Ok so I acquired an 89' Camaro that once had rear defrost. Everything is present on the car except for the metal strips that run from the struts to the glass itself. I picked up the strips from another car at the junkyard today thinking I could just solder them on to the runs on the glass, but that didn't work. Anyone have an idea of how I can get this to work without having to replace the entire hatch?

 

Does your hatch have the defrost lines through the glass? If there is no place too hook up the cables, there is probably no defrost in the glass. You will probably end up replacing the hatch glass. You should be able to pick one up from a junk yard for around $75 if it comes to that.

 

It has the lines in the glass.. And I have the cables that run from the strut to the lines but I have no idea how to connect them. I thought that the lines on the glass would be metal so I could solder the cable to them but it didn't work.

 

Ok, does the hatch have the cables coming off of the glass and you just don't know where to hook them up to? If so, there are two kinds of struts for the hatch. Some have little metal tabs on each side to hook up the defrost wire from the switch (driver side), the hatch glass (one on each side) and the grounding wire (passenger side).

It is really weird that a hatch with defrost lines in it would not have cables on it. Just to make sure, do the lines run all through the hatch glass and not just at the forward part of it?

 

It has the defrost lines.. Someone just ripped off the cables. So I did the same thing to a car in the junkyard thinking I can attach the cables to my hatch but I don't know how to attach them.

 

ducktape always worked , just kidding, did you try some rosin core solder?? I've had some luck at times with that. Can you melt the solder on the window at all??? It may take a long time to melt it. What are you getting when you try it??? Just sitting there and nothing happens???

All else fails if your in NY i got 3 good windows if you need one i can hook you up with one cheaper than $75, i wouldn't even pay that, lol.

 

Well I wish I was in NY because I would take you up on one of those hatch's. Unfortunately here in So Cal I can't even get one from a junkyard for that cheap.. One t-top yesterday cost me $45 before the military discount :-/
When I tried the solder the hatch was still on so i was upside down (first time soldering upside down but with the flux on the hatch I didn't see a problem), also now that I think about it I had just brought her into the shop so the glass was ice cold.. I might try again tonight after the glass is closer to room temp..

 

i would suggest that, and if you can have someone help you take the hatch off the car it would be a HECK of a lot easier to work with, i've done the upside down soldering...not fun, lots of getting burn, and lots of solder stuck on carpeting...not fun. I wish you luck!

If you need anything else i have many camaros and firebirds that i've parted out, so i may have parts if you need them!

 

Since you mentioned it you don't by any chance have a mint dash pad laying around do you? I pulled a mint 89' TA pad out of a junker a few weeks ago that I'll be selling because it obviously won't fit my car.. it was just way too good to pass.

 

i wish i did, my 84 berli needs one, lol. i got everything else from the cars tho, lol.

 

I would wait till it warms up or take it to a friends garage. The craftcenters make you pay to leave it overnight. Dosen't make sense if you have your own stuff to work on your own cars. I bought a scrapper with a brush for my Camaro. It's a little cold to work outside. (do enough of that at work)
Just don't wait to long that you can't tell if it's going to work or not.
Of it you wait till summer, try putting some ice on the window and try it. Should fog it up.
By the way you can get away with doing almost anything to your car in a parking lot, just try not to make it obvious that it's not drivable so the MP's don't tow it.
And don't work on it at 2:00 in the morning.
Mp's thought I was stripping my truck one morning when I was cleaning the brakes.