Reviving 4139R (74 TCS) after 40 years

[Bryan Boyle]

BDA - yep, came out easy.  Didn’t ruin the trim.  Butyl coming Tuesday.  Bought some glass suction cup holders from harbor freight ( I was a bit leary of them holding  my EXPENSIVE windshield, but I tested them on the old windshield and they worked very well).  Seems like a straight forward install and I’m going to put the trim on first and install it as one piece. 

You can't do it any other way.  Trim out the windshield first.  It all goes in as a unit.  Dry fit first to get it centered (both side to side and vertically; there should be 2 plastic blocks that sit in the lower channel to help align it top to bottom.  painter tape across the windshield onto the body when you have it set, then score it.  That will help you register it in the opening when you offer it up.

I'm going to question your use of butyl, though.  The windshield provides a lot of strength to the body and butyl is a flexible medium which, as time goes on, looses its ability to hold the glass in place, which is why it's not used anymore in favor of urethane.  Yes, it takes a few extra steps (priming the frit of the windshield to seal the edge as well as provide a UV barrier for the urethane), but the differences between the two are noticable after a couple years.  Just my opinion (and experience having done both ways).

Dakazman - thanks for the compliments!  My cruck is kinda like the Europa ( don’t see many of them and they are unique!).
My opinion on garage bodywork and paint jobs is that it takes a LOT of patience and a lot of work after the paint is sprayed to make them look nice.

Almost as much time after as the prep took before between 2000/3000/5000/compound/polish...shooting color takes 90 minutes. 

[dakazman]

Dakazman - thanks for the compliments!  My cruck is kinda like the Europa ( don’t see many of them and they are unique!).
My opinion on garage bodywork and paint jobs is that it takes a LOT of patience and a lot of work after the paint is sprayed to make them look nice.

Almost as much time after as the prep took before between 2000/3000/5000/compound/polish...shooting color takes 90 minutes.

   Bryan?
     
     Dakazman

[69merc]

Bryan - I just figured I would use what was originally used in 1974 for installing the windshield.  By the way, I am using your write up as a guide for installing a windshield 

[Bryan Boyle]

   Bryan?
     
     Dakazman

You rang?

[Bryan Boyle]

Bryan - I just figured I would use what was originally used in 1974 for installing the windshield.  By the way, I am using your write up as a guide for installing a windshield 

Glad it's of some use. 

[dakazman]

BDA - yep, came out easy.  Didn’t ruin the trim.  Butyl coming Tuesday. 

Dakazman - thanks for the compliments!  My cruck is kinda like the Europa ( don’t see many of them and they are unique!).
My opinion on garage bodywork and paint jobs is that it takes a LOT of patience and a lot of work after the paint is sprayed to make them look nice.

Almost as much time after as the prep took before between 2000/3000/5000/compound/polish...shooting color takes 90 minutes.

  Bryan,  Merc posted that paragraph. You then added , the next paragraph.  Shooting paint 90 min?
 Nibbling out and polishing out takes much longer and I agreed with Merc .
Dakazman

[Bryan Boyle]

  Bryan,  Merc posted that paragraph. You then added , the next paragraph.  Shooting paint 90 min?
 Nibbling out and polishing out takes much longer and I agreed with Merc .
Dakazman

Yeah, the europa body, assuming the 120+ hours of work to strip, straighten, prime, flatten, prime, pinhole patrol, prime, seal...takes a while.

Actually shooting color?  Hour and a half, 2 tops.

Then another 40-80 hours wetsanding, buffing, etc.  Color is the least of the jobs (assuming all the other ones are done properly.)

Just my experience.

[dakazman]

  This CRUCK was garage painted also, as was my Europa. Started preparing my 2000 tiberon for paint today. The rust is eating from inside faster than I thought.
 Painting only takes  what I takes . Prep and polishing takes what the artist is will to do.
Dakazman

[69merc]

Nice CRUCK!  My first car was a 1970 El Camino….. I have a thing for CRUCKS ( Ford or Chevy)!
And I’m always impressed with garage body work and paint jobs 

[69merc]

Windshield in and I didn’t break it 
Bryan’s windshield write up was correct….. it takes a lot of goop (butyl or urethane) to get the windshield to seal everywhere. 

[BDA]

 

[Bryan Boyle]

Windshield in and I didn’t break it 
Bryan’s windshield write up was correct….. it takes a lot of goop (butyl or urethane) to get the windshield to seal everywhere. 

Occasionally, I get it right...lol.  Good job! 

[SilverBeast]

 

[dakazman]

  Merc,  trophy:    that's a milestone to surpass successfully, now you can breathe easily. Thank you for your post, as I am getting ready to put my windscreen in.
 
    My first cruck was a 65 chevy and I love both models also.
 
 Dakazman

[69merc]

Thanks Dakazman!  I followed Bryan’s write up:   

http://www.lotuseuropa.us/0693r/journal/index.php?m=10&y=07&entry=entry071027-085014