I noticed a rust spot at the top my windshield of my 2000 EX toward the end of summer. I got some VSM paint online with a plan to address it over the winter. I got down to business over the weekend.

It's been my daily for 8 years. It's got 203K miles and dozens of dents. It ain't no beauty and it will not be going to a body shop, but I'm not going to live with rust. Just hoping to do a "good" job and get another couple of years out of it.

This is how it looked when I started last week. It was JUST peeking out from under the trim piece back in September




Looked A LOT worse when I got the trim out:





Getting windshield out was the next challenge. I took a shot using the piano wire method, but it was rough going and my unskilled helped was murdering the edge of the glass and body. I stopped and knocked it out solo using a heat gun a 10 foot length of aircraft cable. Took about an hour.. The long cable allowed my to put the windows down and stand on the sides of the car, holding both ends, sawing away. A pair of vice grips worked better than the pieces of wood that the service manual recommends.



Rust spot with glazing peeled back.



Here's the quality of the glazing job on the last windshield replacement. Note rusty corner @ top of pic.



I went at it with 80 grit after work tonight, the followed that up with a "painter eater" disc I had leftover from painting the garage last summer. Did a nice job.



Both corners were just showing rust.





The big spot is ugly and there's couple of pinholes on the edge where the rubber trim sits.







I've got rust converter, bondo, primer, VIN matched VSM in rattle cans and clearcoat. I'm definitely going to start with the converter. Should I bondo to smooth and fill, or NOT along the glazing surface?


Open to input and advice. My body repair experience is limited.

 

pics dont work.

 

stupid imgur

 

i would avoid using bondo where the adhesive lays down. your best bet due to the condition of the metal in that area would to be replacement. you dont have to touch the roof itself, but where the windshield rests needs to go.

 

How familiar are you with metal working and fabrication?

I've seen enough to know that it takes some experience to massage the metal back in line after welding the replacement into place.

The thinner the body filler is in the crucial paint areas, the better the job. And yeah, you would want to avoid any body filler where the windscreen adhesive rides, that area is paint only without filler. The adhesive will be the filler. Still the better you can massage the metal into shape even on the lip, the better.

It's something I have high respect for and know to do it right, it takes lots of patience and a skilled hand with the right body working tools.

 

Not enough when it comes to finish work and I also have a lot for those who can do it right. I had the rear subframe replaced in this car by a well respected shop and it looks original. If I thought this car was worth the time and effort, I'd probably do the right thing and reskin the roof.

Anyway, skilled bodymen need not read any further. I broke a shock mount on my rusty truck today and really need the Civic back, so I pressed ahead..

Final sanding with 120 to blend and take out some tiny rust spots.



Masked it off so that only sports with pitting were left exposed.



Hit it with this



Here's how the ugly area looks



Debating whether I want a 2nd coat of the rust reformer before I prime. The can says to wait 24 hours before coating, but I've got a low heat lamp on it now.

I'd like to book Safelite install for a Monday AM install ASAP if I think get it all laid down with appropriate cure times. Cold temps expected for this weekend though and garage is unheated.