Windshield soft top channel / header

[JaredTowne]

Hey all.. I am new to jeeps of this vintage so please bear with me if the questions seem foolish. . I am working on a 1970 CJ5 .

Anyways.. the windshield frame has a good deal of rust, after taking a awl and picking away at everything to see whats salvageable I have found the only part that is structurally not there is the top channel for the softtop / bikini top attachment .. The rest of the windshield frame appears to be solid and will just need a very good stripping and new rubber / hardware.

The channel seems to be removeable as it is peeling away revealing the layer behind. I am not sure how it is actually attached.. could be spot welded or rivets I assume. I could very well tear this thing off and grind down to good metal as the metal behind this channel is solid.

My question is.. Is it possible to replace this piece? The rest of this assembly still has life in it, and I'd hate to have to scrap it for the top attachment point.

I did google the subject.. and came up with "bestop replacement channel / windshield header no drill" Its hard telling from this pictures if this is the part I am after. It also does not help that I am a Jeep newbie and still learning the lingo.

I have included a photo of the area in question.. any help would be appreciated.

 

[DHugg]

Hey all.. I am new to jeeps of this vintage so please bear with me if the questions seem foolish. . I am working on a 1970 CJ5 .

I did google the subject.. and came up with "bestop replacement channel / windshield header no drill" Its hard telling from this pictures if this is the part I am after. It also does not help that I am a Jeep newbie and still learning the lingo.

I have included a photo of the area in question.. any help would be appreciated.

Jared, I have a CJ7 1980, but just like getto children, I don't really know who the windshield's Daddy is.

I replaced the windshield-dash seal, and discovered that I could cut a strip off that sealed the Besttop-windshield channel perfectly. Looked as if it had never had anything occupying the space since a repaint who knows when, but recent.

I'm gonna seal it with Automobile Goop soon. When I do, I'll do a BEFORE-AFTER photo set and post them.

 

[gutthans]

The 'strip channel' is a screw-on piece. The screws usually rust so badly that they have to be drilled out, or yanked out if the hole below is rusted enough.
With careful removal, the holes can be cleaned up and you can use a #6 or #8 screw and attach your new strip.

I use #6 screws (stainless) with a smoosh of black RTV silicone at each hole to seal it.

 

[tarry99]

The 'strip channel' is a screw-on piece. The screws usually rust so badly that they have to be drilled out, or yanked out if the hole below is rusted enough.
With careful removal, the holes can be cleaned up and you can use a #6 or #8 screw and attach your new strip.

I use #6 screws (stainless) with a smoosh of black RTV silicone at each hole to seal it.

Not So on a 1970!...............It may be a screw on piece on your mixed and matched 88 or whatever year model.......which is a totally different windshield , but on the 1970 model they were spot welded all the way across the windshield frame..........I've never seen replacements made but they could be out there........that 1970 version started in 1969 and went through 1975 when they changed to the later version .......and earlier frame back into the early 60's will work but the size of the glass is smaller and the windshield wipers are mounted on the top side as opposed to the bottom with the motor outside in front of the driver.

 

[gutthans]

Not So on a 1970!...............It may be a screw on piece on your mixed and matched 88 or whatever year model.......which is a totally different windshield , but on the 1970 model they were spot welded all the way across the windshield frame..........I've never seen replacements made but they could be out there........that 1970 version started in 1969 and went through 1975 when they changed to the later version .......and earlier frame back into the early 60's will work but the size of the glass is smaller and the windshield wipers are mounted on the top side as opposed to the bottom with the motor outside in front of the driver.

Ahhh! Thanks for that extra info...Haven't had to go back that far to do a replacement yet...

 

[JaredTowne]

thanks for the answers guys.. I guess I am just going to have to remove it.. and fab up a new channel out of some notched square stock.

 

[oldjeeplady]

Not So on a 1970!...............It may be a screw on piece on your mixed and matched 88 or whatever year model.......which is a totally different windshield , but on the 1970 model they were spot welded all the way across the windshield frame..........I've never seen replacements made but they could be out there........that 1970 version started in 1969 and went through 1975 when they changed to the later version .......and earlier frame back into the early 60's will work but the size of the glass is smaller and the windshield wipers are mounted on the top side as opposed to the bottom with the motor outside in front of the driver.

I agree with tarry99. We are in the process of a build and the windshield needed to be replaced. Our base was a '59 CJ5 with a full Kelly steel top. I cannot find snaps or snap "holes" to suggest there was ever a soft top installed, but there was a channel for one on the windshield. Our "old" rusted out windshield had the top mounted wipers with working motors and good glass (until we break it removing it...).

Our new one came with the soft top channel welded in.

 

[tarry99]

Hey all.. I am new to jeeps of this vintage so please bear with me if the questions seem foolish. . I am working on a 1970 CJ5 .

Anyways.. the windshield frame has a good deal of rust, after taking a awl and picking away at everything to see whats salvageable I have found the only part that is structurally not there is the top channel for the softtop / bikini top attachment .. The rest of the windshield frame appears to be solid and will just need a very good stripping and new rubber / hardware.

The channel seems to be removeable as it is peeling away revealing the layer behind. I am not sure how it is actually attached.. could be spot welded or rivets I assume. I could very well tear this thing off and grind down to good metal as the metal behind this channel is solid.

My question is.. Is it possible to replace this piece? The rest of this assembly still has life in it, and I'd hate to have to scrap it for the top attachment point.

I did google the subject.. and came up with "bestop replacement channel / windshield header no drill" Its hard telling from this pictures if this is the part I am after. It also does not help that I am a Jeep newbie and still learning the lingo.

I have included a photo of the area in question.. any help would be appreciated.

I would look around for a replacement..........there out there in the junk yards and on craigs list all the time.......the good news if you have all the mechanical portions inside that helps cause allot of the used one's have been stripped.........The other thing is at least out this way I see more that the base around the glass and cowl are more rusted than the upper portions.......maybe you'll get lucky and find one that you can rob the strip from and re-attach it.......although if you strip was in that bad of condition chances are the rest of the metal behind is also bad...........maybe replacement is the way to fly.........