Starcraft Holiday windshield advice?

[Lithrael]

Hi guys, I've got a white/yellow Starcraft Holiday, I think it's a 1973 on the grounds that I don't see a 15' Holiday in the 1974 catalog, though I suppose it could also be a 1972 or 73 Nova 15. The paperwork says it's a Holiday. The center length is 15'4" and the beam is 66" if that helps. ANYWAY.

The windshield was broken in half when I got it and we hit up UDP plastics to use it to make a new one. BUT we don't have much experience with mounting one - now, we've read the posts here explaining how best to safely drill the mount holes but I'm wondering about the actual aluminum edging. We'd never taken one off before and it had started out a little bent anyway, and several of the clips were damaged. I assume the best thing to do would be to space out the clips that still have teeth, and bang it on to the top of the windshield? How much should I worry about shaping it correctly vs just banging it on to the top?

Also, the rubber gasket along the bottom has shrunk while the windshield was off. We were going to just try to heat it up. Should we put that on the windshield and then try to put the whole thing on to the boat, or should we try to get the gasket back into shape and put the windshield into it ON the boat? Or?? Any advice would be welcome. I've added a pic of the boat with the old windshield, and one of the new windshield and some details. Thanks!!

 

[alldodge]

@Scott Danforth

 

[Scott Danforth]

All the rubber parts are available from Taylor made

Glazing Assembly Vinyls | Taylor Made Boat Parts & Accessories

Taylor Made glazing assembly vinyl replacemnet hardware.

www.taylormadeproducts.com

They may still have the aluminum channel as well

 

[Lithrael]

Nice, thanks! I'll have a look through their offerings.

 

[MNhunter1]

Not a Nova, those are smooth sides. Could be a Jet/Jet Star...

The windshield is similar to the one I had on my Nova. If I recall correctly, there were t-bolts that slid into the lower channel of the frame, punched through the rubber seal, and into the holes on the bowcap to be secured with nuts from the underside. I did procure a new rubber seal which was sold by the foot and was not cheap. I probably have the part number buried here somewhere. I believe I mocked it all up, place the t-bolts through the rubber seal (notching the slots so they could feed into the channel along with the seal), then feed everything into the channel. The t-bolts were the most challenging to find, so try your best to salvage the originals.

 

[MNhunter1]

 

[Lithrael]

Fantastic, thank you! Yes, we were able to retain all of the original hardware apart from the damage to about half the clips for the aluminum channel. We just weren't experienced on how to take them apart without damaging them. I think we'll attempt, first, to rehab the existing lower rubber gasket. There's no lower aluminum channel, just the upper one; on the bottom edge the windshield slots directly into the gasket. I'll see if I can get a better closeup of the profile.