Bonded windscreens

[graham.hilder@domain.elided (Graham Hilder)]

I'm way behind in my Digest reading, and have just reached the area of a =
week or so back where bonded vs. gasketed windscreens were being discussed.=
 Now, we have a 2 litre Alfetta GTV, which I think is 1977 or 78. This has =
the bonded windscreen with the bright screen trim. This is a considerable =
PITA, firstly becauase it leaks, and secondly because the retaining clips =
are variously rusting away or becoming detached or distorted, so they no =
longer hold the trim in place properly, and flapping bits of screen trim =
make the lovely Alfetta coupe look a real scruffy mess.  So the screen =
will have to come out some time.  We were thinking of having it re-installe=
d by the gasket method when the time comes, to avoid the above problems =
once and for all we hope. Have seen several other ex-bonded Alfetta GTVs =
in AROC NZ which have had this gasket conversion done and they look very =
tidy.

But as John H. wrote, "The Alfetta was very definitely engineered to use a =
bonded-in windshield which forms part of the structural rigidity of the =
car, according to Italian publications at the time, and used them from =
1972 until the 2000 was introduced in 1977. With the '78 the Alfetta =
reverted to gasketed windshields, but with detailing and material =
selection which made them much more secure and probably somewhat contributo=
ry to the structure."

So, we wonder what will happen if we change to gasketing on our (presumably=
) 1977 car?   Other people seem to have got away with it so I guess it'll =
probably be OK.=20

In a later post, John wrote: "With the 1978 cars, the Sprint Veloce and =
the Sport Sedan in the USA and the GTV and Alfetta 2000 in Europe, =
reverted to a gasketed windshield, but with what seems to be a harder =
synthetic rubber gasket and a more involved cross-section which is =
retained by four clips which are pop-riveted to the inside of the =
windshield posts."

Hmmmm...... I wonder if the company really did make any structural changes =
to counter the reputed loss of bonding's torsional rigidity, or whether =
(like so much else in the Alfetta design), they just said she'll be right, =
and near enough is good enough.......  (I have to be cynical.  I've just =
been working on my Alfetta brakes, and am once again reminded of the =
shabby treatment given this car's design when I again see the hot rear =
exhaust pipe running very close by the rear brake caliper, and the even =
hotter exhaust manifold running right under the unshielded brake master =
cylinder).=20

Regards to all,
Graham Hilder,
N.Z.
(Various Alfas, Nord and Sud)

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End of alfa-digest V7 #811
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