need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

Because of where I live, right on the Gulf Coast on the water's edge, everything metal that I own is rusted beyond belief despite frequent derusting, Ospho, and paint. My windshield frame and rear top frame has rusted beyond belief and is about to break and crumble into many pieces as well as dust, and I need to replace the frame or make a new one, maybe out of copper pipe. My problem is getting the old one off, getting access to the bolts underneath attaching it to the body. I may just have to cut or grind the bolts off as they are so rusted there is probably no way to get them apart. My basic question is how to access the nuts underneath the body. I see no way to get the dashboard off and cannot reach them from underneath the front or side of the cart. The rear frame bolts are probably easier to get to from underneath the back of the front seats when you raise the seat.
The reason I want to access the area underneath the front frame is to be able to attach a new one, or as an alternative I could attach it to the side of the cart below the windshield at the front of the passenger compartment.
My cart is a 2001 Fairway Villager, serial # DG1031-041788.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Re: need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

Wow, the post viewed 27 times so far and not even one response. I'm assuming that's because nobody knows the answer to the question I posed, but, fear not, I have the answer.
I have a close friend nearby that has 2 inoperable Club Cars that have been flooded but have lots of spare parts for the pickings - like windshield/roof supports.
I took off the front support from one of his electric carts and as a great blessing, this one is made out of square aluminum tubing instead of the painted steel one on mine.
The bolt at the front base of this frame screws into either a threaded plate underneath the cowl, or into a frame member itself under there, no loose nut that you have to grab. So that was a major discovery and a blessing to boot. Now all I have to do is to bolt or screw it into mine and not have to worry about getting underneath it to hold a nut.
That should go real quick after I cut or grind off the head of the bolts rusted in place there right now, and grind off the bolts holding the frame to my top.
And it gives me something to do instead of being glued to the news channels every day.
Next I'll have to figure out a fix or replacement for the rear top support.
I'll get pics up in the next few days so you can see what I'm talking about.

Re: need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

27 times and no response... you surely must realize this is not a paid service and while we enjoy this stuff as a hobby we do have lives outside of the internet...

That said, glad you got it figured out. You can take the front cowl off easily once you get the roof supports removed and access whatever you need to. There’s a couple bolts or plastic Christmas tree clips behind the front bumper, and some really small screws holding on the trim around the dash. Once those are off it comes right off. Less than 5 minutes

Re: need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

the grinder works well, that way you can start out fresh with new stuff, no matter what, go back with aluminum no steel you live that close to the water's edge, I too live very close to the water's edge in Galveston Texas
stay away from steel..........

Re: need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

Here's some pics to show you what I was dealing with. I have to send them in two posts. Sorry they came out rotated to the left, they're not in my computer or phone like that.
The first two are of the passenger and driver side bolts attaching the lower windshield/top frame to the cart. You can see the extent of the rust and basically how the mount has disintegrated. The third and fourth pics are the upright supports, the fifth and sixth are the bottom of the windshield frame. The next pic is of the passenger side cowl where the mounting bolt passes through, and the next two are of the frame member underneath the cowl that the mounting bolt screws in to. No need to get underneath to hold onto a nut, just unscrew the bolt. And the last two pics are the end result of replacing the frame with an aluminum one off another irreparable cart. Tomorrow I'll work on the rear mount, also out of salvaged parts.

Re: need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

Here's more photos.

Re: need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

Last pic.
Big improvement from what I started with, and aluminum, so NO MORE RUST.

Re: need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

so you scored on the aluminum part, but the bolts you use to fasten it down with are steel,what I like to do is take some paint and spray it in a small container such as the paint can lid, and use a small paintbrush(you can get them at Walmart or harbor freight for under a couple of bucks) to do the nuts and bolts that are exposed, trust me this helps so much, and slows the rust down enough were you can see it working. for me, if I can get to it i paint it, and most of the time if I have to replace a bolt or a nut, I go back with stainless steel and still paint it....

Re: need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

The bolts were soaked with oil and grease before screwing them down. And I was going to replace with SS but I probably will never have to take this apart again. I may paint the heads with rust inhibiting paint or Ospho, but like I said, I hope to never touch them again.
Besides, the underside of my cart, front suspension and steering arms are also heavily rusted, so they will probably go before the top frame needs any more work.
But I have a great engine and clutch, and just replaced the starter/generator belt, so if the top stays on, I'm happy.

To Project Club Car - I used a small grinder/cutoff wheel to remove the rusted bolts holding the frame to the top, but if I had ground off the heads of the bolts holding the frame to the front cowl, there would be no way to remove them other than trying to drill them out. I doubt an easy-out would have had enough grip to break them free. Luckily for me, I was able to bang a socket on to one and get it out with a breaker bar very slowly back and forth so as not to snap it, and the other one I was able to grab with a vice-grips, both after soaking them with PB Blaster.

Re: need to replace windshield frame and rear top frame
 

Dang that's some crazy rust! Never seen anything like that even here in the...Rust Belt of northeast Ohio...:shock: