Windscreen Surround

[greeban]

Does anyone know how to remove the brightwork from around the top of the windscreen?

I have a '95 celebration and I can see a couple of rust bubbles appearing form under the top chrome. I assume the glass is bonded and the chrome is decoration? If so, I am hoping I can take it off and clear up the rust before it becomes a real problem.

Thanks.

[Brakebuster]

i dont know about the 95 , but on my 89 the glass is not bonded but held in with a traditional rubber, with a filling strip to provide the push to seal the screen, the chrome trim is then pushed into the actual grooves of the filler strip in the main rubber,
however, these top and bottom chrome strips cannot be removed without the drivers and passengers A pillar trims coming off first, these were riveted ( x2 )to the A pillar behind the door seal rubber , once drilled out the large side trims gently pry off, and then the top and bottom ones can be removed,

you could call a pro to remove the screen , and then replace it when you have done the work, it will cost around £75 to take out and then again for refitting , but you have the guarantee that if he breaks it, he replaces it

hope this helps
BB

[greeban]

I find I can easily pry the rubber surround away from the sides which suggests the screen is bonded. I had thought that the side chromes were held by something in the A pillar - shame it is rivets and not a screw!

Thanks for the help - I think your suggestion to get a pro in to remove the glass for me is a good idea as I can just see myself breaking something when I try and pry the A pillar covers off!

Thanks.

[poprivet]

Thread from the dead revival, but it's applicable.

My car is only slightly older then BBs and talking to him last week we briefly talked about windscreen replacements. Mine doesn't leak but has been sandblasted over the years from road ditritus. It's got to the point when I dread driving into low sun as vision is severly restricted. I also have a small chip right in front of where I'm looking when driving, I can't ignore it, and focusing on it I become cross-eyed, not good or safe!

Anyway, I'm considering a new screen. I assume with a new seal it will be expensive so I am considering having a go myself. If it's not bonded in it can't be that hard can it?

[Brakebuster]

i would fully advise a genuine Jaguar windscreen seal , others have been known not to fit correctly , and to leak once fitted ,

i have locking bead if you need it, that will save a few quid

as for method

remove the trim extremely carefully , as the slightest pressure will distort it and it won't go back right

then pull the locking bead and then you can push out the old screen from inside with a thick layer of blankets on the bonnet to prevent any damage

installing the screen is slightly harder,

but it will only go in one way

first orientate the new seal so its the right shape, a genuine one is moulded the shape of the screen and is not just ' round ' then push the seal onto the metal edge of the aperture , then when its fully pushed back all the way round, get the new screen and drop the glass into the slot at the bottom of the screen seal

it should sit in quite nice , centre it up as best you can

then with a proper screen installation wedge device, work your way around a bit at a time making the screen from into the rest of the seal , the last corner can be very tricky, a squirtie bottle with a mild solution of fairy liquid will help immensely with the whole process

then once the screen is in all the way round use firm pressure and bed the screen in by banging it equally and centrally ,

once happy , get some industry standard screen sealant and squeeze all the way round, i also did the inside , and once happy with it get the locking bead and start at the top middle and work it in with the right tool ( you can borrow mine if you don't have one ) and keep going till you reach the other end, this will squeeze out excess sealant , just clean it up and give a few more bangs to settle the screen some more

i left mine for a week and then gave it a watering to see if it was water tight before refitting all the trims

BB

[poprivet]

Cheers, just the advice I was looking for. I've contacted a couple of windscreen polishing firms to see whether its worth trying to repair, although I had a close look at it today and the whole surface is covered with small pits so I doubt it, its actually rough to the touch!

It may well be a job to do later in the year if I can manage till then. I don't have any signs of corrosion around the screen but who knows what shows up after the screen is out.

One other question and it sounds daft but I notice both clear or tinted screens are listed and I don't know what I have. It looks clear, but all glass has a sort of green tint to it?

[Brakebuster]

it should be a green tint , and all the glass on the car should be the same.....

i also had to check the tint on mine , i held a plain bit of white A4 behind the glass , its quite obvious once you do that

if you want a hand, give me a shout, as it is a two ' person ' job ,

BB