What are the odds of saving the existing chrome pieces around the windshield? or should I go with the black rubber replacement?

I'll have to hire someone to do the replacement either way...

There are threads that document removal techniques. If your careful, it can be saved.

its not chrome its aluminum. if it looks like crap you can polish it out pretty easy. there are tutorial threads here on how to remove it and locate the clips

Do NOT let just any window hack touch your windshield, pay to get someone who has a freaking clue on how to change a 914 windshield .

The trim is expensive and a hack with a tube of urethane will totally fuck it up.

I went with the plain rubber from 914Rubber.

You can do it and save it. Just had a thought about using a razor blade to cut the clips since you should replace them anyway. I'm not a big fan of the rubber, but since it's not my car, do whatever you like the look of.

I'll try to remember to test out my thought on a car tomorrow.

One of the easiest jobs I have ever done on my 914... Search for the threads.

I recall that 914Rubber offer new Aluminum surround??

Yep,
I have both.
I recently did the rubber on mine. It's ok, but the chrome looks better, Just a matter of price.

If authenticity is not a concern and your trim is less than perfect, there is another option. I will eventually wire-wheel the fire damage off of mine, because the finish is ruined. I'm eventually going triple black on the exterior of the car. I'm blacking everything out, even the door handles. With the trim, I'm going to PlastiDip it. If you can't afford to drop $200 for new trim, PlastiDip. If you don't like the look, or change your mind, it is always removable. If it gets scratched, just touch it up. You can re-do the trim as many times as you like and it comes in all kinds of colors. And it is cheap to do and re-do. PlastiDip will stick to anything. You can do it while the trim is in place too, just mask it off and go.

IMHO it is the only to safely remove the trim without damaging it. You will need to then remove the windshield, install new clips. AA has a kit for this.

Yup, just tried it. Works better than anything else I've tried. Look for a picture of someone's project with the windshield out for the clip locations, then just slide a razor blade between the trim and the body and tap down with a hammer (WEAR SAFETY GLASSES AND GLOVES). Once all the clips are cut, the trim will pretty much just lift out.

Unless, of course, some jackass glued it in like the one I just did.

Also, I'm not a fan of urethane glass installs on our cars. I prefer the original butyl because I think the chassis flexes too much and the urethane is too rigid, so the glass tends to break. The butyl lets the glass float and keeps some stress out of it. Plus a messy urethane install can keep the trim from going in, or if you put the trim in early it can stick to the trim, making it impossible to remove later.

ALSO, whoever does this work (you should do it) needs to be aware that new trim clips need to go in BEFORE the glass, and the trim clips must have a gap away from the glass so that they can flex open when you push the trim in. If the installer simply rests the bottom edge of the glass against the clips you'll never get the trim in correctly.

The spacers (914 541 907 10) are NLA on Pelican. Where do you get those these days?

FWIW, here is the classic thread for anyone who struggles with searching this site as much as I do.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=74816

I usually just eyeball it and that works fine. If you feel like getting technical, see the pic from the manual. BUT those factory spacer blocks assume you're using factory glass. Some aftermarket glass is bigger. So you end up having to visually check it anyway.

Got it. Thanks for the info on the spacers.

So, the 19 clips are just there to hold the trim in place?

I just installed my windshield.

How hard is it to REMOVE the windshield (without breaking it)?

I used fishing line wire. Made a gap somewhere and put it through, then attached pliers on each end and sawed and pulled. Two people of course. Never broke one taking it out, just putting the trim on once.

Be gentle. After 40 years it still sticks pretty good. It can be done, but requires time and finesse...

Chris...what are you doing hanging around here?

Ready to rejoin the herd?

I did the black rubber surround and am very happy with it.
On my orange car, I SR's the door, heard a thunk and discovered that the only thing holding the window in was the trim. Easy removal.

I did the black rubber surround and am very happy with it.
On my orange car, I SR's the door, heard a thunk and discovered that the only thing holding the window in was the trim. Easy removal.

Thanks guys... I decided to have the rubber trim just in case. The current chrome is not in great condition, so if we can't get it out we'll use the rubber. I'm having a glass guy come and do the work who does classic car work.

It will be the easiest money he earns all day. But, if you're not comfortable...

I really like the look of the black vs. the chrome. My car will never be concours though, so I feel uninhibited in those changes.

I will go with black rubber next windshield. And keep the chrome trim for my retirement.

First one I removed, I just pushed it out, no problem. Had I towed this car backwards on a trailer I would have lost the window.
Second one I tried the fishing line trick, worked for 90% of the glass, then I got impatient and broke it in the bottom corner where it seemed to reseal after I cut it.
Third one I took more time, went around it twice and it came out ok.
What I ended up doing was took the worst of my aluminum trim, painted it satin black with trim paint and put it back on. This car has no chrome on it so it it just the look I was going for.
Hard to tell in the photo but you get the idea.

Does the rubber cover as much as the chrome trim? If I recall, it did not or at least one supplier of rubber trim didn't. This caused a lack of coverage and you could see inside edges on the interior trim. The solution was to black out the glass on the inside around the outer edge

I had that done as it looks very clean.

If yours is anything like Jeff's (jsconst) it's just being held in by the trim.

The rubber covers the edges if it's installed correctly - centered. the real issue is the inside of the windshield area the inside of the windshield area is more visible, so any glass shop can paint the frit onto the glass.

Is that some kind of special paint ?????

Jack

Yes, Frit paint is a black paint that adheres especially well to glass, and serves as a way to improve both the bond of the adhesive to the windshield, but also to create a black "border" around it so you can't see the ugly adhesive underneath. Check out any modern car's glass and you'll see frit paint around the outer border.

Mark, I've been meaning to ask this for some time. Do you have any suggestions on how to attach the rubber trim to the windshield? I know that the stuff you supply has a small bead of adhesive in the channel of the trim itself, and you're basically supposed to wrap it around the whole windshield first. But when I did it, it took hours because it kept lifting up/coming off of the windshield lip (almost like the windshield was too thick for the the rubber channel to fit over it). It was really, really hard to get the channel to open up to press onto the windshield. On top of that, I'm an idiot and didn't remember to the put the rubber spacer blocks back in, so once the car sat out in the sun, the whole thing slowly started to slide down over time, and the trim is screwed up in a few places. My fault, and probably a reason why I should have just left it to the 'pros. In hindsight, I've learned that there are two things I do not like working on with cars: glass and electrical stuff.

The setting blocks are not required to install. The key is using enough urethane to hold it in and take up the voids. I had mine professionally installed as I didn't want to screw it up.

my car had rubber blocks on the bottom of the front and rear glass to set on . they are like 2" long 1/4" wide and 3/16" or so thick. to hold the glass up off of the trim clips and off the metal on the rear glass.