 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Panoramic Windows - Did you DIY??? |
 
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| jim4244 Member Since: 13 Apr 2014 Location: Bedfordshire Posts: 808   
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The Alpine lights make a huge difference in the rear of my 90. Previous Defenders I owned didn’t have them but my current one has factory installed ones.
A very worthwhile modification in my eyes. Jim |
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1st Dec 2021 12:44pm |
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| karlp606 Member Since: 19 Aug 2021 Location: Hull Posts: 298  
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I've got alpine windows already installed but the previous owner decided to get them over sprayed in black!!! So im trying to figure out if I can somehow get the paint off or bite the bullet and buy new glass.
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1st Dec 2021 12:49pm |
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| MichaelE Member Since: 18 Jan 2020 Location: Crawley West Sussex Posts: 155
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I fitted VGS ones myself and by myself. It was on a 90 so handling the glass by myself wasn't a problem. I used 2 4-point glass sucker handle things on the sides. I did not want to trust 3 or 2 point suckers. Can't remember if I used 1 on the rears or just hand held.
Overall it wasn't too bad but I had to put a lot of thought in to the whole process to ensure it didn't go wrong. You only get one chance to get it right as you only have a few seconds before the adhesive takes hold and stops the glass from moving. I say a few seconds - it may even be 20 or 30 - I can't say exactly as I had the glass in position within 5 to 10 or so seconds and it was holding in place by then. The adhesive is thick and needs to be warmed to save your hands trying to squeeze it out. Have lots of rags handy, and wear vinyl gloves. I wish I could remember the solvent I used to clean up but I can't. A major problem that I had was the poor instructions involving several emails to clarify misc points. In fact, I pointed out to them some photos with the wrong captions and they said that in the 4 or 5 years selling them, I was the first person to notice. They were very helpful though. I clamped some metal strips to the rear corners to use as guides for positioning the rear edges of the side glass, and then the rear glass. One thing that I had to clarify with VGS was how do the edges of the side and rear glass meet. They don't overlap i.e. neither glass protrudes beyond the body. The glass must not touch either - there must be a small gap. If the glass touches then body movement during driving could crack it. You then finish the join with a bevel of adhesive. Minimise the gap between the glass to keep the bevel small and neat. I had a gap of about 1mm. That's mostly it. I've looked at several others whilst at the Land Rover shows last summer and my effort is equal to all those that I saw, and most of them were probably professionally fitted. |
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1st Dec 2021 3:22pm |
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| balmybaldwin Member Since: 17 Apr 2021 Location: Surrey Posts: 192 
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Try some acetone and a nylon brush dremel attachment or something a bit more abraisive... you might scratch the glass a bit, but this can be fixed with a headlight polishing paste and some elbow grease |
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6th Dec 2021 12:55pm |
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| karlp606 Member Since: 19 Aug 2021 Location: Hull Posts: 298
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thanks for the advice, Im wanting to do this and try to get the paint off, I was going to set up a bath of acetone/paint thinners and leave the glass in overnight, only problem is I'll have no alpine windows for a day or so :/.
Or I bite the bullet and just buy some new glass...? |
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6th Dec 2021 1:04pm |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3430  
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It is said that steel wool will not scratch glass.
But DO NOT use Scotch Brite... that DOES scratch glass. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing 2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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6th Dec 2021 2:15pm |
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