Windshield replacement/rust repair

[Poon]

My 2002's front windshield gasket is cracked, rusting, and now leaking whenever it rains heavily for days at a time.

This car is my daily driver , and I would like to get this car fixed as soon as possible, and in be without it for the shortest possible time.

For the repair I have the following.

-Perfect windshield ( old one has chips in it )

-New windshield gasket

-New chrome locking strip

-Chrome lock trip trim piece (where the joint is)

The only problem is I have no idea where to get this repaired. Originally I was planning on taking the window out myself, repairing the rust, and repainting the area, and getting someone to come and install it.

After getting a spray bomb from NAPA (they had the original colour on code) it is completely different from my paint. Either they screwed it up while mixing, or my paint somehow changed over the years.

I think I might have to end up repainting the roof, but I don't mind if the area is slightly different than the rest, as long as the paint is matched pretty close.

Anyways, I'm hoping someone can recommend a shop ( I live in Surrey, B.C about an hour from Vancouver) that is relatively close by, and is use to installing older car windows ( rope pull type ). One place I'm going to check into is the old beetle shop in Langley to see if they'll consider doing a BMW.

What shops do you guys recomend??!!

Passenger side

still passenger

The middle

Middle again

Drivers side

I'm starting to panic now that it's rain season, so I appreciate any response!!

-Andrew Poon

[ThatGuy]

That's a tough one to handle being a daily driver. That is going to take a few days to complete.

Based on the tape/paint lines on the rubber, it's a repaint and there may be more rust underneath that you can't see yet.

You might get lucky and just have surface rust that can be treated and painted over but it's likely you'll have to do some welding. Welding means you may have to take out the headliner in the area and have a larger repair area.

Also means more time to patch, fill, sand, blend, sand and polish. Then you have to put the headliner back up, assuming it's not too old and it didn't rip when you pulled it back.

Putting the windshield back in is the easy part. With new rubber, some rope and a friend it's a piece of cake.

Sorry to pee in your corn flakes but based on the pix, that's my assessment.

[Poon]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure there might be some welding required. The fact that its a daily driver isn't a huge issue, because I have another car I can drive. I just prefer to drive the '02 .

Eventually I want to get the whole car repainted, but I'm only 19, still a student, and won't be able to afford this for 3-4 years. I just want the car to be leak free, so I won't feel guilty driving it in the rain, and won't risk losing my floor boards.

-Andrew Poon

[Marty]

If you are going to repaint in 3 to 4 years I would take the car to a automotive paint shop and have then do a color read on your paint and they should be able to come up with a good match, then remove the window and sand down and treat the rust and fill the wholes with the POR 15 epoxy putty and paint and blend as needed. Your new gasket will cover a lot of the damaged area but must be laid over a sound surface. Then when you repaint go ahead and do a weld repair.

[Poon]

Marty, that's great advice! Would save me from pulling my headliner for a while! Suddenly this project seems a lot less complicated.

Anyone else got input?

-Andrew Poon

[c.d.iesel]

the real situation is the body ist fuched !

With rust this deep - your looking at

weeks of body repair, painting, dry time,

and THEN you'll have a clean edge to

reseat the glass. It's normal to fine rusting at the

bottom corners where dirt fills the draining slots

over time. BUT to have rust at the top of the opening like

yours is near hopeless without extensive labor, time, money.

You better face reality and find a dry, well lit place to lay the car up while

you repair it yourself. Your in for a learning experience.

Time to pay the piperand stop driving this car. Better pull up the carpet now and take a look also.........

[Mike_R]

Hmm that does not look to good. My rear window was leaking and I removed it by cutting the old seal off then wire brushed and sanded the surface rust, taped and painted the area, then had a pro install the window back in. The rust on that is way more that surface rust, that will require some fab work I would think. Good luck.

[Poon]

Well, I'm picking a 320is up on Saturday, so I guess that's when the '02 will be coming off the road . Still have to find someone local that can install the windshield though, which hasn't been easy.

-Andrew Poon

[robsanab]

Andrew-

I'm sure you can find someone there... BUT, if you want to come down to Bellingham I've just looked into all this (i'm going through a pretty thorough restore).

A couple blocks from a great BMW mechanic Ron Ager (see northwesteuropeanautoworks.com) is a Speedy Glass who does windsheilds for him (360.647.1801)

When you're ready to bodywork/paint, I have mine into a guy that is highly recommended by a few car enthusiasts i know, including Ron above. And get this, he's like a third of the price of other guys in my area... call Lam of Affordable Auto Body 360.380.9915. so far i really like working with him... I'll have to let you know how she comes out later.

that being said... i think some of these ideas by the others are good... you should be able to competently repair it for now

good luck... and maybe we'll see you around