Windshield trim piece

mark@ddi · Post by **mark@ddi** » Tue May 22, 2007 1:57 pm

I have been trying to drive my car since I got it back from having all of the things needed done.

When I got the car it had a wad of duct tape on the passenger side windshield trim or cladding piece. Some long tubular sticky rubber stuff was put under the piece to hold it down. The thought being that if the windshield ever needed replacing that no strong adhesive should be used.

I did not get 5 miles before it popped up again at speed. Stuck straight out and I thought it would snap. I tried rearranging the stick stuff and even created an air block on the bottom of the piece. Now comes off about every 15 miles.

I drove it to and from work yesterday and stopped twice on the way over and once on the way back home. I have a huge wad of silver duct tape on it now and I understand what the previous owner was doing.

Before I do something stupid and permanent does anyone have any experience with this problem? Any advice would be appreciated.

I did take the car to an "All Ford Powered Show" this last weekend and while I can't compete with 32-34 coupes I did get a lot of positive comments and lots of people wondering what it was.

Thanks

shelbyscarab · Post by **shelbyscarab** » Tue May 22, 2007 3:05 pm

Ah yes, I unfortunately have had issues with this.

Back in '98 or '99 I drove my car to Columbus, on the trip home (top down) on a heavy highway driving @ 65-70 mph all of a sudden I heard a terrible rip/tearing sound. And at first I had no I idea what it was, then I looked up.

My windsheild trim piece had ripped back in both corners and the straight part of the fiberglass was standing straight up in the wind. The 2 side vertical pieces were fine, and stayed put. I had a friend behind me following me home, we stopped, checked out the damage, and neither one of us had "Duck-it" tape with us. SO, I drove home the last hour with 1 hand on the wheel and one hand holding down the trim piece in the center. Not fun.

The body shop I deal with had a hell of time with it. They finally got it off had to do some serious repair work to it painted it and sealed it down. They said it will not come apart again, and if it needs to come off, it will be in many pieces. I understood. The corners weren't quite down all the way so I had to do some additional sealing in the corners. Its still fine, but I have noticed that I do have some very minor hairline cracks in the corners again, I'm keeping a close eye on it. Air gets up underneath it. Period.

On the few occasions I've seen other mclarens, I've noticed that quite a few have 2 and 3 piece windshield moldings, not sure why. And, I did check into a NOS piece from Hank, it ain't cheap.

mark@ddi · Post by **mark@ddi** » Tue May 22, 2007 3:56 pm

I am thinking long giant bolt or screw but I will wait until reason sets in again.

Nice to know it isn't just me.

shelbyscarab · Post by **shelbyscarab** » Tue May 22, 2007 5:30 pm

I'm fairly confident that we aren't the only two. I'm sure quite a few other have also dealt with this. Design issue #???.

I'd look at a construction supply store that deals in industrial strengh caulks and silicones. A black urethane should work for sealing up small voids after it is clipped down correctly.

351mclaren · Post by **351mclaren** » Tue May 22, 2007 6:44 pm

I had that problem on my 1987 #155. I took it to a body shop in Manteca, CA and they used clear silcone and fiberglass to fix the problem. Whatever they did stop the air from putting pressure on it and forcing the stress cracks.

03Mach1 · Post by **03Mach1** » Wed May 23, 2007 5:44 am

I had to replace the windshield on my '88 Vert. I did the trim piece myself. It was a pain in the ass to take off and took me about an hour gentle lifting and prying at the butyl tape. I replaced the molding with the same stuff, I think I got a ten foot roll at my local Big "A" Auto parts store. Cost $15. I haven't had any problems with mine since the replacement. As a matter of fact I drove it to Knotts Berry Farm for a car show at about 70-85 the whole way and in some strong winds going through the desert without any problems. Butyl tape is some real sticky stuff. should work for you. Just clean the fiberglass and molding around the glass but mark both pieces so you know where to replase the butyl tape for a good hold.-Mike

mark@ddi · Post by **mark@ddi** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:14 pm

I have had my car in a storage shed for 7 weeks now.

I needed the space at the house(2 car garage) and 3 other cars and mostly because I could not figure out how to keep the trim piece down. I came close many times to just ramming in some bolts on both sides but always talked myself out of it.

I went to O'Reilly's and found some adhesive cleaner, and a roll of 2 sided 3M tape that is for attaching stuff to cars.

