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Spitfire Spitfire Windshield replacement

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Joe_Pinehill

Jedi Hopeful
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My 78 Spit has 30+ years of sand blasting on the windshield, and i want to replace it. Anyone ever do it themself?
 
I have replaced two over the years, but mine were MkI & II cars. A new gasket is important, I believe. The Haynes manual suggests putting the seal around the windshield glass,a piece of rope in the the seal that goes into the windscreen. Our mistake the first time was using thin gauge nylon string. I pulling it out it tore the seal. The second car the rope diameter was still a bit small. Being cheap at the time, and having other tasks to complete to get the car on the road, I didn't mind the extra time it took. Preparing the car for Triumphest last October I was OK with spending money. I think it was about forty dollars to have someone install the rear glass for the hardtop- money well spent. T.T.
 
I just finished replacing the windshield on my '71 MKIV. I really did it to install the stainless trim. It is nearly impossible and very frustrating to install this bright work with the windshield in place. Now that it is done, I must say that it was worth the trouble because the new glass freshens the appearance of the car.
I worked the trim into a new seal, then the seal onto a new windshield. Used laundry-line cord and a few extra hands to press the glass into the car while I pulled the cord. The technical article on this site was very helpful.
Don't forget to use some kind of sealer in the groove where the glass fits into the seal or it will leak. Ask me how I know.
 
I have heard that parachute cord is the best to use. But where does one find that?

I gladly paid the folks I bought the windshield for to install the one in my Mk I Spitfire. $165 out the door and its Triplex glass.

Funny thing is all the glass shops kept telling me "they had done an MGB before" and no-one wanted to touch it. I finally convinced the best glass place in town it was a Spitfire and not an MGB and the windshield would go in just like the rear window of an old VW. They called in a former worker who had a bit of a drinking problem and he had it in in short order. I think the lady gave me such a good price because it was her last day and she wanted to extract a little revenge from the owner.
 
I also have this to do, and would like to reinstall the old windscreen to keep it as much org as possible, but am scared of breaking it. If a glass place does it, do they guarantee the job and replace broken at their expense?
 
This is an easy job if you take your time and get all preped right. The cord or rope is a must along with some sealer.

I find it to be a two person job but it can be done by one. Look for some videos on youtube, I bet you will find some.

If I can do it almost anyone can. Now a new style windshield I wouldn't touch.
 
With the help of two friends, some beer (no drinking problems here), Armor All (as the lubricant), and some 3/16" braided nylon rope, we followed the directions in the Haynes manual and successfully installed the windshield in my GT6 Mk1. No prior experience and plenty of nervousness was followed by a lot of satisfaction on the accomplishment. Toughest part was keeping the trim strip in its groove on the new gasket.
 
You should be able to find parachute cord (AKA 550 cord) at any Army-Navy surplus store. Or get it on-line from numerous sources.
 
I just hired a pro to install the windshield and back glass on my GT6+. I watched him very carefully because my son and I had already broken one. 3/16 nylon cord and lots of Windex is all he used. The trim strip must be put in last or the seal won't flex enough. He put the joint at the bottom just a little off center so it wouldn't line up with the joint in the trim. He charged $75 and I supplied the glass and sealing strips. He had a huge suction cup on a handle to move it around and hold it from the inside. I can tell you from sad experience that if you have two guys it helps, but be careful not to push in on the glass. Just let the rope pull it in to place. placement left to right at the beginning is important. Good Luck..
 
Joe_Pinehill said:
trim strip? is that item 5 in the victoria british catalog, for the 71 to 80 spit?
Click to expand...

Not exactly.
See items 3 & 4 on page 10 of their online catalog:
https://www.victoriabritish.com/icatalog/sg/full.aspx?Page=10
#5 is just the little decorative cover for where the two pieces of trim butt up against one another.

I've been messing with installing that trim myself just this evening. According to P. Tegler's web site (and earlier in this thread) the trim is best installed before the rubber and glass are fitted to the car. I am finding that fitting the trim to the rubber "free" (off the car) is a true pig of a job. I cannot imagine putting the trim in the rubber once the glass is on the car. I've put windshields and glass in my Mini and my GT6. Those were pieces of cake compared to fitting the Spitfire windshield finishing strips. Truly awful.
 
once the cord is pulled out there is a final "setting down" of the glass. If you press the trim in before that final push but after the cord pulling, it will go in with a firm hand. of course The 1969 GT6 trim is plastic and somewhat flexible. I know nothing about the spitfire but would not argue with tegler . I see yours is a 78 so probably totally different in that area
 
The early GT6 windshield trim is a plastic lock strip that inserts fairly easily, especially if you put a little lube on it and perhaps if you use the lock strip tool like that used on the Mini. The later Spitfire has a pair of stainless trim strips that attach to a strange "finger" profile extrusion that is part of the windshield rubber seal. Again, it's nasty to install compared to the decorative lock strip on other British cars.
 
looking at mine again, I must have an aftermarket seal, it doesnt have the groove for the trim strip, and my car doesnt have the trim.

