Series 1 screen install

XJ
1

Hi All,
I managed to secure the services of a UK trained Auto glazier to fit the screens to my S1 Sovereign ans thought I would document the process as it may assist someone.
Starting with a clean screen and aperture, removed of all old sealant, adhesive, rust etc, new seals and the original chrome. Apparently aftermarket chrome has very sharp edges,equally adept at slicing rubber and fingers , so beware.

20200905_095357
20200905_0953572560Ɨ1920 2.56 MB

Start with inserting the seal into the aperture, seating fully around the entire periphery, join at the bottom centre. Fit the screen into the groove in the lower part of the seal and progressively lever the lip over the edge of the screen using a putty tool ( a screwdriver with the sharp edges ground off will work) then move up to the top of the screen and do the same. Then work down the sides until the screen is secured into the seal
20200905_113340
20200905_1133402560Ɨ1920 2.21 MB
Ensure the screen is fully seated by whacking it with the heel of your palm. BTW, these procedures are accompanied by much use of soapy water sprayed as a lubricant.
Check that the screen is located properly (ie centrally and fully seated) and then proceed to insert the filler strip. This locates into the groove in the seal and spreads the rubber outwards, securing it into the aperture.
20200905_101821
20200905_1018212560Ɨ1920 2.47 MB

Start at top centre, and work around the perimeter until you meet at the top centre again, trim to length. Make sure the filler is fully seated in the groove. Obviously a lot easier with the correct tool, but it can be done with a screwdriver or similar.
Next step is to fit the chome trim. Slide the trim into the lips on the seal and push across to the centre of the screen, levering the lips over the edges as you go, much as when fitting the glass
20200905_103618
20200905_1036182560Ɨ1920 2.6 MB

Do the same for the other half, and complete by fitting the joiner strips that cover the joint.
Total job took about 1 hr per screen.No sealant was deemed necessary with new seals. The front ones did not fit very well around the top corners because of the tight radius, and this was rectified by filling the gap with polyurethane which dries with a satin finish so is not too obvious.
20200905_122639
20200905_1226391920Ɨ2560 2.53 MB

Smoothed off before curing of course!![20200905_131126|666x500]
(upload://9wOTtwe6DlC9UTpyX8L8BPKsVp9.jpeg)
Finished product! Hope this is helpful.

6 Likes
2

Thanks Kevin,

for taking the extra effort of documentation! Iā€™m fairly sure that this is just the ā€œstate of the artā€ of installing classic rubber sealed screens, and yet Iā€™m equally sure that in the age of glued-in screens there arenā€™t many skilled glaziers left - maybe us SI, II owners should get the screens done while rubber seals and skilled people to do the job are still around!

Best

Jochen

75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)

3

Yes, thank you very much for taking time.
I must do the same on my S1ā€¦front and rear.

Iā€™m tough, would never allow another to work on my car(s), and have always done everything myself and tackled without fear of any sortā€¦but this freaks me out !!

Thanks again and kind regards

PS: What a great color car you have !

4

Thanks Guys. Demian, not as hard as you might fear, I would have no qualms about tackling this myself now. Itā€™s a different technique to what I have used in the past, in which you insert the glass in the rubber, and then offer the whole lot up to the car and insert it by pulling a cord inserted into the outer groove. ( As described in most workshop manuals) I also used sealant, which was very messy. Learn from the experts! Added photo of front screen corner after polyurethane smoothed off.

20200908_1239031
20200908_12390311920Ɨ2560 347 KB

1 Like
5

Just looking to get both front and rear screens re-installed with new rubber seals at the moment. I think that I will leave it to the experts though!

6

Bob,
A few years ago Smith and Smith Glass had an ad on TV proclaiming that any windscreen repair they did on a classic ( whatever that may be) car was guaranteed for the life of the car. Not sure if that is their current policy. Iā€™m in Tauranga and can put you in touch with my guy if that is of any use to you. Cost me $370 including 2 new filler strips.

7

Guaranteed for what? Not to shatter? At what point do they agree the glass needs replacement under warranty?

8

This was a TV ad so they didnā€™t get down to specifics as I recall, but I imagine it would be a guarantee of workmanship only, so leaks, maybe delamination of the screen if they supplied a new one. Doubt they would cover accidental damage. BTW, love your book, bet itā€™s helped many a distressed owner.

9

Hi Kevin, thank you for your kind offer, after a lot of phoning around it appears that Smith and Smith donā€™t do classic cars anymore but they have put me in touch with someone they recommend who only does classic cars. He has been and looked at the job and Iā€™m now waiting on the final price. He has indicated that each screen will take around 1.5 hours at $150 an hour plus the cost of the new seals. Mine look so tatty with that horrible black silicone sealant all over them, plus they still leak!
Just BTW we got to discuss the price and availability of new screens and I was surprised to learn that new front screens are readily available in New Zealand and you can get one for $310 which seemed cheap to me, but then Iā€™ve never had to price a windscreen before!

10

Hi Robert,
That sounds pretty good. My man ( with my invaluable assistance of course} took 1hr per screen and charged me $350 plus $20 for the new filler strips. Pretty good money for a Saturday morningā€™s work, but Iā€™m happy. I got my seals via the Daimler Spares Club, about $300 the pair, so all up around $800. Car looks SO much better. The old seals were like concrete, and leaked so badly the lower steering column universal seized solid. Iā€™m about to refit the headlining bits and then car will be almost finished.
Good luck with yours.
Cheers

1 Like
11

Waaaay back in the 1990ā€™s the local road department confessed to screwing up one of our local roads and offered to pay for replacement windshields for anyone who drove it on a regular basis, as their shoddy workmanship had caused lots of loose gravel to get pitched onto peopleā€™s windshields. We drove that road all the time, so we got estimates for replacing the windshields on our two Hondas and our XJ-S and submitted them, and sure enough they paid up for all three. And then, dastardly people that we were, we only replaced the windshield on one Honda; the other two we just pocketed the money. I do recall the estimate for the XJ-S was over $800, though.

12

I was really surprised too but he checked on his price list and confirmed the amount. Perhaps he was looking at the wrong list? Hopefully I will never need to find out for certain!

13

The ā€˜horrible black sealantā€™ is likely a POā€™s attempt to stop a leak without doing the proper seal job, Robertā€¦

Since it is (still) leaking; there may be a hidden problem - to be revealed, and remedied with the screens out. Blocked drains springs to mind - the series 1 was not plagued with screen rust. Which may add to the cost - but it is still the right thing to doā€¦

Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
**

14

Youā€™re quite correct, the glass fitter said that he usually takes the screen out and then if there is any rust he will come back after any rust issues are sorted before re-fitting the screens. My fingers are crossed that there are no (serious) rust issues but if there are theyā€™re best fixed.

15

There are no drain holes around the S1 screen apertures.Presumably water will just drain to the lowest point, which, if the seals are doing their job will be OUTSIDE the car. (hopefully) If all is well with the seals water would need to flow upwards to get inside the car. Unless the seals are perfect, I wouldnā€™t waste my time trying to fit a screen without replacing them; the labour content and hassle means , to me at least, do it once and do it right.

16

The water does appear to flow upwards actually! What seems to happen is that the cars forwards motion makes the rain run up the screen and I think this then goes inside the seal. I may be totally wrong here but the rain does come from the top of the screen on the inside. Itā€™s a series 2 by the way :blush: