Windshield Header

[30ccpickup]

I have a 1931 coupe I purchased that was restored in the 1960's. The header to the windshield is rotted. When it was restored (loosely worded, it was rotted then and it is rotted now) they used nuts and bolts to attach it. The nuts have loosened and the windshield has vibrated loose. Can I replace the header by pulling back the canvas and removing the visor or is it more complicated than that?

Thanks
Paul

 

[30ccpickup]

Carefully roll back the fabric top.
Remove the visor.
Remove the windshield.
Remove the outer/inner header panel.
Means removing the upholstery and front of headliner and rear view mirror bracket also.
Then you can remove and install the wood header from the front with a little work.

These pages have some pics that may help:

Click> Coupe Roof Wood Construction on Ford Garage

Click> Windshield Header Panels on Ford Garage

Nice! Thanks, exactly what I needed.

 

[KGBnut]

The headers need to be fitted. Don't expect to pop it in and screw it together. It is not difficult to fit it but it can be time consuming. I made the mistake of thinking I had it good enough and had to take it apart...twice.

For me, the rounds at the right and left end were the headache. Be sure press in the curved roof sections over the doors to ensure they lay correctly.

One last thing, and I don't mean to be discouraging, but don't be surprised if you pull the header out, and find other wood damaged behind it. I ended up having to replace the whole roof frame, and am glad I did.

Good luck.

 

[30ccpickup]

The headers need to be fitted. Don't expect to pop it in and screw it together. It is not difficult to fit it but it can be time consuming. I made the mistake of thinking I had it good enough and had to take it apart...twice.

For me, the rounds at the right and left end were the headache. Be sure press in the curved roof sections over the doors to ensure they lay correctly.

One last thing, and I don't mean to be discouraging, but don't be surprised if you pull the header out, and find other wood damaged behind it. I ended up having to replace the whole roof frame, and am glad I did.

Good luck.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[clocey]

Like KGBNut said, replacing the header is a very tedious project because of the amount of fitting needed to get the header to fit well. Spend a little money and get a few good rasps and a small sander to clean up the rough wood. I probably spend 10-15 hours fitting my header to my liking.....and now that the roof and visor are on I wish I would have taken a little more time.
Good luck.