my hatch had been rusting and i just found a local junk yard that i plan on hitting up soon. most likely they will charge me by the wieght and most likely the glass will already be taken if not crack. my hatch glass is perfect, its just my hatch thats going bad.

is it possible to swap the hatch glass bymyslef with home tools? or do i have to pay and arm and a leg to get them swapped at a glass repair shop? thanks

EDIT: I MEANT THE GLASS ITSELF! sorry for not being clear

 

I swapped my rusty one for a non-rusty one. Totally worth it!

Just swap the whole thing, I cant imagine trying to separate the glass....

Don't forget to remove all the interior plastic\rubber bits from the better condition one onto the one you will keep.

Removing the hatch is easy; four bolts hold the hinges to the car and two more bolts remove the hatch struts\shocks. You can then lift it off. Depending on your situation, what to do with the old hatch might be a pain. I say chuck it in a dumpster and be done with it You should probably get a buddy to help you througout all this.

 

i meant the glass itself. but thanks for trying. hahahaha oh **** look at my post...

 

Check the RX-7 history in the FAQs. Hatch glass from certain later models is 10lbs. lighter than the S4's, thanks to a stronger steel frame. Get it!

 

its not worth the time and effort to remove the glass from the frame and you will probally break it anyway if you try to remove it....just swap the whole thing....

 

thanks for all the replies but i know someones done it before. i guess ill have to take it to the glass repair shop...

 

Just go to northern tools or any store like that , OR you can just get it online anywhere, its called a cable kit..search that and you will see.

 

??? can you give me a link? whats this for?

 

ehh, i guess ill be the first to attempt this... wish me luck.

 

This is pointless... Rear hatches are so easy to find that people will GIVE them away... In fact I have 2 of them right now that are FREE!!!

 

well if thats the case then i should find one intact no problem at the junk yard. thanks for the heads-up.

 

similar "?" but on the same topic... is it possible to reapair the frame of the hatch? I was plaining on doing this. My idea was (its that spot at the bottom, seen it on a dozen that are rusted) grind the rusted portion of the hatch off in the shape of a square. take a peice of 16 gauge and shape it in the correct shape minus 1/16 of an inch around the sides. Weld it in the newly formed hole. grind it down to its original curved shape, then sand until it matches. I know its a lot of work, and I could just as easily look around. Another question, is it hard to find bronze tinted or did they all come with the rear bronze tinted? I am almost sure they didnt, which is why replacing mine is probably not as easy.

 

I think the only ones that came with a bronze tint were the 10th Anni's.

 

some people just haven't ever heard of work smarter not harder.

 

or maybe were just tryna work with what we got...

 

10ae, thats what I suspected. I have a beat up 10 ae and parts arent exactly easy to come by for the body I just hope I never break a window.

 

I also have a spare 10AE bronze tinted hatch... I'd let it go for $50 (which is a STEAL) but I'm not willing to ship it... Know anyone in NC?

 

i understand you wanna work with what u got but like 13B4ME said these hatches are a dime a dozen just save yourself the trouble and go pick one up! you can probally get a whole hatch for the price of the cable tool you would need to remove the glass anyway

 

yeah thats true and i understand where you are comming from but look at like this, say you got a cracked or broken glass and you just so happen to have a replacement in the garage or you know of one in a near by junkyard. wouldnt it be cheaper (most likely not easier) to just use that with the cable tool? of course you would have to know how to swap them but in the long run i think it would be cheaper and the experiece cant hurt.

i dont really know how much a hatch glass cost but im sure its a lot more then a whole unit from the junk yard.

ehh, i guess im making it harder then it has to be but to me i think the hard way is the best way.

thanks for the replies

 

Dude why don't you just drive up to sacramento and go to mazda recycling and buy one. I swapped out my wiper hatch for a non wiper se hatch for 50.00. I did it right there at the place. afterwards I asked where they wanted my old hatch to be put and I practically had to beg them to take it. The one I ended up with cleaned up really well. If you want all the inner welting I'll sell it to you.

 

No you're looking at it the wrong way... Most places will charge you MORE for just the glass, because it leaves them with a useless hatch frame... Nobody replaces just the glass and there's a reason for that... Hatches are dirt cheap, and it takes just a few bolts to remove them... If you attempt removal/replacement of the glass, chances are you're going to end up with a very nasty looking outcome, due to the way the glass mates the hatch frame... Just be realistic and replace your hatch... Or just replace the glass and then go replace your whole hatch anyways... I would opt for "A" if I was you...

 

And melicha8 is right... Mazda Recycling is right there in Rancho Cordova, and they have hundreds of them...

 

yeah i wish i was home but im up here in san diego. thanks for the replies.

 

damn you guys even have a mazda recycling plant in cali.......you lucky bastards...lol everything for rx7s is on the west coast....why is that?.....i think i might move....