Date:         Thu, 27 Jul 95  20:51:51 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Timothy D.F. Maddox" <TDMADD01@ulkyvm.louisville.edu>
Subject:      Re:  Windshield installment



Well here is my experience. Put my own in last summer. Had just gotten the
westy and the windshield was cracked.. I think it was Joel who said he had
cracked his and suggested, strongly, I have it installed. Did it my self, with
two others. It takes more time than you expect and that seal is a bugger to
get on when hot an soapy. Well two were on the out side and me on the inside
pulling the string out, and it really works. ----Now let me say at this point
that there had been a bit of rust, no holes, around the old seal. I had sanded
primed and painted (ended up using some kind of Cadillac grey from
NAPA)--looked great. There was one place though where two edges of metal come
together on the bottom left that I had to grind smooth before painting. Well
when you get that windshield in it does look pretty--and we were sure proud of
ourselves. Well the next day there was a rain and my wife noticed a bit of a
leak--buuuumer! Went over to the side were it was leaking ( on the outside)
and bumped on it with my fist (like you do when installing it) ---->crack!! It
just so happens that it is right over were those two pieces of metal come
together that I had been working on. Anyway, it is cracked to this day. My
source for used windshield has dried up. I drive around with my new seal, so I
can cut out the window, stowed in the bus. Yes, I will try one more time--but
maybe I'm not so bright. I will go back and grind the metal joint more, and
next time I may have three of us, two outside bumping and two inside, me
pulling the stirrings--I'm to nervous to bump, and the other bumping from the
inside. So the moral is, as is usually is except for doing your own valves, if
you can afford it let someone else. For me there is no choice.

So, if you get any good pointer, such as that article that was mentioned, I
would appreciate and practical wisdom, as apposed to the "pure kind."

Tim-- 69 campmobile