Windscreen Frame Corrosion

[MSB1]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, although been lurking for a while, and novice to Porsches.

I'm after doing a rebuild and have come across a 74 ex-california vehicle with what seems to be a decent shell (checked under all carpets and underside with poker and magnet etc) other than some rust around the bottom corners of the windscreen and a small amount at the front of the boot (trunk) where it meets the slam panel. I see the windscreen coorsion is a common occurrence but how bad does this look and how difficult is it to repair?









I would plan on full respray anyway so literally talking about the metal work. Are there repair pieces available?

Cheers,

Martin

[MSB1]

hi, would appreciate any advice?

Thanks

[mcaterino]

Hi Martin,

It could be bad. Clearly some rust was ignored when it was last painted, and given that they just painted over an at least partly assembled car (over the inner/outer fender seal), it's likely that it was a quick and dirty job.

Often when you see bubbles in the corner you'll find there's a gaping hole in the windshield frame under the seal that has let water enter and affect other parts, like the dash frame, inner fender well, and 'firewall'. There's a cowl corner replacement panel available, but some of the more interior parts may not be available except from donor cars.

No way to know exactly what you'll need until you get in there. Maybe it won't be that bad (at least that's what I kept telling myself as I dug deeper and deeper into my car - occasionally I was pleasantly surprised!)

Cheers,
Mike

[wayner]

If you haven't bought the car yet, inspect the dash as best you can around the outside corners under the dash pad. Maybe pull out the gauge farthest to the left and inspect there. Also check around the pedal box.

If you are looking for panels, Restoration Design has a good tool for browsing for new panels. You can buy their panels here at Pelican I believe.

It is amazing the number of panels that they produce that were not available just a short time ago. Parcel trays and rear seat panels for example.

For the area in your picture they sell P250L Windshield post cowl repair panel, left or right, but not the full cowl.

[VFR750]

Just be cautious. By the time rust has made its presence known, it is a lot more extensive in the areas you can't see. Like under that big rubber seal.

I had a single bubble just under the rubber seal lip. Looked odd so I lifted the lip. At that point I knew the window had to come out.

Actual rust was 20-50 times more. Luckily it was surface rust with no penetration through the shell

You, on the other hand are looking at 100-1000 times more rust than I had.

Painting over the panel seal is a red flag of laziness. Interpreted that as you will.

IMHO, rust is the single biggest non-negotiable. Anything in the crevices is a "no thank you"

That rust, again IMHO, is "NO"

It's what sucks about Porsches older than 1976. They did not have the full galvanizing. Rust, is the common theme. After 1976, the rust moves much slower and is manageable.

[ossiblue]

You've been given good advice, above.

The only thing I'll add is that you are facing a costly repair just from what you've posted, especially if you intend to have someone else do it. Being a California car doesn't mean much once rust shows and, as mentioned, the car is a non-galvanized 74. There are lots of tell-tale signs that the car will need some expensive repair and that is your bargaining chip if you intend on buying. Think about this clearly and ask yourself if it might be better to pay more for a car that is in non-rust condition.

There are no cheap Porsches.