SC Windshield / targa window seal replacement and trim refinishing

[RDM]

This year's winter project is to replace my windshield and Targa window seals. They are old, they are crusty, and they leave gaps where there should be none. Having gazed in horror at Wayner's thread (Why windshield trim should be a regular maintenance item.), I figure this is the next big thing.

So after working up my nerve, I finally took out the razor knife and got to work. First I cut the seal on the window side of the trim. I was careful, and managed to not cut into the paint. Cutting inside the seal allowed me to get the window out, but the trim was still stuck fast. So I went around again between trim and body, angled to undercut the window trim, and it (and the seal subsequently) came out fairly easily.



So is this goopy, crusty stuff evidence that the windshield has been out before / has been leaking before / has been installed at the factory in the normal way? What is the best way to clear this out without having to worry about damaging the surrounding paint? I would expect the best seal would result from the cleanest flange, so that's my goal until I know differently.



True to the thread (Why windshield trim should be a regular maintenance item.) that inspired me, there was a little bit going on under the windshield seal on the passenger side. Nothing too serious, but leave it alone for a year or six and we'd have problems. Thanks, wayner!





Some Wόrth metal prep, some POR-15, and I think this will be good to go.

Removal of the rear window is a whole lot more involved because getting to the rear window is a whole lot more involved, plus it's awkwardly shaped and heavy. I'll save that story for tomorrow.

[RDM]

When you're on a roll, you roll.

So removing the rear window starts with taking out about half the interior. Rear interior side top trim has to come out to get to the package shelf cover. Rear interior side trims have to come out to get to the package shelf cover. The package shelf cover and interior sound deadening pad have to come out to get to the rear seal and the defroster wires.

The coat hooks, seat belt top mounts, and light have to come out to facilitate removing the interior targa bar cover (which I had out for recovering just last year. At least I knew what to expect). Maybe the rear seats should come out to make window reinstallation a little easier. We'll save that for later.

After all that, then I could get to the seal and start cutting. Across the top is easy; easy access and no metal trim to worry about saving.

[RDM]

The bottom of the Targa window has more parts, so is more complicated. There's the metal trim, the seal, the defroster wires and connections, more metal trim, and in my case, plumber's putty. Lots of plumber's putty.

So the window trim at the base of the Targa window was already prominent, almost bulging, so one cut between the seal and the trim and the trim came right out. The stuff bends if you think about it too hard. On re-install, we'll see how well I did.



There are four wire connections on the base of each side of the window. On the driver's side are the two hot wires (red/white and red/black) along with a black jumper that goes between the two connection points. The two brown ground wires go to the passenger side, along with another black jumper that connects the two connection points.



You can see both driver's side copper connection points along the edge of the window. The bottom edge of the window is curved up so that the weight of the window doesn't rest on the electrical connection- clever!

[RDM]

I cut off the top part of the rear window seal to have it out of the way. That gave me enough wiggle room to disconnect the defroster wires from the bottom of the window, at which point the window is free. I took the window out by myself, though in retrospect (like many things I do) it's probably smarter to do it with help. I mean, what could go wrong?

I will save the old seal bottom so I know where to drill/cut/modify/deface the brand new, very expensive Porsche item to make the wires fit. As I understand it, the new seal doesn't ocme with holes like this:



I disconnected the other ends of the rear defrost wiring harness wires in the engine bay.The red (hot) wires connect behind the plastic panel on the left side of the engine bay. Unplug, pry the connector open, and you're left with just the pins.



The ground wires, on the other hand, are grounded behind the fuel filter. After three other failed approaches I loosened the band holding the filter, disconnected the hose on the bottom, and inverted it so that not all the gas poured onto the floor. That gave access to the grounding point.



Then I pulled up gently on the tubing that carries the wires through the package shelf, and the wiring harness came free.

[RDM]

So for disassembly, this left only the trim pieces at the base of the targa window, one on each side. First are the 73 little screws that hold it from the top (OK, maybe it was only five per side) whose phillips heads might be a little crusty (and therefore unpleasant to remove).



Then the two speed nuts in the top front of the rear wheel wells, by where the targa bar nuts attach. These are 8mm instead of 10, so get the right socket before you go get that dirt in your eye. And don't miss the plastic washers under the speed nuts (the Targa bar has them too).

[RDM]

Which brings me back to where I started in this thread (Window / windshield trim finishes, '80 Targa). I've heard Cerakote, and have sent an email to my "local" provider (PBN Coatings GmbH) to hear their recommendations. I really don't want to do this job again.

