Hatch glass

This part of the project was one of the most nerve wracking things I've done in a very long time.  A very common problem on the '96-'97 Vipers is the hatch glass.  The glue that Chrysler used to attach the hardware to the glass wasn't very good.  As a result, the steel parts separate from the glass.  There are even reports of the glass blowing out at high speeds if you've got the windows down.  If you catch it soon enough, you can squirt in some more adhesive, and be on your way.  That wasn't what happened with this car.  The bond started to break, and it was never repaired.  As a consequence, the metal hinge strip got all twisted and mangled up.  Judging by the scrapes on the body, it'd been like this for a very long time.

With the hinge so bent, I couldn't just glue it back down.  The hinge plate had to be removed.  After careful consideration, and much internetting, I determined that a heat gun was the most likely tool to succeed at getting the glue off without damaging the glass.  The first thing I did was tape around the edge of the steel so I'd have a guide as to where to put it back on.  Then, using the heat gun and a plastic pry bar, I very carefully started peeling up the steel strip.  Using my IR temp gun, I determined that the glue softens adequately at around 200°F.  You've got to heat it slowly and evenly, a hot spot could cause the glass to shatter.  With the strip off, you can see how much glue was actually there.  Not much, it didn't even fully cover the surface.

The glue that was still on the glass was still very stuck, I felt like I might break the glass if I tried to get it all off.  Instead of removing it, I very carefully ground it down with an angle grinder.  I wasn't trying to remove it so much as to rough it up to give the new adhesive something to grab onto.  With the steel plate off, I could get the bend straightened out and match the curve of the strip to the glass.

With the glass clean, and steel straightened, it was time to glue it back on.  I couldn't find a consensus on which glue to use, and the factory replacement glue is only available in big drums.  For adhesive, I chose 3M's Windo-Weld, available at most auto parts stores.  It's black, so it will help hide any knicks or scrapes in the black etching on the glass.  Actually gluing it back on was the most nerve wracking part.  Ideally, you should have a uniform thickness of adhesive for the best bond.  The steel has dimples in it to maintain that thickness.  The problem is that window urethane is thick, and doesn't squish out easily.  To get the proper "squish", I used C-clamps to clamp the strip down with even pressure.  C-clamps on glass = could shatter with just slightly too much pressure.  I slowly clamped the clamps every inch or so to work the excess urethane out, then spaced them evenly until it set.  I also use the blanket the glass is sitting on to keep the clamps off the glass it's self.

If you've used the right amount of glue, you should get a fairly uniform squish out.  Remember the tape we put on?  Aside from helping with alignment, it also helps keep the mess to "big" instead of "huge."  You'll want to smooth the seam with your finger, a putty knife, or something like that, then wipe up any remaining urethane.  While it's still soft, you can smooth it out with mineral spirits.  One it's smoothed to your satisfaction, you can peel up the tape, and you should have a nice uniform edge.

In retrospect, I should have taped the strip too, the C-clamps left very faint impressions on the black paint.  I let it sit clamped for 48 hours to give it ample time to dry before reinstalling.  Another thing too, urethane is messy.  Very messy.  It's a good idea to have plenty of paper towels, mineral spirits, lacquer thinner, and latex gloves on hand.  While it's soft, mineral spirits and lacquer thinner will dissolve it, one it sets, it'll have to be scraped off with a razor blade.