Rear glass became detached

I have a 95 Roadmaster estate.  The rear glass supports began to fail, so I replaced them today...easy peasy, no issue.  The second time I opened the rear glass, the connector on the drivers side holding the glass to the body broke.  I was able to remove the drivers side support and get someone to support the glass as I guided it back to latching position.  It does not appear to be a bolt, and if it was, it seems all the threads have rusted.  Now, what are my alternatives to repair this?  Is this a job that can be handled with replacement parts, do I need a glass shop or a body shop?  Is it safe to drive in this condition?  I definitely do not want to break the glass!  THANKS for any and all guidance!

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You are completely out of luck as far as new/replacement parts are concerned. Going to have to reach out to folks that part these cars and see if they are lucky enough to have found a good used one. That isn't easy to find though.

Mine ever do this and I am drilling a hole through the plastic and using a carriage bolt and some rubber to secure it.

94Woody wrote:

You are completely out of luck as far as new/replacement parts are concerned. Going to have to reach out to folks that part these cars and see if they are lucky enough to have found a good used one. That isn't easy to find though.

Mine ever do this and I am drilling a hole through the plastic and using a carriage bolt and some rubber to secure it.

Are the very expensive 3D printed ones still being made?

I was able to source a pair of used hinges from a Facebook Roadmaster group, so if he follows thru they will be shipping in from CA.  

Are they easy to remove and replace or is there invasive surgery required?

voxkd wrote:

I was able to source a pair of used hinges from a Facebook Roadmaster group, so if he follows thru they will be shipping in from CA.  

Are they easy to remove and replace or is there invasive surgery required?

They are pretty easy. Remove the piece that covers the rear wiper motor to access the two nuts on the metal hinge portion inside the car. Once those nuts are removed the hinge can be pulled from the roof. Install replacement. Done.

Last ones I pulled the studs were a little crusty and the nuts required some force to remove. A little penetrant would have taken care of that of course.

You can remove the hinge pin, and just replace the plastic part. The pin must come out of the larger end of the hole. I use something to back up the plastic, so I do not break it, and tap it out with a drift. Since the one on the car is junk it can be cut in half with an angle grinder and a cutoff wheel. Just be careful not to cut the metal part, and put something on the glass so you do not damage it. It may require a tool to pry one end of the hinge pin off so you can pull it out from the other side. The left and right sides are not interchangeable. There is an R or L on the plastic parts, and the left metal part does not have a mark. The right metal part has an R on it.

When you are buying hinges always ask to see the bottom without the bolt in it to make sure the threaded insert is not rusty, or it will not hold the bolt. The bolt you are holding up has part of the metal insert on the threaded part. The bolt looks like it is degraded to the point of unusable.

If you decide to replace the whole hinge, the small "Phillips" heads are just locks for the clips that hold the rear reveal over the wiper motor. They can be difficult to remove, and easy to damage. They are not available. You must put a putty knife under the reveal to release the clips after removing the locks, or you will damage the clips. To remove the nuts for the hinge, you need a 10mm long socket, and a 1/4" drive ratchet. There is a thin gasket under the metal part of the hinge, and you must be careful to not rip it, if you need to use it over again.