http://www.chevelles.com/forum/confused.gif This is my first time to try to "reseat" the rear window. Someone before me tried to rebuild a portion of the seat or lip with bondo and then tried to fill everything in sight with body sealer (even the reveal trim was full of it). Thus my problem has at least doubled.

I know most of you have faced this and beat it. Can you give me some pointers?

By the way, this was a vinyl top and I want to go with painted top. Does this create any new issues.

Most of the time, the rear corner 'lip' gets eaten away from water getting in there causing rust & rot. If you're lucky, it's only the lip. Many times the entire panel between the trunk lid and the back glass gets replaced. It's available as an aftermarket replacement part. You'll have to remove the backglass and take a grinder to see what you have and how much of the metal is still good. Have you done that yet?

Jimmy,

I have and have already ordered the piece between the window and the trunk opening.

In addition, a portion of the lip is gone half way up the left side. Should I rebuild by welding sheet metal from the under-side? or is there a better way.

Once that bridge is crossed what is the best way to slow down or stop the water seepage in that area.

Thanks



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Texas_Tom 69 Coupe in progress

I too have crossed this bridge. I got a panel from ground up and it did not fit at all, after 2 more panels from them they gave up and sent my money back. I then ordered one from Modern Chevrolet and it fit first time like a glove. Epoxy primer the pc top and bottom before installing and then again after final weld up . After final paint fill the channel between the glass and body with urethane to make it level and the water will shed off and not gather like before. Chevrolet put a bulletin out with this fix in 69 for this repair on A body cars so they knew about this way back when. Good luck.

Thanks to Senior Sloppy,

The urethane sounds very interesting. I'll try it

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Texas_Tom 69 Coupe in progress, in progress, in progress ....

Sloppy, I'll tell you, filling the channel is the worse thing to do.
I don't mean to knock you, but it is really the WORSE thing you could do.

If you have seen this bulletin then I would have to say they were looking at a quick fix for their dealers, not a repair.

If you fill the channel, when water (and I MEAN when, not if) does get under the urethane, it can't leave! Then it REALLY rusts out the chanel. I have seen this used on MANY cars I have repaired over the years and they ALWAYS had more rust than cars that were not done that way. On top of the water problem, the clips get all urethaned in, you can't remove the moldings later on....the problems go on and on.

This is how I do it, I am NOT saying it is THE only way, just the way I have done it for years with great success.

When the channel is in bare metal use a vinyl wash acid etching primer. It is thin, very thin, this will help when you install the clips as to not chip the primer. After the etch primer, an epoxy primer. And again, not a big film build.

When setting the glass put the butyl tape on the outer edge of the glass (trial fit the glass and be sure that your particular cars glass fits well and the rubber blocks are in place where needed. Put a piece of masking tape across the glass edge out onto the body, on the bottom of the glass. Then cut the tape as it passes over the channel. This will be used to line up the glass as you set it in, you only get ONE chance) I mean the outer edge, so about a quarter of the tape is on the outside of the glass, the butyl tape should be "hanging off" about 1/4 of the tape on the outside of the glass.

Now set the glass in, and push it down to seal the butyl tape. I have to tell you, I have left it just like this, many times, it WILL seal. But if you want to put some urethane sealer, put a LITTLE strip over the butyl tape under the window. Now, use a plastic bondo spreader that you have cut down to about 1/2" wide to spread the sealer so that it forms a SEAL between the top of the glass and the channel of the body. It should be a vertical line from the top edge of the glass striaght down to the bottom of the channel JUST sealing over the butyl tape. DO NOT put it across the bottom or on the outside of the channel like where the clips mount. By the way, install the clips first, and be sure that they are correct and will set the molding so it is level with the top of the body. The clip is usually just about as tall as the channel, the part that grabs the molding is about an 1/8" down from the top. So the top of the clip sets up inside of the molding at the top. If you hold the clip up in one you will see how they should look on the body. After the clips are in, take some "inch weld primer" that the glass shop uses and brush some around the clips being sure to get it on any scratches that may have been done by the clip sliding onto the stud.

This is the best way I have found to PROTECT the channel and at the same time allow the water to evaporate when it gets in there, before it can work it's way through some "hole" in your work.

