This blog covers a great deal of time (roughly 2 months), so I'll keep it quick as possible. Although the windshield itself was brand new when I bought the Jeep, the framing below was for lack of a better word - Gone. What follows is a pictorial depiction of the reconstructive surgery the beast underwent.
This had been attempt 1 at fixing the rust, but I never liked it and felt that I could do better.
In order to fix these corners, I knew the windshield had to come out. My Haynes manual told me to leave windshields to a professional, and thus wouldn't tell me how to do it. I pressed on anyways (quite literally). i did countless hours of research, and people told me it was easy; just undo the gasket and push in the top corners with your feet. The glass will just pop right out. I even put a blanket on the hood to catch the glass when it came free.
Ugh.... they lied
After the first break, it would be pointless to try and save it. The only way forward was to smash my way out. I did manage to save the gasket though, which of the 2, was the harder one to find.
All this missing frame meant the new windshield would face 3 problems if I left it. a) it would let water seep in, b) it wouldn't support the windshield, and c)the installer would refuse to let me get away with it.
Same goes here. More tricky curves, and in very noticeable areas. The other 2 corners looked much the same.
Patch #1. it's not that I ran out of metal, the perforated metal is supposed to allow the bondo to hold better around the curve, without falling out later.
This patch took about an hour of fitting and hammering and bending with pliers (all the proper body-working tools). Once welded in though it followed the lines well. The trick is (or for me) to be just below where the bondo surface will be so it blends better without metal sticking through.
Sanding after first application. It's looking more complete already.
Upper corner looking good. It looks more like a bad dent than a new patch.
Passenger lower corner. Under that bondo is some custom formed replacement metal.
More custom metalworking, done to AMC specs (built to the nearest foot).
Initial primer shot. this shows low points and pitting.
medley of primer, bondo, and more primer. Leveling out now (btw, if anyone sees anything wrong with my methods of bondo-ing, feel free to let me know).
Shot with a sealing layer of Tremclad. I did find a few fisheyes, and the trem doesnt stick that well to red oxide primer.
This probably turned out to be my best corner. The windshield guy didnt notice until I told him.
Passable, but the bodyline could have been softer.
This was a more functional fix, since most of it is now under the gasket. The paint layers sealed it before I had a new window installed.
Open cruising concept... it is a Jeep after all.
Awaiting its new windshield.
New windshield in. It looks so fresh, and whe it's all clean you can barely tell it exists from inside. It didnt come with a mirror mount though, so I plundered a scrap field truck for a mount and a mirror.
All in all I was pleased with the results of this semi unexpected fix. It turns out that despite being a rare vehicle, a brand new windshield was less than one for a newer car (and they came and installed it in my driveway).
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