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Old 10-17-2013, 10:00 PM   #18
Gumbrick
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Melbourne
Age: 34
Posts: 10
Trader Rating: (3)
Gumbrick is an unknown quantity at this point
In regards to quarter glass, I've been there and done that. Pulled all the glass for paint and my quarter glass was scratched up and the encapsulated rubbers were dry-rotted. Nissan was out of stock at the time on 1 side. I eventually found some good glass off a wreck that was mint with great rubbers and went from there.

You can salvage the quarters windows and rubbers without ruining them by carefully cutting them out. you will need a thin flexible putty knife sharpened razor sharp, a heat gun to heat the inside frame and knife, and lots of time and more so patience...


The wire way glass removal method works for the front and rear glass, although is not the preferred method with quarter glass. You end up damaging the rubbers on the quarter glass using the piano wire method. And if you recently painted your car you will most likely etch the paint trying to save the rubbers. I've had glass guys break quarter windows on multiple 240's before I started removing them myself. One glass guy said the only way to remove the glass without damaging the rubbers was an induction heating machine that would heat the metal scorching hot and melt the urethane bead between the frame and glass. I didn't, nor did he know of any local glass guys that had this 1k machine. Another guy said he chopped out glass with a sawzaw like machine that acted like a air hammer with a sharp knife as the hammer. It would not be recommended for the quarters due to its violent nature and the centering-clips and such would be destroyed.

The induction method is what the pros would use. This method was done on a friends hatchback after it was show painted and he realized his new tint had amplified his scratched glass. He couldn't live with it so they called out a guy who had the machine. Metal gets so hot the urethane literally burns,(car was smoking) and then the glass could be pushed out.

The way I did it was with a putty knife and heat gun. Buy a flexible putty knife, sharpen the edges razor sharp and have at it. Heating the surrounding metal worked better than trying to heat the knife edge. Once you get a line cut,( have some wiggle room benefiting from the cut) stick a SMALL wedge of some sort between the opening you have cut. it will be easier now to torch the urethane with the heat as now you have created an opening. This is all done from inside the cabin. It takes a LONG time but would you rather break your glass, destroy your rubbers, or worse, buy new glass that's outrageously priced?

Work your way around the centering clips and make sure you don't hack them off. there is a major centering pin on the lower corner of the glass that snaps into the frame. get a buddy to pawl the clip from inside the quarter panel access as you try to get the glass out. This was done on s13 coupe quarters and IMO they are very fragile. DON'T PRY OR FORCE! this is tempered glass! If you wedge them too far with any substantial force or pry them over an inch they will shatter everywhere...

As for moldings are concerned. I had Excellent results with flexitrim FT1630. great stuff, its already impregnated with butyl so it sticks on the glass nice for install. Covered my windshield perfect and looks way better than oem rain-gutter trim.
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