dang windshield trim

[volksaddict]

That stuff is a pita! Put the trim on the rubber first, then on the windshield right? Spent an hour and a half getting the trim on then couldn't get the last bit around because the rubber wasn't stretched enough to fit the chrome. Tried the rubber on the windshield first, don't think the chrome would ever fit on with the glass in place. But it did stretch out the rubber a little.
Any tips???

[Deac]

sit the rubber out in the sun for a while, the more pliable the better. But don't listen to me, I broke two windshields installing mine, and I used cal-look rubber!

[retrowagen]

Are you using the earlier version ("C"-shaped cross section) or later ("T"-shaped, made of aluminum) of the trim? Do you have the correct type of seal for the trim? If so, is your installation order correct?:

C-shaped trim: install trim into the seal before installing windshield in car
T-shaped trim: press in trim after windshield is in car

The cheaper-quality seals without blocked (molded in shape) corners are exceptionally difficult to work with. They are easy to identify when on the car: they seem too small in the lower corners of the windshield--sometimes you can even see daylight through from inside the vehicle.

Unfortunately, the only source I know of for "good" (meaning usable/don't leak/actually worth the money/etc.) seals are vendors in Germany.
_________________
David Ruby
President, Karmann-Ghia World Club

[Buggeroff]

Sounds easy right ? Install trim in rubber, fit trim and rubber around windshield, fit complete unit in car. Yeah right. Warming the rubber in the sun or the tumble drier does make it more pliable, but it doesn't make it stretch. Using soap or similar to help slip the trim into the seal also helps it fall out of the seal !! The only way I found to work it out was to install the trim about 3/4 of the way round the seal, then cable tied it. Next, fitted it to windshield while working the trim into place and removing the ties sequentially. YOU will need at least one other pair of hands, lots of beer, and a very large cussing pot. I found that if I broke the glass, I had enough money in the pot for a replacement !! Chris.
_________________
"Chris of the Ozarks"

Headlinerless 57 Ghia
Thread deleter extrordinaire.

[the.fordhams]

Another tip and this applies to later trim style cars and a non blocked KGPR seal.

Don't be afraid to have several goes - it two of us 4 hours to do the front and this involved at least 6 attempts.

In the first few attempts we figured out how central the whole thing needs to be in the frame. You must not leave ANY gaps in the lower corners when the seal is lipped over and in place. This is where the extruded style seal will frustrate you. We thought we had it only to find a gap in the lower corner - and no amount of budging banging dragging swearing nor lubrication will move the glass and rubber. Start again if there is a gap.

Once we got the hang of this we then moved onto the 2nd (and most) frutrating problem - keeping the trim in its groove while lipping over. Basically in the top corners especially the trim will try and get out of its groove when lipping over this point. It does this because of the distortion in the seal when pulling the string to lip over the frame. So if the trim does pop out - give up and try again, again no amount of lubrication, swearing, banging, dragging, cussing, will get that trim into the seal IF the seal is lipped over. We found that the outside person is key. They are responsible for keeping the trim in the rubber, the rubber on the glass (all without bending the trim) and the glass assembly as far 'into' the frame as possible. This will involve lots of pressure - at one stage we had a third person pull the string while the men squeezed with all their might onto the trim and rubber into the frame. Try to get the seal to distort as little as possible in the corners.

Once we did the front - the rear went in 1st attempt.

So it 'can' be done with the cheap KGPR stuff. I now have a dry ghia front and rear.

Why don't KGPR stock the good stuff? Jason??

Thx,

Al
_________________
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[kingkarmann]

Now I'm worried ! I payed good money for extruded front & rear glass rubber for my 67. It has the t-shaped trim. I definitley want the trim. Maybe I ought to send it back and look overseas ?
_________________
"Depression is a malfunction of the instrument we use to determine reality.”

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What is your "Bespoke Reality"?

[carmangary]

You guys have it wrong:
1. Put rubber on glass.
2. Put trim in rubber.
3. Install glass in car.

But before doing any of that you should shape the trim so that it is the correct shape. It should lay almost perfectly on the glass rim without having to flex it.

[Buggeroff]

[70 140]

I tried it both ways before giving up and going with the cal-look....Yes its much uglier but it saved my sanity.

[carmangary]

Well thats the way I did it but I used the german window seals. It went in with not trouble at all so I am surprised so many people have had problems with it.

