Removed the windshield tonight. The seal rubber was cracked and dry-rotted in some places, but tough and flexible in others. First, I removed the chrome trim pieces, then I cut out the window seal in pieces until I could pull most of it away. Part of the windshield itself is broken, and was stuck together with glue or silicone. The glass also did not look like it was a uniform shape. the edge wavers around the perimeter, as though it was hand-cut. Some of the glass came apart as I was removing it; I can’t imagine this providing any sort of protection in a wreck. I had been looking for an original windshield from the early sixties, but now I beginning to think the safe, best thing to do will be to get a good piece of tempered or layered glass that won’t shatter with impact. It’s probably cheaper in the short-run, and safer in the long-run.
Underneath the windshield, I had been expecting some serious rust-damage and that’s exactly what I found. After looking it over, I think I will be able to repair it. There’s fairly-decent access from the top (obviously) and the bottom (through the hood.) I intend to weld-in some patch sections, then use some lead (lead-free) body solder to smooth it over. The worst section is where the window rim has been rusted away. Not sure how to build it back without putting in a section from a donor car, and that may be difficult to line up and size correctly. That will be challenging, I think.
