Hey there, can anyone tell me how to remove the trim around the windshield and back glass on a '53 Merc? I assume Ford is the same. It needs new rubber and is going to get paint etc. I can't seem to figure out how they come out. Just cut the rubber? Ok so once they are out, how do they go back in? I read somewhere that you install the trim in the rubber before installing the glass in the car. As always, any help would be appreciated! Brandon
Take a sharp knife and cut the lip away from the inside, that way it won't fall inside if you cut from the front. It will still take some push, carefully, to remove from the window frame. To install you first install the chrome trim as it will never go into the rubber once the window is in,,, Back to the install, I did this recently and after watching my glass guy do it a number of times, I thought I had it figured out,,, but the best laid plans... Once you have the chrome in place and you have your 3/8 cord, leaving 'handles' to grab, in the rubber gap place the window in place on the car. With someone carefully pressing on the glass from outside you start to pull the cord so it pull the rubber lip over the metal lip and into place, go around the whole window and there you go,,,,,,, yea easy. It is important that the chrome trim is exactly right in place, you have a little wiggle room as the lip is pulled, only a little. Once the windshield is in place add a little windshield sealant, and only use the right stuff, it remains pliable yet fills the little gaps.
Thanks Anthony. I looked at it mean a bunch of times and there was no way I could see how it comes off without pulling the glass. which I am going to do anyway. I put a bunch of Mustang glass in using the cord method so that part I got. (Well, nothing ever goes that well!). Putting the trim on first seems very foreign to me but hell, that's the way they did it i guess! Thanks again for your reply.
Just like a Volkswagen: New rubber, tuck the chrome in; then the glass. Waterless hand cleaner works well along with the cord. (Think I'd use 5/16", 3/8" seems a little thick...but Don't try 1/4", it'll cut into the rubber) Fit it carefully, don't force anything. It'll slide together...
Confession time, so I thought I knew what I was doing, so I ran a bead of window sealant in the groove before placing it into position, what mess!!! Big mistake black shit everywhere. Then when I tried to get it in I started at the top pulling the cord, everthing was ok until the bottom and it wouldn't work and then the cord came out and the window was halfway in. Pull out the window and start again, the chrome is moving all over the place pulling apart, the clip fell out, more sealant, mistake, and second try, which worked. Start from the bottom with the rubber sitting on the pinch lip. Once you have one side of the bottom recheck the chrome placement as you now have some time to adjust. Continue with the pull, if I remember we pulled the whole bottom and worked to the top, and you have to move/adjust the fitment of the rubber as they really don't fit like you think, I had to find a medium between rubber on the glass and rubber on the metal lip, it was a dance. Good luck!
Remove the chrome trim from area just behind door or side window. Then remove the bottom trim as it is held in by nuts. After that the remaining chrome is in the rubber. So the glass must come out.
I was helping the glass guy with the windshield in my '59... a year ago to the day...wow. I got a new gasket of course. First thing was to get the bottom trim nestled into the slot in the gasket. Used a little 409 cleaner as a lube, worked well. He used some black butyl sealer around the windshield opening in the body. The thing was 100% in and one side... the trim was popped out. Long story short... the whole freakin' dealie had to come out.. sticky black crap all over. 2nd try, we taped the trim to the gasket in a bunch of places. And it worked. The dash was out, so it was easy to remove the tape on the inside.
The Jalopy Journal