If you want the ultimate, drill a hole in the corners of the window channel. That is commonly called the "pinch weld" by the way. Take a piece of tubing, I have used brake line before, taking advantage of the flair at the end. Slip this tube into the hole from the top letting the flair hold it from falling through. Tack weld the tube in and seal it around the unweled parts with seam sealer like you did on the other unwelded seams. Now, put a hose on this and run it out the bottoms of the quarter panels! No more water at all in the window channel!


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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

[This message has been edited by MARTINSR (edited 01-11-2002).]

Be my guest, knock all you want. I forgot to mention this fix will only last for 25-30 years. New urethane bonded to clean metal and new paint will last quite a long time.

Tom, I forgot to tell you on that rusted area up on the side. If you can get behind it than by all means make a patch and weld it in. Cleaning the metal and treating it from the back is very important. Most of the time you can't reach it all though. You can patch from the outside. Cut out the rusted area and make a pattern from the piece you cut out or a piece of heavy paper. Cut the metal patch and tack weld a piece of welding rod or wire to it. You can then hold the piece right in the hole and mig it in. After you are done, just cut the wire off and grind smooth.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

Sloppyjoe, if you read Toms first post on the subject, that is exactly what they did. That was one of his problems he had to over come.......as if the rust wasn't enough.

Whether they used "urethane" or some other goop, I don't know. But if either one has a microscopic flaw where water can get in, it is a goner.

I don't mean to sound like a smart a#%. I like to post like we were standing around in a shop BSing. The PC police can't catch me http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

After I repaired my '69 by cutting out and welding in new metal, and replacing the panel between trunk and r window, I installed "drains". At the low spot on each side in the lower channel where water sits, I drilled a hole and epoxied in a 2" long piece of 5/16" brake line. I primed and painted the drain tubes inside and out before installing. I then hose clamped a long rubber hose on each one and ran it over the fenderwells to the area below the quarter window, which has drain openings in the rocker panel. You can't see the drains with the trunk lid open unless you know they're there and are looking for them. On the exterior, the window trim covers them.

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von '69 300 Dlx SS TC #15 ACES #1575
My '69 SS (http://sites.netscape.net/von69ss/homepage)

My thanks for all of the input. With your help, I feel much better about the tasks at hand.

Could I ask two more questions. (1)The car had a vinyl top and has "pegs" on the sides of the "channel". Are these to be removed since I am painting the top?(2) The reveal trim was pookied in and had no clips. Are the clips like the clips on the fron windshield or are they another type?

Again, my thanks to all of you guys



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Texas_Tom 69 Coupe in progress, in progress, in progress ....

Are you saying that the vinyl top was held by the studs that are used for the window moulding clips? And that the moulding was not held by clips? What was holding the moulding, the goop they used to "seal" the window?

The rear clips may be different than the front, I personally don't remember. Hopefully someone else will inlighten us.
What year and model is the car again?

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

MartinSr. It's a 69 Malibu

yup there were no clips and the goop was holding everything together.

I don't know what type of clips to get, but am researching. Year one shows five possible reveal molding clips but says to compare them to what came with the car. unfortunately, nothing came in the rear.

The front had clips that screw into the verticle sides of the lip area and I can match them to the Year one drawings.

The studs in the back (for the vinyl I think) would preclude the same time of clip.

Is it probable or possible that one of these five clips is designed to fit on these studs?

Can anyone help.... I am ignorant but gratefull for all the help I have gotten already



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Texas_Tom 69 Coupe in progress, in progress, in progress ....

MartinSr... I just noticed that you are the guy that gave the disertation on alignment.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Your text has already saved me from extra work and will no doubt save a lot more as I go.

Thanks again.

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Texas_Tom 69 Coupe in progress, in progress, in progress ....

The front and rear clips are different.

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von '69 300 Dlx SS TC #15 ACES #1575
My '69 SS (http://sites.netscape.net/von69ss/homepage)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by von:
The front and rear clips are different.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I just took both windshield and back glass moldings off my 69 2dr sedan, and the clips were identical. Maybe GM mixed and matched clips?

highrider71

I agree, clips on my 69 are the same. They are of the "wider" type. They do not push straight down, they have an angle slot on them, set the clip on the pin and push on the side that will allow it to progress downward till it seats at botton of pinch weld. This will give you that 1/8" below the top of sheetmetal and make moulding flush. In some cases I have seen the bottom corners of moulding stick up just a bit...seen this on some unrestored original cars...lousy factory fit. Some times you can tweak the moulding enough to set lower...but be careful!!! Just my 2 cents