Pictures would go a long way toward a solution/response.

 

The glass sealer, hopefully urethane, prevents leaks. The corner gaps you have don't. That's just bad bodywork like your door problem without pictures in the other thread in which you posted. Black caulk will do nothing except look like a butcher worked on the car. The cowl panel or "grill" as you call it is supposed to slide into the lower windshield molding clips to keep it tight against the molding. Buy a windshield wiper removal tool to begin resolving that issue.

 

It also might be you have repop molding around your windshield and it don't fit right. Check that before you put a bunch of glob on it. Like Scott said caulking will look awful and worse than if you just leave it alone.

 

That glob will also retain water and cause rust. These cars were not perfect from the factory, what your seeng may not be big problem. Pictures would help though.

 

pics below

 

Would these moldings need to be removed, bent and repositioned?

 

It looks to me like it just needs slid up. See if you can push it up if not just pop it loose and reinstall it.

 

The gray looking vertical line, to the right of the cowl panel and just before the chrome molding which is at the bottom of the windshield is the gap I was speaking about. If you look both above it and below it there is no way it can be moved closer to the windshield due to its concave shape there.

 

These are not secured in any way so I can just pop it off?

 

There are pins in the channel that the clips slide onto. The moldings attach to the clips. If there are no clips holding the moldings on, that is probably why the moldings are not tight against the channel. Pull them off and get some clips and then snap them back on. It looks like the top molding will twist into place once it is clipped, the other molding should slide up into place.

If I misunderstood you, and they are attached with clips you need a trim tool to remove the moldings with out damaging them. Most auto parts stores should sell them for not too much.

 

The previous owner said they are GM stainless and have clips.

If the clips are played out they won't hold tightly. Don't buy clips from vendors. Go to your jobber and buy good Auveco clips. I have boxes of different styles and a box of 50 is less than the vendors. You need to evaluate the cowl panel situation. No reason it and the molding cannot be adjusted. Buy a windshield wiper removal tool.

The moldings seem to be on there tight.

those appear to be aftermarket moldings, I can't be sure but they don't look like OEM GM to me. Anyone else agree with this?

If they are repops they are junk and will fit like crap. You will be better off with originals and trying to solve the problem but first get clarification on the moldings if they are repops or not.

I was told they are GM stainless.

Not sure Joe, was thinking repop, but can't tell for sure. The top molding looks kinda tweeked, but maybe just the reflection. Original GM don't fit perfect in this area either. Agree with Scott, need to remove the moldings and start over. Get some new clips.

Regarding the cowl panel/ lower molding gap, the clips there hold both together and are adjustable. The cowl panel actually should slide underneath the molding. You'll have to remove the cowl panel to tell, but hopefully there's still room for adjustment to move the clips and lower moldings down and to the front. That's assuming the hood/ cowl gap is good and cowl panel doesn't want to be moved back towards the windshield.

The cowl panel-hood gap is fine. It looks like the molding is too straight across the windshield and if it was more of an arc the problem would be solved there. How mould able are these molding pieces?

 

If the clips are played out they won't hold tightly. Don't buy clips from vendors. Go to your jobber and buy good Auveco clips. I have boxes of different styles and a box of 50 is less than the vendors. You need to evaluate the cowl panel situation. No reason it and the molding cannot be adjusted. Buy a windshield wiper removal tool.

 

those appear to be aftermarket moldings, I can't be sure but they don't look like OEM GM to me. Anyone else agree with this?

If they are repops they are junk and will fit like crap. You will be better off with originals and trying to solve the problem but first get clarification on the moldings if they are repops or not.

 

Not sure Joe, was thinking repop, but can't tell for sure. The top molding looks kinda tweeked, but maybe just the reflection. Original GM don't fit perfect in this area either. Agree with Scott, need to remove the moldings and start over. Get some new clips.

Regarding the cowl panel/ lower molding gap, the clips there hold both together and are adjustable. The cowl panel actually should slide underneath the molding. You'll have to remove the cowl panel to tell, but hopefully there's still room for adjustment to move the clips and lower moldings down and to the front. That's assuming the hood/ cowl gap is good and cowl panel doesn't want to be moved back towards the windshield.

 

You are not going to solve the problems until you disassemble and fully evaluate the situation. I just had GM moldings off and on (R&R) two cars multiple times and they fit fine. The lead work on your A-pillar is not that great and makes the gaps worse. But they should fit better than they do. I see what appears to be a stud behind the upper molding and not sure what that shiny spot is to the right of it. Easy to tell if I popped everything apart.

 

Got it. Any tricks? Where to start? The tool just pops them off the clips?

 

Update: I got the cowl panel to move up and under the lower windshield molding. 1 problem solved...Thanks!
And yes sauron67mm, there is something behind the molding...maybe the clips? I will get the tool asap, but I am nervous about doing this. Is it pretty simple?