[volksaddict]

I'm doin the early style, the big chrome stuff. It's WCM extruded rubber, no molded corners.

[coolairX2]

Some good advice.
Throw the cheap stuff out and buy the good blocked rubber.

That said the chrome should go in first and use liberial amounts of tape to hold it in. Having a another helper or two to hold it all together would also help especially if you are using the cheap rubber.

With the blocked rubber I installed it myself in about 25 minutes start to finish. This is after two days of trying with the non blocked rubber and a roll of duct tape. That should give you guys some idea of how much better it is.

-Craig

[retrowagen]

Yes, listen to Craig's testimony. I too have installed Coupe windshields with both types of seal and the "C"-profile chrome trim. My results were basically the same, although eventually I did get the windshield with the extruded trim in. However, the finished product looked inferior--the chrome trim barely fit in the slot; the free edge sticks up with a gap beneath around the full perimeter; and the bottom corners act as little air vents--I could see daylight through them no matter what steps I took to tinker with the seal. And it took an extra set of hands and around 6 hours more time to install, every minute with the danger of breaking the windshield.

This seems to me to be one of those details in auto restoration which is a no-brainer. Like brake parts and tires. If you like your car, spend the extra money. If you value your safety or sanity, spend the extra money.

The cost of the extruded seal plus a new windshield is more than the cost of the blocked seal...
_________________
David Ruby
President, Karmann-Ghia World Club

[volksaddict]

where do i get the good stuff?

[kingkarmann]

http://www.bbt4vw.com/

I just placed an order with them. Kim e-mailed me pics if the seal. It is the Molded Corner "Good Stuff" $ 99.50 + shipping. House of Ghia has a better price ( I think he said 67.50 ? ) but I need asap. Thanks!
_________________
"Depression is a malfunction of the instrument we use to determine reality.”

Mike Gerson

What is your "Bespoke Reality"?

[kingkarmann]

My Bad !!

The correct link to order a seal from BBT is http://www.bbt-us.com/ Their other link is their Belgium Home page
_________________
"Depression is a malfunction of the instrument we use to determine reality.”

Mike Gerson

What is your "Bespoke Reality"?

[GhiaNut]

Bought mine (front and rear for a 67 coupe) from a guy in Germany named Lars Neuffer. Around $135 for both seals, with shipping. You can get to his homepage through the Links on the webpage of [email protected], or here's a direct link.

http://www.karmann-ghia.de/

[volksaddict]

I brought this back for future reference.
Finally got the trim on the repro, non blocked rubber and installed back in the car, and in less time than I spent f*ing with trying to fit the chrome on the rubber first. Credit where credit is due, the KGPR catalog suggests putting the rubber on the windshield first, windshield in the car by the string method, then the chrome in the rubber last using a string in the chrome groove. I really didn't see how the string would do any good helping the chrome go in and didn't believe them so I figured I'd try the chrome in the rubber before installing the windshield. If it didn't work I wouldn't be stuck with the windshield installed and no chrome. Well damn, the string in the chrome channel opens the slot up and lets that chrome fit right in, wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it. had the windshield ready to install in less than half an hour. Having the rubber on the windshield stretches it out making it tighter so the chrome stays in, and the circumfrence is big enough to fit the chrome. Now, the unblocked corners of the WCM rubber still don't fit perfect in the car, but it's not too bad really, just 1 corner where the rubber wants to buckle at the windshield, no tuck under at the body corners at all. I did try to stretch the rubber on the straights, sort of pull the excess into the corners to help them fit before installing the chrome.
Now, on to the side windows

[Buggeroff]

I read that in the KGP&R catalogue, but I could'nt figure what they meant. I imagine that you run the string into the groove first, and then pull it out as you slip the trim in, kind of chase the string around, is this correct ? Chris.
_________________
"Chris of the Ozarks"

Headlinerless 57 Ghia
Thread deleter extrordinaire.

[74Ghia]

I had heard to get the block seals so I purchased my last year from House of Ghia. They look great but not having seen any other type seal I'm not sure of the difference between the seals other than I know I have the better one. Can anyone post pics of the blocked and unblocked corners? It'd be nice to see the difference before purchasing the seals.
_________________
Allen C.

2012 Silverado
53 FiberFab MG TD Replica (VW)

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