ruined windshield

[pro400a]

 began removal of a perfect windshield last nite with the use of a windshield removal knife bought from matco a while back. 1st cut into butal calk wouldnt you know it crack,there went the glass cracking in all directions. -ok ..im not a pro glass guy or pro body tech either[but learning] have been and currently an auto tech for 20yrs. this car [70 chall. rt] i have owned for 18yrs and have done everthing to it myself . i am a do it your self type guy. any way.. talked to a body tech friend of mine this morning. told him the deal he says knife type tool not the answer for glass removal if u plan on keeping glass... figures.[did not know this when tool was purchased]..he gave me some advise.. said to use wire feed welder wire[thin gage] and use it like a saw.. now this means a 2 man operation but he says is effective.. he gave me some wire and i plan to try it..but before i do i would like some advice from fellow cuda challenger owners of any other means of removal without glass breakage....i know.. call glass pros or purchase a different tool right.. well again im a do it yourself..and tool purchase another expence not in budget..why advise?..i need to remove back glass also without breakage...so i would like to lay out my options.

[dutch]

My guess is the weldingwire will break when the caulk is that hard.  when I purchase a kit with the new sealer, and windowprimer, there also came a cuttingcord with it. It was a kind of rough stainless cable that eats away the caulk. I`d go to your local glass shop and ask for one of these.  must be a $2 tool...   
not sure if you need to paint the car, but since e-bodys have a pretty deep rabbet, its kinda hard not to scrape along the paint with a cord and not putting any tension on the glass at the same time.

[Chryco Psycho]

heat & guitar strings

[quapman]

Basic utility knife and a few sharp blades. Cut from inside and out and meet in the middle. Push and "fold" out from the top.

...and patience. Lots of it.

[LAA66]

heat & guitar strings

 Use the base string. Cuts like a sawzall. 

[Sleepychallenger]

i used frame wire, threaded it through a box end wrench on both ends and used it lke a saw. had to replace the wire a couple times but it worked well...till i pryed with a screw driver and cracked the windshield 

[Challenger6pak]

heat & guitar strings

Piano strings are good also.  It has to be a wound string.  That is one that is a wire with wire wound around it.

[pro400a]

ok... sounds like guitar strings and heat most popular option. just need to know how much heat and with i suppose a heat gun? just afraid that the rapid temp change on glass may cause breakage. not worried about windshield. worried about back glass.it has to come out undamaged..btw..glass removal needed for rust repair and reveal molding clip replacement.and yes repainted..car is near 100% stripped..

[acudanut]

 If you already cracked the glass, don't bother. 

[pro400a]

again.. still need to remove back glass with out damage-back glass is in good condition. if it happens to get damaged will be high dollar to replace. windshield not so much.

[the_engineers]

Do you need to remove the back glass?  I talked with a professional glass company about mine and they wouldn't make any guarantees.  The new piece was over $800.

[Challenger6pak]

If things go bad I have 9 extra rear glas windows. Just go slow and be real careful.  Push (not hard and slowly) the window out.  Don't try to pry it out at all.  In time it will come out.

[Tonefiend]

I have to pull my back window out because it's leaking like a sieve.  Then I need to kill any moisture and rust thats likely lurking in there. 

I was planning on having a glass company do it.  How risky is it getting the rear window out? 

I have seen glass removal tools at Harbor Freight. 

[72rtchallenger]

heat & guitar strings

   this is the way or another strong type of wire,,I have used this method alot over the years and have yet to break a windshield

[ntstlgl1970]

Get a friend, guitar string and take your time going around and you will be fine. When you go to push it out, just go easy. Personally I've had better luck taking out the rear windshield than the front but the fronts are easy to find.