Next, I remove the four bolts holding the window regulator plus two additional bolts holding the short regulator run channel (photo 5, arrow). With the regulator loose, I can remove any remaining bolts, including two at the bottom (photo 6, lower arrow) and one located near the round opening near the top of the quarter assembly (photo 6, upper arrow) that hold the regulator support assembly in place. Then, I carefully shift the loosened support assembly back and remove the regulator through the large opening near the bottom of the inner quarter structure. Finally, I lift the regulator support assembly (visible through the wide opening at the bottom of photo 6) up and out through the glass opening.
PHOTO 5: The quarter glass is removed by removing the attachment bolts found inside the round holes located near the top of the inner quarter panel structure.
PHOTO 6: The remaining bolts, located near the arrows, are removed. This allows the window regulator support assembly to lift up and out of the quarter structure.
REMOVE THE WINDSHIELD AND THE BACK GLASS
Both of these glasses are set in rubber gaskets so removal will be fairly easy. I start by removing the reveal moldings. The Eastwood Molding Removal Tool #52021 C is used to free the moldings from the retainer clips by carefully sliding the tool between the glass and the reveal molding and using the point of the tool to hook and lift the retainer clip, as shown in photo 7. The reveal molding will then pop free of the clip and lift out of the glass channel. I repeat this procedure around the windshield and the back glass until all of the reveal moldings have been removed. I label and note the condition of each molding on the master list before storing, and I add any damaged moldings to the new parts list.
PHOTO 7: The Eastwood glass trim removal tool #52021C is used to hook and lift the reveal molding clips to free the windshield reveal moldings.
PHOTO 8: A plastic windshield knife is used too gently pry the glass from the rubber weather strip. Gentle outward pressure will also help remove the glass.
PHOTO 9: The headliner bows are pulled down to release the tension and allow the headliner to be removed.
To remove the windshield and back window glass, I use a plastic windshield knife and carefully pry the rubber gasket free of the glass opening. I apply gentle pressure against the back of the glass with the palm of my hand to help dislodge the glass and push it out. Be careful because too much outward pressure can crack the glass. Use the plastic windshield knife to complete the removal, and never use a metal object of any kind to pry against the gasket or glass; otherwise, breakage could occur.
I don’t know if it is a shop curse, but I rarely manage to salvage a windshield. Removing one usually means breaking one. But that’s OK because a new windshield is a standard replacement item for any restoration. The back glass, however, is a different story. I just take a bit more time getting this glass out knowing it has seen little abuse and that saving it is important. Once the glass is out of the car, it must be safely stored. But how do you store a large piece of glass?
Never store a piece of glass flat; always stand the glass on its edge. Just the weight of a curved windshield can cause it to crack if stored flat. I use a discarded wind-shield shipping box to store glass. These boxes can be found almost anywhere windshields are sold. Usually, windshield guys are happy to get rid of a box or two, and one box will hold all the glass removed from a project.
REMOVE THE HEADLINER
Next on the list for removal is the headliner. This is a bow-hung fabric piece—bow-hung meaning Ford used spring steel rods stretched across the inner roof to hold the headliner in place. The ends of the rods, or bows, are notched into holes in the roof structure and can be removed only by pulling down the center of each bow to release the tension before sliding the bow out of the notches.
But before the bows can be removed, the edges of the headliner must be freed. The headliner is glued across the front and rear as well as along both sides of the roof. That should explain why the windshield and back glass were removed first: to gain access to the front and rear edges of the headliner.
The sides of the headliner can be accessed only after the upper door and the quarter glass weather strips located along the roofline of the car are removed. Ford preferred to glue these weather strips in place, so a flat-blade screwdriver can be helpful in removing these pieces. I don’t like breaking the old rubber weather strips, which can easily occur, so I take all the time needed to gently remove them from the metal tracks. Having the old weather strips to compare with the new weather strips can prevent a lot of headaches later.
Once the headliner is out of the car, I lay it on the floor and mark each bow. Notice in photo 10 that I marked the front of the headliner and numbered each bow. Each bow is a different length and must be put back in the same order it was removed. Also notice the two wires at the rear of the headliner. The new headliner will be installed in a reverse order, starting with the rear bow. The wires are attached near the rear of the roof and are there to hold the headliner in place as the bows are repositioned.
REMOVE THE TOP COVER
Next to be removed from the car is the vinyl top cover. This one has aged considerably and has already begun to crack and break apart. That makes me leery of the condition of the roof panel. I could have quite a bit of surface rust under there, so getting rid of the old cover is very important.
Before removing the cover, however, I need to ensure the new cover matches the old cover. I need to measure the distance between the seams. On this car, that measurement is 40¾ inches. I also need to check the placement of the seams on the new cover to be sure they are straight and parallel to each other. Finally, I need to check the grain pattern. I just want to be sure the grain and texture of the new cover matches that of the old cover.
All car manufacturers have a mean streak when it comes to certain moldings. The two nuts shown in photo 11 hold the quarter to roof molding in place, and unless at least part of the headliner is removed, there is no way to access these nuts. That should explain why the headliner has already been removed.
PHOTO 10: The old headliner is laid out on the floor and the front marked. Each bow is then numbered for ease of installation into the new headliner.
PHOTO 11: The arrows point to the roof belt molding retainer nuts. This molding must come off before the vinyl top can be removed.
PHOTO 12: The roof belt molding.
Speaking of mean streaks, photo 13 demonstrates the easy way to remove the extremely fragile drip rail moldings. I use a wide-blade trim removal tool, Eastwood #52298 to catch the inner lip of the molding and gently unroll the molding from the drip rail. But that isn’t all. As seen in photo 14, behind the drip rail molding is yet another molding. This one is hooked under the edge of the drip rail and serves as a close-out molding for the vinyl top cover. It really cleans up the look of the top by covering the cut edge of the vinyl, but it can be difficult to remove. A small flat-blade screwdriver works great to gently lift and