One step forward...................

Two steps back..................

Been ripping everything out of the mako, got the wiring and the steering wheel pulled out. While laying in the floor and looking up, I noticed something odd.................... Now I'm really glad that I haven't gotten onto the bodywork yet. Oh well, I've got another on on the way !

Rick

Boy, now thats a little ugly. Good luck Rick

I do believe they started selling that piece again... I thought it was called "header" something but can't find it on Ecklers.com right now...

C3 are bad about that. better pull the dash and check the lower cage and windshield frame. Looks like a Florida car.

I should have looked at that before I sold the car to you.
I honestly didn't know.
I am truly sorry
:-(

I should have looked at that before I sold the car to you.
I honestly didn't know.
I am truly sorry
:-(

No sweat Randy, How could you have known ? There wasn't much rust around the kick panel body mounts.......... most of it seemed to be in the lower drivers side windshield. I pulled the interior header up front months ago and didn't notice it, the header piece was stuck to it and pulled off in pieces, but I had no idea that it was eaten thru that bad. From what I've seen in the past, when the water leaks down that bad, there is alot more rust at the body mounts........ and this car doesn't have that ------ just the bad floor pans ! Someone had pulled the chrome trim and caulked the entire windshield to stop the leaking, but after awhile, it just holds the water and rusts. Just goes to show you never know how a car is going to rust !

Do you think bondo will fix it ??? lol

Actually, I do have another windshield frame on the way, and unfortunately, I think the '73 vette under my carport is in worse shape than this one................ with the #2 and 3 body mounts having nothing but large rusty holes above them giving the body nowhere to sit, I got a little frustrated and am letting that car sit for now.

About a year ago I saw a windshield repair kit on e-bay (the 3 piece kit that surrounds the windshield), but I think it was just the flatter lip pieces that the windshield sits in, but I can't find that now........... I think this windshield is just a little bit more involved than that !

Oh yea........ While looking at the car yesterday and knowing how far I'm gonna be pulling it down to replace things and get her cleaned up......... I decided I'm going to pull the motor and tranny and rebuild them before I put it back together ! It obvious the car has been really abused in the past and I figure why not take care of everything now, so I don't have to worry about it later !!!!

Thanx for the support guys ! Rick :-)

Got the frame in today.............. 4 boxes on the back porch when I got home !

sidepipes/tubes/idler arm
windshield frame & a few other things from corvettemack in the last box ! This frame looks almost brand new........... of course it will look alot better once it's attached to the mako !

Rick

Yike's, from the way it look's,The windshild being removed there is a bite more rust than the norm. OUCH !! Very difficult project there.

Best of luck with the windshild frame.

Eric

2 hour job for somebody that knows what they are doing. That problem is how I found my Mako. I had a '79 Corvette that had that problem, the guy that fixed it for me was the one that had the Mako. He had the Mako for 13 years... I've had it for 9 years now.

Good luck on that engine & tranny work. Took me a couple of years to do mine :)

That's would be interesting to be able to find a Maco that way David.

Abought a 2 hour fix sound's abought right with a replacement windshild frame installed. Abought 20 minoute's for removeal of the windshild & another 80 minoute's of weld time, then another 20 min. for renstalling the windshild Roughly, for those who have the skill in order to do.

I have devoloped the skill to take a windshild out in 20 min. but don't have the skill to do the welding part as of yet. I would need go though a welding 101 class serval time's in order to be able install percion welded part's. :)

Just wondering Rick you did take the windshild out your self ? If so what tool's did you use ?

Sometime's i would use a seal cuting tool call an "Ultra Wizard".
other time's i would use my homemade tooling 1/4 in. wooden dole's with very thin strong steel cable runing though hole's drilled in the dole's. And a curved tip ice pick to start a hole in sealer to put the cable though.

Eric

A piece of Piano wire and a couple pair of vise grips works for me to cut a windshield out.

Just wondering Rick you did take the windshild out your self ? If so what tool's did you use ?

Sometime's i would use a seal cuting tool call an "Ultra Wizard".
other time's i would use my homemade tooling 1/4 in. wooden dole's with very thin strong steel cable runing though hole's drilled in the dole's. And a curved tip ice pick to start a hole in sealer to put the cable though.

Eric

The windshield coming out was the easiest thing I've done to the car to date! Randy had already gotten some of the seal out at the bottom, so I figured I wouldn't have to cut as much.............. but after the chrome came off, the windshield just lifted right off -- No sweat !!!

Pretty much nothing was sticking to anything, so I feel very lucky it popped out so easily......... I'd like to think the '73 windshield will come out as easily, when I get around to that one !

Rick

I used a guitar string :)

Me too but they are about the same as a piano,only more of em'.