Here's the original anodize color, in case you were wondering. Looks to be flat; is that just age?



Parts to be refinished Criteria are 1) durability 2) original-ish driver (not concours) appearance 3) cost 4) availability

Group 1: first choice Cerakote, second choice anodizing, third choice paint? You tell me.
Flat or semi-gloss?

Front window beading (2 halves, 2 joints)
Rear window beading (2 halves, 1 joint, 2 end pieces)
Door tops (2)
Targa window base trim (2)
Targa script (2)

Group 2: First choice, paint for original texture. Wόrth flat or semi?

Targa bar

Parts to be refinished (plus Targa bar and two Targa badges)

[pampadori]

I'm going thru pretty much the same deal right now. However, i'm going to switch to "bright" trim. I bought new windshield moulding and polished the door tops. I'm hunting down movable vent windows with their chrome frames and then will hit the rear targa glass to do those mouldings next. I stripped the targa bar and gave it my best effort for a brushed stainless look.
The rear glass is something I'm putting off because I don't want to have the car down yet and I have a feeling that it might be as difficult as everyone says to reinstall it.

Have you got your trim coated/painted yet?

[RDM]

Shaun,

Difficult to reinstall? It's a colossal pain to get it out! I don't want to do that again any time soon, and I haven't gotten anywhere near reinstall.

The parts are at the paint shop. I'm going with Cerakote, probably the C-series for UV stability, abrasion resistance, and out-and-out durability. Really, I don't want to do this again.

I had the shiny bits to backdate to light trim, but in the final stages decided against it. With all the black trim on the car that's not metal, adding chrome seemed unharmonious.

Anyone know if the Targa bar should be more flat, more glossy, or just about the same as the window/door/script trim?

[RDM]

Progress? Yes, but slowly. First of all, the trim pieces and Targa bar are finally off to the painter to be Cerakoted. This took weeks of research and discussion, and a full day to deliver the parts, as I'm not competent to pack the window trim securely enough that I'd be confident it wouldn't get bent. And I've read enough threads to know that disaster lies that way.



It makes sense to do some things while you're in there, and one is to repair any weak traces on the rear defrost grid. Window on the table with test equipment. It's important to choose your assistants carefully; you can see that I have selected both of my assistants with great care.



I'm using the Permatex kit available on Amazon. It has stuff I don't need, but it does have the copper nail polish that I do. Scotch tape to mask, 3 coats, and we have a functional repair. Way more pleasant than working upside down in the back seat with no space.



Inspecting the rear window channel and surrounding area makes it clear once again that getting in here and killing rust early is a really good move. I'm using Wόrth Metal prep, which has phosphoric acid as its primary ingredient. Turns rusty spots like these back into shiny metal.








Again, even a car with Kentucky and eastern Oregon ownership history will accumulate water behind the seals once they fail. Don't hesitate; replace them!

Still to complete for this project:

• Rennshift installation (installed but binding. Need to try again)

• Carrera front lip installation (holes already drilled!)

• Collect refinished parts

• Reinstall windows

• Reinstall interior

[Hi_Fi_Guy]

Great documentation. Following this thread closely!

[smarens]

following also, have the same project in my very near future

[Seahawk]

Fantastic - sub'ed.

[RDM]

I've repeatedly brushed the rusty spots with Wόrth Metal Prep with varying results. In the better sections, the rust vanishes and there is the appearance of clean metal; in the worse the spots look better than they were, but aren't shiny silver.









What next? Wire wheel on the Dremel? POR-15 equivalent?

(this is post 1000 for me. Join me for a celebration at my house tonight!)

[RDM]

Of course my German neighbor had something to say: "Of course you must do it like the Porsche factory says."

Which is?



So the argument would be that new materials offer a better solution to what they had then.

In the mean time, I am back to cleaning old window cement from the windshield and Targa window channel....

Maybe with benzine!

[smarens]

following along, have the same project in my very near future (seals are on order)

[RDM]

I will try to stay ahead of you all! Latest projection is trim return from Cerakote April 27. Thanks to Shaun (Tru6) for the recommendation!

[RDM]

April 27, July 6, what's the difference? To be fair, I did mail off the engine grille and wheel centers to also be Cerakoted. And to be fair, one of the original finishes didn't look like I hoped so we needed to find and execute another approach. So how do you fill the waiting time?

