GTV 2000 windshield trim

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>]

Richard Welty asks about the windshield trim on his GTV 2000 and GTV 2000
parts car; he has three uninstalled sets of two-piece trim, all "a bit bent
out of shape", and a four-piece set of trim on the parts car. He also says
that the parts book shows the four piece set, and asks how to get it off
without bending it. What he does not mention is gasketed windshields versus
glued-in windshields. I believe, from prior exchanges, that his parts book is
the Catalogo Rapido which covers European cars  but not US variations. The
four piece trim normally goes with the gaskets on gasketed windshields, and
would have a "T" section to fit in a groove in the gasket, and would be best
removed by cutting the gasket; glued-in US windshields normally had two-piece
trim, but they might be cut into fours pieces, particularly if making-up a
good set from two damaged sets, and they have a nearly flat underside without
the leg of the 'T'.

Getting the glued-on trim of the glued-in windshields off without bending it
takes patience, luck, a fine wire, and a solvent. The most likely solvent I
know of would be "3M Release Agent" #08971, "A special solvent blend" that
"works rapidly to soften the bond between auto glass and rubber grommets on
automobiles and trucks having rubber set installations." That is a 24 oz.
aerosol can; an alternative would be "3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner"
supplied in quarts (#08984) and 5 gallons (#08986). With any solvent the idea
would be to get the solvent started between the glass and the trim, and saw
away at the bond with the wire. The tricky part (besides not breaking the
glass) is not letting one's super-solvent delaminate the laminated glass; if
it reaches the middle of the edge of the windshield capillary action will
probably do it in. Once the trim is off, getting the glass out is more of the
same.

If Richard is lucky (which he deserves to be) his parts car has a gasketed
windshield, normal on Eurocars and a popular upgrade on US-spec cars; if so
the wise and prudent course would be to cut the gasket, get a new one, and
have an old-timer from an established autoglass shop install the windshield,
trim, and new gasket after the paint is done and the new headliner in. If one
is bold, brave, and lucky it is not hard to save the old gasket, but the most
experienced person who showed me how said "Oops!" when the $350 glass cracked
saving a $40 gasket. YMMV.

If the parts car has a broken glued-in windshield he can slather on solvents
and salvage a perfect trim set; if it has a cracked gasketed windshield he
might save the gasket, which might be good for a few more years, which might
be worth doing if he was not yet ready to do the paint and headliner.

The only other point to note is that the two types of windshield and trim are
not identical and are not mix-and-match, but the sheet metal is the same;
either type of glass with corresponding trim and installation process can be
used in any 105/115 coupe.

Good luck - - Sincerely!

John H.
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