Windshield frame deconstruction and refurbishment

When I bought the project, it came with two CJ-2A windshields.  I sold one to a guy for $40, destined to become a bar's industrial wall art/mirror.  Here's the one I kept.

The step to fix it up was to take it apart.  Here's a shot of the rubber windshield-to-cowl seal.  It is not in good shape, so a new one is on the way from Walck's 4wd.

This is how the "one-piece" seal came off. 
But the crusty seal crumbling off made it easier for me to get at the rusty screws with some Liquid Wrench and a pair of vise grips.

Let's take a moment to look at the holes that the dentist drilled into the frame.

There was a weird aluminum rail atop the frame.  (Half has been removed in the shot below.)  I'm assuming it may have tied into a bikini top of some kind.  If I add one of those to this rig later, it'll probably tie into the roll cage and not the windshield frame so that I can leave it up even if the windshield is folded down.

Those aluminum pieces were hiding a whole bunch of other holes.

After assessing the holes, I turned my attention to the inner window frame.  I need to remove it to have unfettered access to the entire outer frame, as well as to prep the inner for rot removal and primer/paint.  The top part of the frame stays where it is for now as I take off the lower sections and remove the glass.

Here's the top piece of the frame.  The liner will be replaced, as will the glass.

 There's a slight indent in the vertical post on the driver's side that will allow the frame rail to be slid out.  After coating liberally with more Liquid Wrench and working it back and forth, I proceeded to hammer it out with a hammer and a two-by-four block.

Time to prep the holes for welding up.

Here's some of the ugly.  It's not rot, really, which is good.  The way I'd describe it is a patch job gone wrong or sloppy.  (This shot also shows the indent that allows the window track to slide out.)

More lumpy welding.

I had to get rid of any of the paint that was around the many many holes.  Note the yellow and red layers.  Not sure if the 2A was either color or if one of them was primer.

The top of the frame is neither red nor yellow on top, but a copper brown.  This one I know isn't the original color.

So many holes.

More damage to be fixed.

Flinging boogers everywhere to fill in the holes.

There were so many, so I hopped around the frame to avoid heat build-up, though hat's not much of a concern given the thickness of the tubing.

Some of these close-ups embarrass me, but then again, I'm not a finish welder.

The grinding process made everything look considerably better.

I did a final once-over with a sanding flap disc, which really helped clean the frame up.  I'm pleased with how it came out.

The beginning of bondo

I'd reached a stopping point on the tub in the backyard--but not quite a breaking point.  The original owner looked at this vehicle as an entirely utilitarian machine for his farm.  Cosmetics concerned him not.  And I enjoy that part of this Willys' history.  These were intended to be and were marketed as farm vehicles, and I'm glad mine was one of those.  Coming from the Visalia area, owned by an Japanese American dentist-cum-farmer, this rig tells a story in every dent and hole.

While I'm not worried about accomplishing a full restoration, I don't want to draw arrows highlighting every wart or blemish.

But try as hard as I could, I just couldn't get this ugly patch job from the original owner figured out.  As I mentioned earlier, clearly there was a gas tank under the passenger's seat, which is why this tub came to me with no tool box and this filler-neck-shaped patch.  As you perhaps can tell, lots of silicon bronze welding material in there, which caused me some issues, and it wasn't a clean job to begin with.  

The following are my patches.  A few holes filled, the step reinforced after I cut out some rot, and then another section of rot removed (in the lower left area of this pic).

Another piece of rot cut out, patched, and ground smooth.

And I hope you remember this section.  By far the largest area of rot that needed excision and replacement.

 Here's the dash with the latches removed and some final sanding completed.

Bondo application starting.

I'm slathering it on and then smoothing it out.

Lots here, but not very thick.  Just enough to make the seams of my patches go away.

Same here.

And here.