Best way to remove front windshield without making a huge mess (haha)

quick35th

Registered User
Ok so whats the trick to removing the front windshield without making a huge mess of broken glass? One thing to note here is that I am not going to salvage the windshield as there are tons of cracks in it already which is why its getting replaced with lexan. I just want to know if there is a way I can remove it from the car without creating a huge mess.

Shane
 
heat gun after removing trim. use a knife to get under an edge that you have heated then just pull the knife to cut the seal. I use one of those long knives that look like a nanner. MMMHUMMM! with top and sides cut you can ussually pull it forward and get the bottom.
 
Hey Shane, I am assuming this is for the race car since you want to go lexan. Ive done it before, not on an SC. Once you have the trim out of the way, I think you might have to remove the top plastic peice but Im not sure. Get inside and push, I was in an old F150 so I just used my feet. You probably wont have it the in rain right? So if you need, use a screw driver and help remove it from the seal as you go, starting in the corners. I googled winshield removal and found alot of info.

Corey
 
Get a peice of wire, like piano wire, thread it from one side to the other, then slide it around the glass. No mess, no fuss.
 
Corey,

There is actually no trim currently on any part of the windshield so I have atleast some of the work cut out for me. I can see the black seal that you are talking about. I think if I tried to push on it from the inside with my feet the windshield would break the rest of the way and come crashing in on me :eek:

Shane
 
Thats why I mentioned being in an old beater truck. That safety coating is pretty strong but I had my jeans taped to my boots anyway. That paino wire idea sounds good, mabey if you even heated the wire up to melt through the seal if your not worried about rain. So will this new shield make the lightest sc lighter or heaver never picked up a big peice of lexan before so I wouldnt know.


BTW toss me a pm if you and Dan come up with any of the ideas we talked about I might be up for a drive.
 
Corey,

If I use a 1/8" thick lexan windshield the car will drop another 25 pounds. I can shave another 23 pounds if I install a lexan rear window as well. My target weight race weight with the 5.0L under hood should be around 2800-3000lbs and with around 300-330rwhp on tap should make for some exciting times.

Shane
 
Picture of cracked windshield:

11517350069.jpg


Shane
 
Why not use the proper tool? You can get one at Harbour Freight tools or some place like that. I got one for under $10.00.
 
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This is what you need. Get some of your neighbor kids who have those guns that shoot a dart with a suction cup on the end. Tie some string around the ends of the darts and then have a pulling match or tie all the strings to a tree and put the car in reverse.

That should work and the kids will have fun pulling the windshield out.
 
Really, Harbour Freight had a windshield removal tool. Thats good to know as there is a Harbour Freight about 10 minutes from my house.

Shane
 
Ditto on the right tool. EBay has then for $20 shipped. it cuts the seal/glue and you can just install another window on the remaining seal.
 

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Thanks guys for the advice but I have one other important question. How do I get rid of the old cracked windshield once its out of the car? Where do I take it or does it become the trash man's nightmare :eek:

Shane
 
Thanks guys for the advice but I have one other important question. How do I get rid of the old cracked windshield once its out of the car? Where do I take it or does it become the trash man's nightmare :eek:

Shane

Grind it up and sell it to the Cocaine dealers. I bet you would make a killing off of that much glass.
 
Most dumps have glass recycling(sp?) for the different types (colors) of glass. Not sure if you have a public one in your area or not. Second, take an old sheet break it up smaller and put it in a trash bag and "accidently" put it in the regular trash;)


S
 
Second, take an old sheet break it up smaller and put it in a trash bag and "accidently" put it in the regular trash;)

S

Thats what I figured I would do but I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything special that I had to do to get rid of it.

Shane
 
Shane, get duct tape and tape the whole inside of the window, Dont miss an inch of glass!
Then gently go at it with a hammer, the glass will stick to the ducttap and not spill everywhere. Then all you have to do is remove the chunks and pieces of glass out.

:)
 
Ive taken a couple windshields out and you're probably going to end up getting little pieces of broken glass.

The windshield is two pieces of glass with thick plastic in between .. so duct tape and a hammer isnt going to do anything but break alot of glass and make a HUGE mess. Maybe that would work for the back window, but definately not the front. Once its out, you wont be able to break it down without smashing it with a hammer and cutting the plastic with a razor. I tossed my old windshield in a dumpster at work.

Use the proper tool and try to take it out as slowly and carefully as possible.
There is also a tool that is a long stick with a razor blade on the end of it that you can use to cut the urethane from the inside of the window. Be sure to wear thick gloves and safety glasses just in case, the last thing you want is glass in your eyes.

Have fun and be careful.

- Dan
 
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