, we installed the original plastic glass protector to the bottom edge of the glass. Since these are not available new, we turned ours around and glued it down using 3M 08001 trim adhesive.  It takes two to do this job,...  It takes two to do this job, in our opinion, though we have seen pros do this alone. We figure, why strain ourselves-or rather, why strain Paremsky and Myhrer.  Paremsky recommends that you...  Paremsky recommends that you install the top edge first, and then set the glass into position. Removal of the windshield stops is optional, though we recommend that they be removed.  After the windshield is installed,...  After the windshield is installed, we used the palm of our hand to make sure that we had a good seal all the way around the glass. The windshield adhesive strip should be a deep black bead about 11/44 inch wide all the way around. You will not be able to see the bead behind the tint band or in the blacked-out lower portion, so be sure to apply pressure all the way around.  At this point, we reinstalled...  At this point, we reinstalled the stops. The tapping screws are golden cad. You can order these from AMK under PN B-2099, and you will get six screws with the correct finish.  Next up is the sealer that...  Next up is the sealer that we used to fill the channel. This is put in place more for sound deadening than for weather sealing. We used 3M urethane sealer (PN 08609). In order to fill the void left around the window, we used 111/42 tubes of the sealer.  After the sealer is in place,...  After the sealer is in place, use a flat-blade screwdriver or cut-down paint stick to flatten the sealer. Be sure to get the sealer deep into the areas in front of the windshield clips. Try to make sure that the sealer is level with the windshield. Work quickly, as the sealer dries fast.  We got sealer on the paint....  We got sealer on the paint. In reality, it is not a matter of whether it will happen, but only a matter of how much. This can be removed with a product called Goo Gone. Be sure to get down into the space between the moldings and the bright work, and remove as much sealer as you can. If you wrap one of your fingernails in a single layer of a thin cloth, then this can prove to be most effective. Also be sure to rewax your car after Goo Gone has been applied.  As for the installation of...  As for the installation of the moldings, the roof bright work went on first, and then the A-pillar moldings. We used a karate chop with the heel of our hand to set the pieces. Make sure that they are basically flat across the body since the aluminum can really do a number on the paint.  At this point, we switch gears...  At this point, we switch gears and begin installing the parts on the cowl. First up were the three hood bumpers. We obtained these direct from Daniel Carpenter Reproductions, though most parts suppliers stock these parts. We reused our original Phillips head fasteners here rather than the hex-head screws provided.  Next up was the cowl seal....  Next up was the cowl seal. This piece kept hot engine bay air out of the cowl vent. Once again, we used a Daniel Carpenter piece. The new cowl strip has to be assembled, so we laid it on the ground next to the original and used an awl to make the hole in the foam. We then applied the clips provided.  In order to get a good, natural-looking...  In order to get a good, natural-looking fit, we had to tweak the clip position once the seal was loosely installed. This was done by repositioning the holes as needed. The clips were then walked into the holes from inside the cowl tank.  Next on the list was the wiper...  Next on the list was the wiper arm assembly. This was greased with a spray grease such as Gibbs oil, and then the assembly was placed in the tank. The color for the assembly is a greenish-gray color, and is some type of coating. The driver arm goes in first, and the special hex-head fasteners are set loosely. These were similar in color to the arm assembly, but we used our Rust-Oleum Dark Bronze color, which is close to the original finish.  As soon as the driver side...  As soon as the driver side was set, we moved on to the passenger side and installed the arm and the wiper stop. We then tightened all the hex bolts except for the one with the stop. It will need to be tightened after the wires are installed.  The original cowl plugs were...  The original cowl plugs were in good condition, so they were reapplied to the tank.  The wiper motor was installed...  The wiper motor was installed loose, and then the arm attached. With the motor being a little loose, this makes it easier to attach the arm. At this point, the clip in the foreground was set on the motor, and the innards of the tank were finished. We then tightened down the motor.  The last items to be installed,...  The last items to be installed, in relation to the tank, are the screens. We were quite fortunate in that ours were in great condition, and only required cleaning. Some screens can become warped with age and time, and require replacing. Though it is difficult to see, we have placed the correct Jim Osborne Reproduction engine emissions sticker-for this Mach 1-on the cowl.  The Ford Assembly Manuals...  The Ford Assembly Manuals have a general area where the wipers should fall on a '71-'73. They called for a distance of 1.60 to 1.90 inches from the lower edge. We chose to go with 1.75, or 131/44 inches. We measured, and then marked the windshield with tape.  The '71-'73 wiper arms are...  The '71-'73 wiper arms are a bit different from the previous years. Gone are the round spines. These are replaced with the setup as shown. This will allow enough room to place the wipers in the correct position.  The wipers are installed,...  The wipers are installed, though they may need some minor adjustments once the windshield is installed, and they are operated for the first time.  The clip that is missing here...  The clip that is missing here is pivotal (pun intended) to the correct operation of the wipers. If yours is missing, you can try to find a C-clip as a temporary fix while you hunt around the salvage yards for a good used one. The best source would be any '72-'78 Torino.
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