Georgia Fiero Club Forum

All Things Fiero => General Fiero Discussion => Topic started by: montegut on March 13, 2022, 09:16:44 pm

Title: Did I do the undoable?
Post by: montegut on March 13, 2022, 09:16:44 pm

No, I didn't.  I am removing as much trim as I can from my 87 GT getting it ready for paint. I have new sail panels from the Fiero Store but wanted to try to get the old ones off in one piece. I slowly heated the panels with a heat gun and worked some wooden shims around the ends to cut the foam strips holding the panels in place. The passenger's side came off without any problem. The driver's side had some major cracks and I almost had it off in one piece, but no. Heard a sickening crack and the result is below.





Hope to be finished with my part of the job by next weekend. Then I have to wait for the body shop! It's been over 6 months since I was able to take it out for a ride. Hope to have it ready for some cruise nights this summer.

Title: Re: Did I do the undoable?
Post by: AJ_87Fiero on March 14, 2022, 01:22:38 pm

oh no! :(

Title: Re: Did I do the undoable?
Post by: pgackerman on March 14, 2022, 01:44:41 pm

 :'( :'( :'(

Very sad.

Title: Re: Did I do the undoable?
Post by: Fierofool on March 14, 2022, 02:57:05 pm

I used a putty knife with a blade about as wide as that of the tool you have inserted.  It had a slight angle near the end.  I worked from the back side.  With the inner trim piece removed, I pushed the blade up between the window and body panel and worked my way around it.  The hardest part was to remove the tape at the front area of the panel.  A piece of guitar string, the smallest strings, pushed into an opening between the glass and body then worked like a saw, will cut the tape.  The OEM windows had a piece of monofilament around the perimeter of the glass with the ends taped to the backside.  Only visible with the inner trim piece removed. 

I found the hardest and most time-consuming to be the removal of the tape residue from the body flange. 

Title: Re: Did I do the undoable?
Post by: Raydar on March 14, 2022, 04:00:19 pm

I'll withhold "condolences", since you have another set (The Fiero Store has some nice re-pops.) but that was a heck of an attempt, anyway.
In addition, I'm guessing you will want to have identical windows on both sides, so will not reuse the original one that came off properly.
If that's the case, I'm betting that someone will be willing to offer some serious coin for your undamaged original.

Title: Re: Did I do the undoable?
Post by: SpadeCustoms on March 14, 2022, 04:54:36 pm

I bought my Fiero in 2016 and was in the process of rebuilding it. A friend came over and I was showing him the car when I saw my sail panel kind sticking out some, so I pushed it a little bit....and crack....  I had to replace mine. Moral of the story, I know the sound of that "sickening" crack you mentioned! lol