Prep for windshield replacement?

[Kenz]

My Cougar is scheduled to have Safelite put in a new windshield tomorrow.

Should they be able to reuse the factory trim that goes around the original windshield? I would prefer not to have that universal rubber black seal that they sometimes use.

I plan to remove the wiper arms and cowel. Probably the inside a pillar trim too.

Any other suggestions or things I should do before they get here?

Thanks

 

[White Lincoln]

I had a window place put my window in and I did the trim myself. But yes, they should be able to remove the trim and re-use it. It is not hard to do.

 

[97 30th]

I would pull the windshield trim. There's some rivets down the A-pillar they will probably end up drilling out too big to put the nice factory type rivets back in.

 

[Kenz]

Went ahead and removed the trim. It was fairly straight forward, pull back the weather seal and just five rivets on each side to drill out. The top is connected with clips so pull straight up.

I'm upset to lose the OEM windshield, but it will be nice to get a clean brand new one in. The original windshield is starting to de-laminate in the corners and the tint strip on the top is faded to yellow... so it will look nicer with the new one.

 

[Zep5.0]

How'd it turn out?

 

[Kenz]

How'd it turn out?

Happy with the results! The installer from Safelite was very professional. He got the new one in exactly where the original was. While talking to him he mentioned they usually don't service cars past 30 years old. Hopefully they keep working on MN12's for a while longer.

The windshield is made by Chinese company Fuyao, but made in the USA.

Still need to get the trim back on. I opted to do that myself

 

[White Lincoln]

The trim snaps back on (easy to put back on). You might want to clean up and black out any knicks etc. Mine were pretty crappy so I went down to the junk yard and got a better set off another Cougar. I still have the original ones, somewhere in my pile of crap I keep saving for the car.

 

[Generalee0527]

I've got to get a new one as mine has a Crack that is almost to my line of sight. Years of sand from all the farms here have ruined it as any morning sun will glare like crazy. Does satellite carry the solar tint version that the 97 sport w/ laser red came with?

 

[Kenz]

When talking to the Safelite installer he said they either use the Fuyao brand, or in certain situations get the windshield from the dealership. I doubt Ford still makes replacement windshields.
He told me Fuyao makes most of the domestic car brand windshields in the US, a lot of the import branded cars have windshields made in China.

Either way I am just happy I could get one so quickly. At some point they probably will become hard to find.