Ron

 

You're welcome Ron. I presume moving the cowl panel changed your hood gap ?

Regarding the windshield molding, I'd suggest trying a search over at the BodyShop. :thumbsup: Here's one thread of many....http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=103551&highlight=window+trim+removal

 

It did. Now its like 3/8- 7/16". Is that considered too much?? Between the hood and the nose is 2-3/16". Is it worth trying to move the hood a few 1/16"? The hood/nose gap is nice!

 

Take it to a local glass company and have them look at it. If you try to remove the trim yourself and don't know what you are doing you can end up with damaged paint and or trim. The glass shop does it every day. Ask them. Might cost close to nothing. If you do try to do it yourself put a bunch of masking tape around where you are working to try to prevent damage.

 

Damaged paint or trim IMHO is the least of his problem. I have busted windsheilds by chipping the edge of the glass with the trim tool trying to remove mouldings in the past. I fianlly learned how and then let my brother break my windsheild while he learned. :clonk:

Jeff

 

Yikes. I was leaning towards letting a glass shop do it anyway. I need an adjustment or two as well so I figured let them just have at it.

 

I would also consider finding GM moldings, they will fit better. I am sure if you ask around you can find some for decent deal. There is a guy on e-bay (or used to be) that was selling them all redone with dings removed and polish up for about $250.00 per set or for the front or the rear. Not bad deal at all I thought. He was in the Dallas area if you want to search e-bay.

 

Sure, that'd help. Factory gaps on these cars varied quite a bit and is reflected in the the allowable factory tolerances. Like those hood gaps I mentioned, 1/16 - 3/16....1/16 imo, is too tight ! Generally, most of us shoot for 3/16 + a red frog hair.

 

Heres an inexpensive set of tools that will save you time:
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-windshield-door-trim-tool-set-38386.html

The one for the clips is third from the left. Before I bought this set I used a small allen wrench and was able to pry the clip away from the trim and it popped off nicely.

 

UPDATE:
Found a great glass shop. The owner has done many musclecars. He said my trim is GM original molding. He said the problem is the body work in the corners and nothing can be done at this point. The hood and likely the cowl panel are aftermarket and that's likely why the gap is bigger between the hood and cowl panel. The lower windshield molding cannot go lower then it is.
He also realigned my driver and passenger door windows, changed the weatherstripping between the side and rear side windows (that I provided), and he got the driver's rear window cranking without giving it a helping hand. All the windows crank/move like new now!

Ron

 

UPDATE:
Found a great glass shop. The owner has done many musclecars. He said my trim is GM original molding. He said the problem is the body work in the corners and nothing can be done at this point. The hood and likely the cowl panel are aftermarket and that's likely why the gap is bigger between the hood and cowl panel. The lower windshield molding cannot go lower then it is.

Ron

GM molding below. I have dozens and they all have the bead. If yours are not repro, then the bead was obliterated during polishing. Your inner corner and bevel also do not appear to be a match to GM. No offense to the glass shop, but ask how the windshield was originally installed. There are many resto shops that may have incorrect info or do substandard work. Like the one whose botched metal work I'm redoing.

On another job, the upper moldings fit similar to yours on a repro roof skin. I had to mod both sides to achieve a proper fit. A previous CHL roof skin did not require extensive mods.

 

He said my trim is GM original molding. He said the problem is the body work in the corners and nothing can be done at this point.

It doesnt matter if one has Gm or aftermarket... what does matter is the person doing the body work has the mouldings, and the wheel arch mouldings, then the bodty work is shaped to match the mouldings.
In the real world, on these old car , the odds are at some time each cnr has been rust patched and therefore must be reshaped to the mouldings.

 

Interesting! So you modified the body work or the moldings? And if it's the moldings, how did you modify it?

 

there may not be anything wrong with the clips,mouldings. did you buy the vehicle already completed? looks like the bodywork in the corner may just be bad. from the pics it seams it is not straight

 

Interesting! So you modified the body work or the moldings? And if it's the moldings, how did you modify it?

It doesnt matter if one has Gm or aftermarket... what does matter is the person doing the body work has the mouldings, and the wheel arch mouldings, then the bodty work is shaped to match the mouldings.

Wheel arch trims, window trims, are supplied to the person doing the body work and the body is matched to the mouldings regardles if orginal or aftermarket.
If one strips back an orginal factory body in these areas u will find a lot of lead filler, not just filling the seams but forming the moulding shape.

To modify the mouldings, yes would be possible, outlandishly expensive, and would be basically making up new mouldings to fit from scratch...not practical

We where matching body work on my camaro yesterday...rear window and wheel arches, front next week.