Hello all,
I have a 1986 Ford Ranger that has developed a leak somewhere on the passenger side of the windshield. Unfortunately, the truck was usually kept under a carport, so even though it has been leaking for a long time, it went undetected because it wasn't getting doused enough to build up too much water inside. It just smelled a bit musty now and then.
Recently, however, we moved the truck to uncovered parking during some torential Florida rainstorms. The truck sat for two weeks or so and when I went to drive it, I found damn near everything inside it was green with mold/mildew.
I have taped the windshield with aluminum duct tape to prevent further leaks and have dehumidified the interior. This weekend I'll be spending some quality time with the truck interior and chlorine bleach.
This truck is in excellent condition otherwise, has only about 132,000 miles on it, and has tremendous sentimental value, if no blue book value. I'm trying to make the decision whether to invest in it's repair or not.
I'd be interested in hearing from the group what hidden problems I may encounter due to the moisture or the mildew, what the expected repair costs for this type of auto body repair might be, etc so that I can make an informed decision.
Also I thought of having a mobile windshield guy come out and remove the old windshield (which is cracked) and then doing the body work myself, then calling him back out to install a new windshield. I'm not an expert, but I'm more concerned with functional than pretty, so if you think its a straightforward repair, I'd like to hear your suggestions.
Thanks,
Powell E. Barber in balmy Florida...
P.S. - is there any aftermarket system to replace that old chrome molding around the windshield? I was thinking that there may be an elastomer alternative similar to new car design...