I got it home and took off all of the duct tape, sprayed the heck out of the areas affected. Took by scraping and pulling about 2 pounds of black ropy snaky adhesive that had been put there. Got it all cleaned up!

There is a 1/2 inch metal piece that runs vertically down from top to bottom. My tape was also 1/2 inch width. It fit perfectly and I did the deal.

Now the test......I took it out for a cruise and at some point I had it up to 80mph and it doesn't move!

I think that I did it??

I guess that I am a worrier about these cars. I can find records of a valve job on my motor. I have great compression as when it shuts off from the fast idle that I have not defeated it just stops dead.

It is very hot here in Kansas and I drove around topless with the air running. Temperature moves from pretty cool to about 5/8 on the gauge.

When started oil pressure is at the 1/2 way point. As this car gets warm my needle sits at the lowest normal measurement.

Who knows how accurate a 22 year old guage is??

I also have Marvel Mystery Oil in it and it could be thinning the oil?

I don't wanna worry about this too?????

85McLaren · Post by **85McLaren** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:51 pm

For the oil pressure, just replace the sending unit on the block....

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:53 pm

The secret to NOT having the windshield trim moulding lift, snap or flap in the wind is NOT to drive the car!

Seriously, if you think Hank's prices are high for this piece, your blood pressure will much much higher when you start the epic precedure of removing it. It will fight you like a scolded lion. The mess? 'Ya wanna talk about the mess?

If you look at a new Mustang, you'll see the same identical piece on the windshield, but note that it's in 3 pieces! That's to be able to deal with flexing when being driven ("driven" ~ there's that word again)!

Post by **negusm** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:30 pm

85McLaren wrote:For the oil pressure, just replace the sending unit on the block....

My car does the same thing. I replaced that unit and it didn't do much. I need to change the oil though and put in some 10w40 and see if there is any difference.

-Mike

mark@ddi · Post by **mark@ddi** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 3:07 pm

I agree on the oil change. I spent some time thnking about this and I don't need any summer weight oil as I likely wont drive much in cold weather. The gauge was always a bit on the low side anyway and when I added the Marvel Mystery Oil it dropped even more.

This car was typical in that it probably had 800 miles over a two year span before I bought it. I changed all fluids and my plan was to dump the oil and filter again after 1000 or so.

I will do that and see what happens.

Post by **negusm** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 3:47 pm

My car probably has less than 40 hours on the current engine rebuild.

It doesn't smoke, knock, rattle or burn any oil.

However it drops oil pressure in half from the time it starts up to when it gets hot. (I have a mechanical guage).

I don't even know what oil is in there...and I want to do an oil change and just see if there is any effect.

-Mike

tfs2121 · Post by **tfs2121** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:18 pm

negusm wrote:My car probably has less than 40 hours on the current engine rebuild.

It doesn't smoke, knock, rattle or burn any oil.

However it drops oil pressure in half from the time it starts up to when it gets hot. (I have a mechanical guage).

I don't even know what oil is in there...and I want to do an oil change and just see if there is any effect.

-Mike

that does not sounds so good mike... have you talked to your engine builder?

Post by **negusm** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:57 pm

tfs2121 wrote:that does not sounds so good mike... have you talked to your engine builder?

Yeah. It's my dad.

Basically we did a ring and bearing job on it. We have done it several times before with no problems. The cylindar walls still had the factory honing marks on them.

I went and looked up the numbers I wrote down one time and it doesn't drop in half.

The oil pressure starts at 25psi or thereabouts (at idle) and when warm dips a smidge below 20psi. If I rev the engine, the oil pressure seems to go up allright.

I am really not worried. I have seen many many 289s/302s that do this. They seem to last for years and years.

289/302s are a very durable engine. They don't break easy.

-Mike

asc709 · Post by **asc709** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:34 pm

Ford specs the oil pressure to be between 40-50 lbs. @ 2000 rpm's. I've had a 306 that had oil pressure of ~15 lbs at idle that ran for another 8 years! I'm not easy on my cars neither.

My ASC has around 130k on the rebuild and it has around 50 lbs of oil pressure at 2000 rpm's. At idle it has around 20-25.

As far as the windshield trim piece, I've had mine off three times and am about to do it again. 100+ mph winds pull that sucker off! I wish I could find a way to get it down in front onto the glass, it's almost designed to let air in.