Fixing my 1986 TA t top car. On the driver's side windshield 3 inches above the fender I have a hole rotted through (probably from the inside out) that you can stick your pinky finger in. My plan was to take the winshield out which I have already done, then cut a section out and weld a new piece in. I did'nt dare weld there without removing the windshield it was just too close for heat. Anyway after sawing with the wire and vise grips the windshield came out rather easy and in one piece. After it was out i peeled off some of the old urathane seal and the rest of the rubber gasket. Most of the way around the windshield is pitted quite heavily with rust particularly the surface that returns up towards the sky and on the corner just before it returns back to the t top. It looked fine when the windhield was in the car you didn't know anything was there. Now some areas are worse than others. Some spots are pitted but solid (won't push through), other areas are thinner. There is one spot on the flange the shoots up that has a 1/4" slot right through and it is paper thin around it. I have a somewhat decent plan to fix this I think but please give me advice if i'm doing something stupid. I am going to wire wheel all the loose rust off. Cut the sections out that are rotted through and weld in new. Finally por-15 over all of it. Then sand lightlly and fill. What should I prime over this? When you think about it, its a very small section of the car, its only 2 of 3 inches wide around the windshield. How long will this repare job last? The only thing I don't like doing is cutting the section out on the top left side where it sandwiches together with the interior sheet metal. I am sure I will encounted a spot weld or two and I have spot weld cutters but I hate when I weld and it bubbles the original paint. What else should I look out for? Thanks...

 

did yours by chance have some expanda foam in the area of the hole. my 89 iroc had it in the same place. i did the same thing you did when doing the repaint. i think this is a comon problem with the f car as i have seen several in my town that have the rust bubbles in the same spot.

thanks

 

Yes there is foam behind there. When you stick your finger in the hole it is spongy. I think when I weld there it is sure to melt that foam

 

i would remove that foam as that is the cause of the rust. it holds moisture against the metal. since we have t tops, our cars are more prone moisture finding its way into the car than hard tops. i had the same problem on the roof behind the pass side t top right on the edge where the roof curves next to the t top and about 5 inches from where the factory brazing is.
in the picture, right abouve the head rest on the roof is where the rust was. under the rust was more foam. we cut it out and replaced that spot with new sheet welded in.

good luck

thanks