[alfa] Re: Rusty 164 windshield headers

[C M Smith <cmsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Those clever penny pinching engineers at Alfa decided only the lower part 
of the body needed galvanizing (how much extra could it have cost to dip 
the entire body?).

I have seen several 164 with rusty windshield headers, including mine. It 
is the ONLY place my 164 is rusting seriously. The right rear wheel arch is 
also a challenge but the car was hit early on in its career and the plastic 
fender liner no longer fits completely so I don't blame Alfa for that. This 
area suffers only from superficial surface rust. However, the windshield 
header is structural and should not rust. I have never seen another brand 
of car with this problem, not even Ford!

Anyway, you cannot repair this area in any useful sense without pulling the 
windshield. The windshield will not always crack when you take it out, but 
if you don't have access to a new one it will! Murphy's Law. Do not assume 
that  a new 164 windshield is only  a phone call away. They are hard to source.

If your header has rusted through (that would explain the leak) then you 
need to rust repair by cutting out and welding metal. The windshield has to 
come out for this.

Even if the rust has not perforated the body, the rust could cause the 
bonded seal to leak. To fix this might only require that you locate the 
leak and goop it. There are industry accepted methods of re sealing a 
leaking windshield without removing it. Try a good glass shop for advice.

I'm awaiting the next big stone damage before tackling this problem.

Cheers


Michael Smith
White 1991 164L
Original owner
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided