Installation of side windows and headlite covers

[ROWDYRENAULT]

Hi guys: I screwed up and painted my lexan pieces then glued them to the car. Fortunatley as I was driving down the freeway back from the upolstrey shop and saw the side window about to depart I got puled over before it left. Now I have the little bottles of primer from the factory. As I read the instructions you primer the glass and the body of the car with the primer stick them together and its done. What am I missing here? By the way the failure the first time through was between the lexan and the paint even though we used "the right primer" per the painter. Lee

[DHGTR]

errr, you did use pu sealant on the side windows didnt you? same stuff as for the headlight bonding. thats how i interpruted the manual.

[Steve_D]

If the car body is painted then that should be secure as long as etch primer was used on the gel coat first in the preparation for painting. Just before bonding the window this paint surface gets primed.
The lexan should have no paint on it at all only the primer, again applied just before bonding. The lexan is then bonded in using the sealant used for windshields.

Steve

[nickmpower]

should the body be primed before the windshied goes in? what type of primer? My dad painted our headlight covers and sidewindows with plastic paint, is this most likely going to fail?

[Steve_D]

nickmpower said:

should the body be primed before the windshied goes in? what type of primer? My dad painted our headlight covers and sidewindows with plastic paint, is this most likely going to fail?

If you are leaving the body in gel coat finish then the screen aperture should be primed using the black primer used for screen fitting.
The perspex (lexan) should also be primed with the same primer. In both cases the primer should be applied just before bonding.

The primer has etching qualities to ensure it gets a really good grip.
If this is applied over paint then the weakest link is now the joint between the paint and whatever it is applied to.

If the car body is to be painted rather than left in gel then it is normal to etch prime the gel coat as part of the body paint process so a good joint should be possible and no different to a tintop. The screen etch primer is still used.

Steve

[nickmpower]

alright it seems it too late for the side windows and headlight covers. But the gelcoat and windsreen should be primed? we are have a professional come and install it, I would think whatever they use should work on glass? our kit didnt come with any primer. Is it just a self etching primer?

[Steve_D]

The primer is black and the screen fitter will supply it. This is in fact better because it does not keep so the fitters can will be quite fresh.
My guy even started a new can of primer and new tube of sealant saying some Focus or other could have the remains of the older can/tube.

Steve