Irish Mini Owners Club

Hi all,
New to the club, new to Mini to be honest (about 3 weeks now!) . I bought a 1981 Mini HL which needs a bit of work, but not a huge amount, though it has no headliner, no sun visors, nothing. I've seen a few kits online, and a few "how to" videos. Quick question, do the front & rear windows have to come out to fit the headliner? I genuinely don't fancy having to buy two new windows after I break the current ones
Thanks all.

You will need to remove your front and rear screens, you don't need to break them.
You remove the beading that sits in the middle of the rubbers, both front and back.

Given the rubbers may have been in for 40+ years, I would say they could be pretty dry, and may need replacing.
If they do, then you cut out the rubber holding the glass in place. Use a friend to help in removing the glass.

If you want to use the rubber seals again, then you or a mobile windscreen fitter will have to remove the glass
without damaging the seal or damaging the glass.

You will also have to remove the rear window seals from their apertures and also remove your door rubbers.

2 new screen seals will not break the bank. Additionally, you don't want the screens leaking when you put everything back together.
If the beading has gone milky looking, replace them too and don't forget to buy the 2 finishers that go over the joins of the beading.

Cheers Neil. My only experience of taking out a windscreen before didn't end well - but hey we live and learn. I would suspect new rubber seals would be the order of the day

In my youth (just a shame it was so long ago!) I fitted a couple of screens, but one fateful day, crack went a front screen.

So from then, I would take screens out, and get a fitter to put them back in, far better and easier.
They make it look so easy, and they have all the correct tools, it's just not worth all the sweat and swearing.
I would have the new rubbers, fitting strip and finishers, and they charged for their time alone which is reasonable
considering the cost of screens these days.

There are full kits available which include door seals and all window seals and they are reasonably priced, so that
may be another avenue to look at. You need every defence system going with a Mini to keep water out..

Kenwal Services in Longford replaced the windscreen rubbers on the Marcos when I needed it, they had the job done in a few minutes and it didn't break the bank.

Thanks all so much for the replies. Front and rear screens now out, in preparation for headliner which with a bit of luck might be delivered tomorrow (Friday) . Once I have headliner etc fitted I'll give it a go to fit the screens but if I feel I'm out of my depth I'll get a mobile fitting service out. I know where I went wrong the last time, a complete lack of patience when fitting my Cinquecento Sporting front screen. Hopefully in the next few days I'll be able to provide an update where it's gone flawlessly

Patience is definitely the key here when refitting the screens, along side the correct fitting tools. I got a cheap draper one on amazon.

Have you taken off rear quarter windows? I think you have the opening type which are a lot easier to refit that the fixed ones, but need to come out to glue in the headliner

Haven't quite taken the rear side windows out just yet as one screw on both sides is refusing to play ball! Will be attempting to persuade them out over the weekend. I have some time as the headliner didn't arrive today