I called a shop and they would come to me and install the window for $175. But they show no clip strips that hold the trim in, do you guys have a place to get these fast and cheap I can not seem to find them at the Z-store or BlackDragon. It looks to me that the strips need to go in before the window does.

 

Nissan....

Or call a different glass shop. The 280zx isn't the only car w/ stainless steel trim strips.

 

Turns out they are called Molding Supports -Upper and lower. At $50 each they are pretty proud of them. I would have guessed them to be $5 parts...D@%&. I guess I will have to check ebay and some more window shops.

 

Well Nissan has them for $37.20-Upper (p#-72825P7900) and $39.73 - Lower (P# - 72826p7100) so that should help out a little on the pocket book.

They also list 7 Molding spacers for $4.80 (P# - 72727W1000). I do not see these spacers in the BlackDragon parts break down, does any one know what they are?

 

just use 3-m two sided tape, roll it up to make it fatter it will fill in any voids

use lots of it..........I used it on my upper & lower trim pcs...on the windshield.. it also holds my side molding on as well......

 

I am liking the 3m tape Idea. I found a guy that will put my glass in for $150 out the door. The more I look at my window frame the more I see it needs sandblasting to get the rust out of all the pitting. I found a guy that will do it for $125. I figure for that much money I could get a set up from harbor freight and do it my self for cheaper. Then have a small blaster for future projects. What do you guys think. Any one have any sand blasting advice?

 

I got a hand held sandblaster from harbor freight, and a large air compressor for a bit over $200, it works awesome on rust but is incredibly messy. I'm still annoyed that it was for paint as well but it doesnt do a thing to it. But anyways its worth it but you will run out of sand blasting medium fast, and make a huge mess at the same time.

 

Did you blast your window frame?

 

If you're not in a big hurry to drive the car (in other words, if you can go a day or two without it), ask the glass shop if they can remove the glass and then return at a later date to install the new glass. They do this ALL DAY EVERYDAY for their body shop accounts.

Once they remove the glass, get all of the rust around that windshield frame eradicated and sealed off. You don't need a sand blaster. A dremel tool and a little elbow grease should be more than adequate. Once you have removed ALL of the rust from the area, you can go to Home Depot and get a rust sealer/inhibitor/primer that will spary on clear and turn black anywhere that rust remains.

If you do a good job, you won't see any black. However, those black areas that may appear will no longer pose a threat as they have been "killed".

You can then have your new glass installed.

There is a good chance, if YOU are caerful... that you can remove the trim without ruining all the hardware. you are probably better off doing this YOURSELF, PRIOR to having the glass guy come.

Yes, they CAN remove it, but they won't be at all concerened with assuring it's future functionality.

IF however, the trim attachments get FUBARed during removal... Do not fret.

You can go to any glass shop and buy a tube (maybe two) of SIKA COLD APPLIED urethane. This urethane is the same stuff the windshield guys use.

You can use a standard caulking gun to apply the urethane to the trim seating area and simply put the trim in place and call it a day. It will be there long after 3M tape has given up the ghost.This urethane is the same stuff 90% of auto manufacturers now use SOLELY to secure both the glass and the trim.

 

Thanks Rod.
I do have some time to get this car going so I would like to try to take care of some of these problems the best way possible. I have already taken the glass out of the car myself.

I was careful and the stainless trim is still in great shape. The trim mounting clips were beyond salvage though.

I hit the window frame with 80 grit but there are some areas that are very rough with a lot of scaling. I got most of the scaling off that would scrape or sand off but the frame is still in pretty bad shape. There are a couple small areas that I think I might go through the metal if I use a dermal to grind out the rust but I guess sand blasting would probably do the same thing.

I was thinking of using the rust inhibitor or hitting it with POR15. But I am afraid that some of the areas are deep enough that I would just be covering the problem and not solving it. I am hoping to get a camera so that you guys can better see what I am working with. Thanks again.

 

Sounds like you're on the right track. Don't worry too much about whether or not the surface is "smooth". Just worry about stopping the rust and making the area "Relatively Smooth" as the Urethane will fill in the gaps. In fact, you'll get better adhesion from the urethane if the area IS NOT perfectly flat. Anything that is going to be covered by the trim or the glass (in other words, not visible) just needs to be rust free or at least, that rust needs to be sealed off and neutralized.

 

I broke out the small grinder and 60 grit sand paper. The bottom and sides are rust free and turned out great but as I started grinding away at the rust along the roof line window frame I have some pretty bad areas. In these areas as I was grinding the rust out the really bad areas the metal got thin and I have some large pin holes forming. I am afraid to take it any further in those areas (About 75% good metal and 25% questionable condition metal). What should I do, just clean it up the best I can and slap the window in or should I weld up these areas with new patch panels?

 

Bronze brazing rod and a torch.... do it.

That's how I filled some holes in my cowl. It works great and I enjoyed the smell of the rod (it actually smells really good!).

 

I will get the rest of the rust off of the upper frame and then Bronze brazing any resulting holes. Thank you for the advice. I have a torch set and some bronze if I remember correctly.

 

Well with some grinding, wire wheel, muriatic acid, navel jelly, sanding, and a ton of elbow grease I got my window frame rust free. I had to braze two spots that the rust had created pin holes. I then hit the frame with a spray on rust converter just to make sure any left over rust was taken care of. I then put a couple coats of self etching primer/sealer followed by a finish coat. It looks great and I am now ready to have a new window installed. I just have to wait for my new molding supports to come in that I ordered at my local Nissan dealer.

Should I get the windshield with tint at the top or the one that is all clear? I did not even pay attention to what kind it had before I tore it out and threw it away.

 

I don't think you can even get a non tinted windshield from a regular glass company. You'd probably need to special order one.

 

The guy that is installing my windshield said he could get ether one. I am leaning towards tinted.

 

Right on. I would go tinted unless you are going to tint the side windows, then you could have the tint guy do your windshield to match. You will want tint of some kind.