1. Noticing my forlorn car...


my first job was to prepare for the return of parts that could be done any day now. The front window seal was really quite straightforward, though even the Porsche seal kept slipping off the driver's top corner (you can see it if you look closely). Turns out this was a preview of coming attractions.

These little glass suction-cuppy things weren't very useful. Whenever I wanted to pick up the window it was easier to ...pick up the window and not have to worry about whether the suction-cuppy things would actually suck at that moment.

The rear seal is a colossal pain in every way you can think of. It's big and bulky and unyielding and seems determined to do just whatever the heck it wants to do. Even after taping, the driver's side bottom and the passenger's side top would continually slip all constraints and lead the rest of the seal into rebellion. Some say that putting in the metal trim fixes this problem. I'll let you know how that turns out.



PRO TIP: Tape is not the place to cheap out. While this particular not-3M painter's tape didn't leave any residue on the windows, I believe the main reason was that it never actually stuck to the windows in the first place. I ended up switching to duct tape, which left plenty of residue (though it did, in fact, stick. Yahoo for residue!).

2. Every two years in early May, four breweries in West Flanders sponsor the Rondje Roodbruin (Red-Brown Ale Route). Brewery tours with bike trails laid out between them, free beer, music, food, and always sunshine. With one of our party (ha!) among the foeders of the Rodenbach brewery, probably the iconic Flemish red-brown ale brewry (and one of my very favorites). Their marketing slogan was "love it or hate it." If you're adventurous, go find yourself a Rodenbach Grand Cru. You'll love me for it. Or you'll hate me. I'm good either way.


One of the unique ways the Belgians make beer is by spontaneous fermentation. Rather than adding a known quantity of a known breed of yeast at a certain moment in the brewing process under specific conditions (as any sensible German would do), they simply pump the stuff up into a large, open holding tank in the attic and just open the windows. There's plenty of hungry yeast just floating around in the air waiting for a meal, right? We'll just feed them some beer! Here is one of those setups. Crazy. Really.



3. Visit my across-the-street friend and "help" him install an engine in a 928 for / with another friend. Mechanicking in this neighborhood is a not so serious business.

[RDM]

4. Travel around the world to see Pelicans (in the context of other duties, responsibilities, and obligations, of course).

Here's John in northern Colorady, catching up on the teaching / driving / fixing we used to do together. Yes, that would be a flight of sours there.



And my celebrity sighting of the year, Tony and Bruce at Mission Barbecue near Philadelphia. If you haven't been, the food is excellent and the love of country refreshing. As a guy who's lived outside the US for a long time, it was good to get a full strength dose of unabashed patriotism.



It is difficult to overstate how good we have it.

After lunch, Tony gave me a tour of the secret lab where all the CIS secrets are stored (or, more likely, remembered), all the testing apparati are deployed, and all the top-quality PP posts are written. Thanks, Tony!



Truly a highlight for me, even if I couldn't get the secret to fixing leaking airboxes out of him.

[RDM]

5. Sport seat repair

I looked for a thread on how to repair a ripped seat, but the main response was to pony up for a) new seat leather b) new seats c) new interior (so that the old interior doesn't "let down" the new seats d) new car.... You get the idea.

Here's my problem.


Here's my fix. Find a scrap of leather, thinner is better (to a point). Cut it so that it will go into the rip and spread as far as you can in each direction underneath the tear. My patch was constrained by the seam toward the back of the seat, so I only really have overlap on three sides.



Slip the patch inside the ripped section. Without making it worse, spread the tear as much as possible and spray both the patch and the seat leather with trim adhesive. Let it set up, then press it together. I think I've got another year or two with these seats. It looks no worse and should be more durable than it was before it failed.

If you have a better idea for how to do this, please let me know.

[RDM]

12, When I bought my car, the rear seat bottoms were not attached. I glued them down, but all that did was cement a continuous horsehair leakage. And if there's anything you don't need in a fine German sports car, it's continuous horsehair leakage.

So I took out the seat bottoms and they sat on the bottom of my shelf for a while. My kids are too big to ride back there any more, so it could wait until I had more time. I had a lot of time.

The foam sewed into the leather was still in good shape, so I attached that to a new non-continuous-horsehair-leakage filling using spray adhesive.



Then attached them in the car using the same method. They won't be used much, so don't need to be welded in or anything. The spray adhesive should do fine.

Don't they look comfortable?



13. Some of you will know what this means.



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