Windshied "Header" for Convertible

Good Monday Morning,

I'm not sure what the part of the frame that goes along the top of the windshield is called, but mine is rusty. (See pic).
I think someone here sold the vinyl to replace it.
What am I getting into when I start to take this apart?

The windshield is cracked and will need to be replaced at some point. Do I wait until I do that?

Thanks
Tom

 

"What am I getting into when I start to take this apart?"

Hopefully nothing like I ran into on one of my cars. I ended up replacing the entire header panel from a donor car.

You would need to take out the windshield to fix/weld the header panel anyway, so I would fix the header panel and then put the glass in.

What bothers me about your pic is the fact that the windshield cracked at the point where the rust is. To me that sounds like the car might be weak-flexing there and that is what cracked the windshield.
Duane

PS. I still might have another convertible header panel from a donor car.

 

Thanks Duane,
When you replaced the header panel, where do you cut it to patch the new one in?
On the corner or did you extend down?

Tom

 

What I did on mine was to replace the entire header panel from corner to corner.

I did not "section" anything. I trimmed the panel back to the factory weld lines and did the same to the car. Then I clamped it in and welded it up. It dropped in like a glove.

There was no need to section-weaken any other panels.
Duane

PS. The piece of black vinyl across the top of the windshield is "Madrid" grain. Any upholstery shop should have it, GM used it for years.

 

DL,
That close-up looks like the "Levant" grain you see on vinyl tops. Levant grain is an entirely different animal.
Duane

 

That sure looks like "Levant" grain. Everything I have seen from the east coast & Flint/Lansing was "Madrid" grain.

Maybe those California dudes were smoking something back then when they were spraying the glue.o No:
Duane