<VV> windshield panel replacement question

[Tony Underwood]

At 03:37 hours 04/06/2005, John McMahon wrote:
>I've just received my new windshield panel, and I'm pondering how to 
>install it.  I knew beforehand that it was not shaped quite right, and 
>sure enough it's not.  Anyway, if anyone has replaced this panel, I'd 
>really like to hear any advice that you have, since I'd rather not do this 
>twice!



The panel is not curved to  fit the windshield... it's close but not quite 
right.  The center area is too low, leaves an uneven gap.  There are a 
couple of options if you really want to do something about it although  if 
you're not critical the panel will work as-is and you can rely on the 
windshield stainless trim to make up the difference.   It's a close fit but 
it will cover the gap, barely.

If you want it to fit better, you can work the panel with hammer and dolly 
to swell the "low" area of the lip and take some of the bow error out of 
the panel.   Not easy, takes some dedicated and educated hammer work and it 
still only goes so far.   I did it to the panel I welded onto my ragtop and 
it took over an hour and lots of hammering to swell the "error" side and 
still keep it reasonably even.  It's not easy but it's possible.   The 
problem is the "z bend" on the lip of the panel which makes it hard to 
"swell" the lip without hammering "around a corner"... attempting to do it 
without going around that "corner" results in a warped panel so you'll need 
to swell the "channel" area and the visible face of the panel as well as 
the lip to keep the panel from warping.   Not very easy.

Or, if you're a talented fellow with a torch, you could heat it and 
"stretch" the low side a tad and hope you don't warp or kink it as you 
bring the "low" area up a little.    It takes some experience to get it 
right... if you don't trust your own talents, take a windshield and the 
panel to a body shop and tell them to rebow the panel to fit the 
windshield.     Show them how the middle of the panel is "low" against the 
glass, leaving a larger gap in the center than on the ends.  They'll know 
what to do.

Or, you can simply cut/notch the panel to correct the bow error and then 
reweld the seam... this is not a big thing if you order the panel via mail 
order since it shows up cut into two pieces already (too long to ship 
as-is).    If you buy it across the counter it comes in a single piece and 
of course doesn't quite fit as close as the original.    The cut/notch 
won't be much... 1/32" will likely be more than enough.    Two cuts located 
on the "thirds" of the panel will make the correction more 
linear.    You'll need to check the fit over and over.

Keep in mind the windshield panel also has to fit against the front air 
grill panel.   Some minor corrections might be needed there as well.   Not 
a huge problem for a regular paint-body man.

Again, the panel *can* be used as-is if you're careful about the stainless 
trim being able to cover the gap.

If you're lucky enough to turn up an NOS GM replacement panel (I've seen 
them) you have no problems to worry about.    But the repro panel has just 
a little too much bow.

Last comment:   Remember that the panel also has to follow not only the 
lower edge of the windshield, it should follow the plane of the window as 
well to provide a smooth line from the glass to the air inlet grill panel 
to the trunk lid.   Attempts to tack & bend the panel to fit the windshield 
results in a twist-warp which won't match the line between the windshield 
and the air grill panel.


tony..