The seal looks like a generic strip like the one the glass installer used the last time i had my Volvo 240 windshield replaced.
 
the right cord and the right lube and it can be done yourself. Just be aware that the glass does not like to flex very far. I put mine in with the help of another Spitfire owner from down the street.

edit, I first started with an ebay purchase of a window seal, and upon trying to install it, the seal was so old and stiff that it tore rather than flex enough to install.

A fresh seal from a supplier with lots of product turnover greatly improved things.
 
I reached stage 2 tonight. I fit the stainless trim strips to the rubber two nights ago. Tonight I fit the rubber (with stainless trim) to the new glass. Weather (and help from my sons) permitting I hope reach the third and final stage of installing the assembly in the car sometime over the next few days.
 
Today was the day. The windshield is in with the help of my two teenage sons.

I lubed up the body opening of the car and windshield rubber with KY Jelly. I used mason's cord about 5/32" in diameter around the perimeter of the windshield rubber. (That's similar to the pull-cord on a lawnmower but a little smaller in diameter). We started by pushing the windshield rubber "up" against the top of the frame. I used a cotter-pin puller to help a couple of times getting the rubber over the body opening inside the car while my sons pushed on the glass. Once the top was more-or-less started I began pulling the cord down one side then the other. The KY worked well but some force was still required both on my part pulling the cord and for my sons gently pressing down where the cord was being pulled out.

Eventually we pulled the cord horizontally across the bottom of the screen and got it all installed. Or so we thought. While standing back admiring our work I noticed on the OUTSIDE of the car that the rubber lip of the seal was "rolled under" in several places. I tried a plastic putty knife without success to pull the rubber flange out over the body opening. Eventually I grudgingly used the cotter pin puller again to hook under the seal and pull it up and out away from the body. Eventually it worked and all rolled-under sections were properly in place. That's when we noticed that the stainless trim had let go across part of the top of the windshield. Once again after trying a multitude of plastic tools I broke down and resorted to the cotter pin puller and more KY to slip the extruded rubber edge inside the stainless trim. It was scary using the cotter pin puller around the new paint and glass but working carefully it got the job done where nothing else I had would work.

This clearly is a job you can do at home with a little help. I suggest following Tegler's advice on how to fit the stainless trim BEFORE putting the rubber and glass on the car. Nylon rope or cord can then be used to pull the rubber into/over the body opening. Armor-All worked somewhat (as a lube) on the trim but I think it was too thin to help putting the windshield in the car. The KY worked great for that. Lastly, expect a few hiccups and the potential need to use steel tools with great care.
 
spit71 said:
I just finished replacing the windshield on my '71 MKIV. I really did it to install the stainless trim. It is nearly impossible and very frustrating to install this bright work with the windshield in place. Now that it is done, I must say that it was worth the trouble because the new glass freshens the appearance of the car.
I worked the trim into a new seal, then the seal onto a new windshield. Used laundry-line cord and a few extra hands to press the glass into the car while I pulled the cord. The technical article on this site was very helpful.
Don't forget to use some kind of sealer in the groove where the glass fits into the seal or it will leak. Ask me how I know.
Click to expand...
I have a question. I know the big open groove is for the windscreen but there is other grooves. Which one goes inside. There is multiple grooves and I can’t find any one which way it goes in
 
Hi Keith,

There are three groves. The big one is for the glass. From this grove: the opposite groove is the windshield frame, and the one between the two is the sealing strip. The sealing strip faces the outside of the car.

Placing the seal on the glass helps to show which slot us for which part. (If, after putting the rubber on the glass, the sealing strip slot is “inside” the car, then the rubber is backwards.)

See post #104 here for my experience. I followed a rusty beauties YouTube video, however I suggest you surf the web for a few different sources to get the full picture.

None of this is easy… wishing you all the best and a good dose of patience!
 
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