I am gutting out a 1982 Grand Prix that is the donor car for my '51 Chevy. I've never pulled a windshield out of a car newer than 1955 and have no idea what to do with this glued-in thing. 1. How do I pull this one without cutting myself, getting tiny pieces of gl*** all over my shop, or destroy the mint dash pad I'm hoping to sell? 2. Once it's out, how do I get rid of it? (I know I can throw it in the woods behind my house, but I'm hoping there is a better way. Will recyclers take laminated gl***?) I do not care if the windshield cracks or breaks because it's worthless and scratched up, but I'd prefer to pull it in one piece to cut down on the cleanup and chance of injury.
go to northern tool, i think they have these, pick up a cheap windshield removal tool. its like a spike thing that inserts inside the rubber moulding at the right angle, and it ***ists you in prying out he gl***. after removal, feed the gl*** to children. okay maybe not the last part.
It's called a windshield knife. DON'T PRY ON IT. It has a 90 degree blade that you work under the edge of the gl*** to cut the seal. There is a pull cable with a T-handle that allows you to hold the cutting handle upright while pulling the tool around the gl*** with the cable. It takes a good deal of force, but a gentle wiggle of the handle helps a lot. If you get all the way around without any areas where the blade was too short to cut all the way through the seal, the gl*** will just lift out. Any places that you didn't cut all the way through can be finished up with string by working it under the gl*** with an old hack-saw blade or something. Pull the string around the gl*** with one end inside, one outside, in a sawing motion. Once out, drop it at a wrecking yard or gl*** shop. http://yhst-13811118617756.stores.yahoo.net/aes760---ea.html
I suggest leave it in place if you can. The cold knife already mentioned is very user unfriendly and if its your first time you will get somewhat disturbed while cutting it out. Piano wire works too. About a 3 foot lenght with a good handle (old broke hammer handles work good) on each end. Poke the wire through somewhere and start sawing back and forth. Works best with one guy outside and one guy inside. If the trim is removed around inside of gl*** you can heat the flange with a torch while pushing gl***. Needs enough heat to burn the paint a little. Once the gl*** is pushed away from flange the bottom will still be attached. Box knife will work across the lower. My favorite but rather messy is a wide chisel in my air hammer. Put tape around perimeter and let her rip between the gl*** and the flange.. Gloves and safety gl***es are very important.
If you ahve never cut one out I'd leave it alnoe. After all this time the urathane is harder than my head. You can wrench your back easly by doing this operation. I have the GM aproved tool and would not tackle it. Did all I needed in the factory. IMHO
Put on safty gear,gl***es,gloves,boots.smack, or kick it all over entire windshield. Once its all softened up get it loose from frame.roll it up on itself,and just throw in the can. No easy,or less messy way to do it really. **** up the little pieces in shop vac. Thats how i do it.
it might be a lot easier than you think, if the windshield has been changed at some point it might be set on butyel rope not the air bag mandatory urethane. you can just pop the chrome off and push the gl*** out if it is warm out. if not a decent body shop will sell you a cold knife for about $20 you just work the blade under the gl*** and pull. I like to start at the top in the center, and pull towards yourself. all the way to the corner, turn the corner and go a few inches. then go the the bottom of the sides pull upwards to your first cut. then I jump inside and push out on the top with my head and run a box cutter across the bottom bead and out comes the gl***, just push enough to put psi on the bead not to break the gl***, a few shallow long cuts will do the job fast. When you using the cold knife it helps to hold the vertical handle at a shallow angle towrds the gl*** so it just leaves a small amount of glue on the gl***, if you cut deep your just making a lot more work for your self. Keith
if you can, leave it in, if you can't, whatever method you use, take an old throw away blanket and cover your dash to keep from getting any gl*** cuts on it.
Thanks to everyone. I'll give it a go, and if things don't go well I'll resort to the bash and smash method. I do have a shop vac. I'll also figure out if I can just leave it in place and work around it.
a friend of mine does demolition derbies all the time. He takes them out with a short blade in a sawzall. takes him about 5 minutes to cut from the inside of the car, up against the winshield. He just goes around the winshield cutting the glue and it pops out. wear heavy gloves and gl***es though.
1)Take the dash pad out first. 2) If you decide on the 'bust it out' method, just fold it up into three pieces and throw it into your garbage can. They took mine from the curb like this.
Is a mint dash pad off an 82 Grand Prix even worth more than $5? Sounds like a bunch of struggle just to get enough to get a McDonalds lunch out it, not to mention fiddling with the gl*** if you choose to. With donors I just pull the drivetrain (and whatever else is going on to my car) and s**** the rest. Done.
I have no idea what that mint black dash pad is worth, but I'm willing to find out: I just sold the doors off the car for $300. Seriously. Parts I don't want + eBay = Money for parts I do want.
I usually use a half dozen screw drivers, or something of that nature on a hot sunny day, just have to be careful take your time and remember it's gl*** I'm 5 for 6 on pulling them too, the one was on a 40* day
I can't see a reason to pull the gl*** out. Just leave it in there and when you junk the car it's just extra weight if they pay by the pound for the s**** steel in the car. When I see stacks of flattened cars up on trailers on their way to be shipped to China, shattered gl*** is flying out everywhere. They don't care if there's still gl*** in the car at the wrecking yard when you junk it.
You'd be surprised. Some of the stuff I've seen people s**** makes me cringe. The late 70's-early 80's cars aren't that new anymore and finding parts is hard because of that "it ain't worth ****" mindset. I'd like another dash pad for my '79 Cougar, in mint shape, and not a recovered one. I would GLADLY pay $5 for one. On eBay, I've seen them hit $200 bucks for my weird color (gold). Try to find one at a local swap meet...I haven't seen one in 15 years... To each his own I suppose. I understand where he comes from since I bought a low mile (18,000) front-wrecked '80 GP several years ago, fixed it, and easily recouped my investment... $4500 for a $500 car + paint, tires and wheels and labor time on my part. It was a nice car when I was done, just not for me.
I had the guy from the wrecker pull mine. He used a wire with handles. Took him about 5 minutes and he charged me $5 . Would probably cost ten now. I just asked at the wreckers how they did it and the boss said Rod does it , why not ask him to stop by on his way home so i did. Disposal? Place the winshield on a tarp. Paint round target circles on it and using you favourite rifle or shot gun blast away till it is in pieces . Then fold up the tarp and empty it in the garbage can. My wife says I use any excuse to play with my guns. She is right too. I also do the same with disposable gas cylinders . MAKE sure you keep a safe distance away to keep it sporting and yourself safe. 50 to 75 yards anyway. Don
There is no such thing as a worthless car anymore. I bought my '53 Chevy for $850. I sold $400 in parts off of it almost immediately. I bought a '76 Mustang II for $200 for the front suspension. I sold $250 in parts off of it and could have got more out of that car but I left the bulk of it laying in the farmer's field where I found it. So I actually got the entire front suspension free AND $50 out of the deal. Any car more than 15 years old is "old" to non-HAMBERS. People are actually restoring Mustang IIs and mid '80s G-Bodies now. Kind of like they restored '69 Chevelles in 1985.
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