[DeTomaso] Glass for the Pantera

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

Be aware that most Panteras have rust damage under the lower edge of the 
windshield glass unless the gasket was siliconed to the body all around the entire 
bottom, up both sides and across the top almost all the way. It seems to help 
if a SMALL area in the middle of the top of the gasket is left open as a 
vent. Some cars that have never leaked a drop will fill up the glovebox and ruin 
your pants after the glass and/or gasket is disturbed. Extensive silicone-ing 
is the only way I know of to prevent this. And the proper silicone to use is 
one which does not smell of vinegar while curing. The type that cures with a 
vinegar odor will trap acetic acid under the sealed gasket and will result in 
more corrosion than if you'd left it unsealed! All this is because the std gasket 
fits the glass tightly but is loose on the body flange. Windsheld shops 
normally know about this but its worth checking on. The 'right' silicone is made in 
transparent which makes it much less visible afterwards. 

Before replacing the glass, be very sure all rust damage has been correctly 
repaired in the cowl depression that holds the lower edge of the windshield, 
especially in the corners. This area on virgin cars is often full of pits, some 
of which may have gone through to the passenger compartment. It can also cause 
paint cracking in the corners, too. I've seen one Pantera windshield that had 
leaked so much water inside for so long, the clear-plastic electrical relay 
covers were full of rusty fluid and obviously hadn't worked for a long time. 
Our CA car had serious pits that didn't go thru when I changed glass 20 years 
ago, and I was able to wire-brush the pits clean and spot-braze them without 
pulling the dashboard, but the welder's gotta be skillful!

Its also absurdly easy for a non-Pantera-specialist shop to totally wreck 
your windshield trim when trying to remove it from the gasket. And once twisted 
even a little, its very difficult to get the trim to go back in flush. If your 
car is an early '71, its especially hard to do correctly and replacements are 
almost non-existent. Note also that many of us who like the blacked-out-trim 
look, see no sense at all in paying extra for blackening the trim to put onto 
an already-black gasket. Leave it off, get the same look & save money & trouble.
FWIW- J DeRyke (had our glass out twice; still doesn't leak but is siliconed)
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