windsheild rot!!!!

[hobo]

What is the best way to repair a rotted out windsheild bottom?? Do i have to replace the entire cowl?? firewall?? Any help from someone who has completed this feat would help out greatly.

Thank you  Again
John

[MEK-Dangerfield]

John,
  Unfortunatley that is not a rare problem. I know there are a few guys here that have been in that situation. Hopefully one of them will respond soon to help you.

  Mike

[Street_Challenged73]

Depending on the severity of the rust, your choices could either be custom fabrication of the lower window channel or an upper cowl replacement using a donor car.  As MEK said, just wait around a little bit until someone who has done this chimes in.

[426HEMI]

I have repaired several of these myself by getting all of the rust out or kill it.  I then welded in formed pieces of metal and then I covered it with fiberglass.  I have had real good luck by doing this and I have yet to have any rust come back.  It seems to help keep the water out and letting it run off better.  I hope that this helps.

Gordon

[miketyler]

Got any pics? Do you have your windshield out? Is your damage confined to just the corners of the windshield landing? If so, that shouldnt be too bad to fix.

I just had to have my upper cowl and firewall replaced. I had water leaking in from a severely rusted cowling and firewall. The previous owners failed efforts included pouring fiberglass resin down the cowl and shooting GreatStuff everwhere they saw a hole. The resin clogged the main center drain. It was no fun and finding a donor car with the parts I needed was half of the battle.

[hobo]

Thanks for all the posts, Mike thanks for the pics, makes me feel a little better knowing i am not the only one. I will have pics next weeek, Didgital camera is broken and i am in a bind of new camera or parts for the cuda??? The rust is really bad almost one side to the other. I think that i will have to replace the cowl. Is there a difference between a hard top and convertible cowl?

Thanks again
John

[Richie61]

John,

I have the same problem too. I am looking for a firewall and cowl to replace mine. Most of the one I have seen are not much better than mine....

[Carlwalski]

Don't know or not sure if this helps but we had some bad rust and rot where the vinyl top and trunk panel meet.
Common aumng vinyl top owners, anyhow, we cut it completely out and welded in a new piece to fit, came out perfect!!


Hope you sort yours out, some photos would be nice. :-)



0.02c

[426HEMI]

When I made the repairs to mine the rust problem was in the windshield area only and not in the cowl.  I would have made other repairs as needed or replaced the bad parts.

[528 Hemi Cuda]

My husband has a lot of experience with the front windshield and back window of the 71 Cuda's.  I will have him post how he fixed the rust.  I know one thing he used was Por 15's product called Por Putty.  I will ask him to post tomorrow.
Pink Ice

[franco]

Flashcuda had a good idea with the fiberglass, that is how I did mine and also have not had a problem. I think the fiberglass does help keep things sealed better.