HELP - A mouse ate my GT -- for real !

[GTNJ]

I keep my GT covered in the garage ........ always !
Well took a ride yesterday .. pulled the cover off and YIKES !
Something had chewed the gasket around the windshield.:ack
You can see the teeth marks. Well I am terribly upset. :frown


What do I do ? :confused
Is it a simple repair?
Do I need to have the windshield removed to repair ?
It looks like the gasket is tucked under the windshield.
The local Ford Dealer doesn't know.
Where do I take the car? ( IN NORTH JERSEY)
It looks like there is a seam above the chewed area.

At least the mouse has good taste!

Have you ever seen this?

I would appreciate any and all advise, I'm not sure how to proceed.




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[Mark O]

What do I do ? :confused



I would appreciate any and all advise, I'm not sure how to proceed.


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What you do is trap the mouse (and his family) in one of those have a heart traps & then toss in a lit M-80 to keep it company.

As far as the car goes, others will chime in.

 

[todd]

Sorry to see that. I think I would get about 5 cats for my garage after that.
I have seen mice do wiring and seats but never windsheild gaskets

 

[Musclecar67]

I had to replace my weather striping on my Mustang Gt because it was chipping away with only 20k miles. I went to the Ford dealer and they ordered and installed a new piece. I would Imagen they would do the same for you. You don't have to tell them it was a mouse lol! that is the first I have ever heard. Did anything get behind the rubber that the mouse might have wanted. I have squirls that leave the same marks on my garbage cans! Some how they can smell right through them and eat there way through, and I have the heavy duty "brute" cans. Im in Clifton Nj , I would recommend WAYNE Ford over FETTE Ford. GL with everything, might have to stand guard with a bb gun for a while. ~ Rob

 

[Spirit]

Now that’s a first.

I’ve had dogs eat the rubber off a bumper, cow sit on the hood, and a horse eat a tractor seat; but a mouse eating a window gasket? :eek NOT YET.

I suspect that the windshield will have to come out to repair it.:thumbsdow

I would suggest that you get yourself a cat.:thumbsup

Your insurace company will really like this one.:lol

Good Luck With The Repair.

Fred

 

[BlackICE]

When I took delivery of my GT one side of the car had this gasket sticky up! It was not completely installed yet. I removed a strip on the double sided tape and pushed it down.

I believe as long as it is still sealed, the damage is only aesthetic. You have to decide on whether that bothers you enough to get take the windshield out! I have read it is a big job. I have patched gaskets on other cars by using a black silicone over the area covered with plastic wrap and cut with a razor. I will look better, but not perfect. The color will not match the matt black of the gasket.

1st thing to do is exterminate all of those critter in your garage! They can cause much more damage such as chewing through wiring, hoses etc, or dying in a inaccessible area in car! That would really stink!

 

[Fubar]

I think I might just live with it until the windshield had enough chips in it to justify the repair.

You could try to buy to rubber filler stuff but that may end up looking more goober’d than the tiny teeth marks.

By the way, it wasn't me (note the avatar to your left)

 

[usmcfred]

Yes, hardly seems worthwhile removing and replacing the windshield just to replace a gasket with such minor (cosmetic) damage. I would get a small tube of black RTV silicone sealer. Carefully mask triple thick the "line" originally created by the gasket. Squeeze a small amount of the black silicone into the void. Smooth out with your index finger ONCE as screwing with it will only make a mess. Let it cure over night, then carefully remove the tape after dressing the edge with a new single edge razor blade to prevent the tape from pulling out the patch. I doubt anyone but you will ever notice the fix. If you are not too good with things like this, a glass shop could do it for you at a small cost I would guess.

If the look bothers you AFTER you try this, then I would go for the windshield R&R and a new gasket, however even though this can be done without removing the front fenders (as Ford recommends) it is still a major job and there's always the chance something else gets damaged during the process.

I'll rent you my Maine Coon Cat for a week and I can assure you, there will be no more mice in your garage! Seriously, get rid of those critters as I have seen the damage they can do to a car, especially chewing the wiring insulation which they like to make their nests out of.

Good luck. usmcfred

 

[isaakgt]

Talk to your local pest control guy and have them put several "Protecta" bait stations loaded with Bell Labs (Contrac Blox) in your garage. It is cheap and effective.

 

[Kayvan]

That sucks. had one chew thru my fuel line on '68 SL; nearly caused a fire.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Seriously, Jeeersey, you might want to go over the REST of your car 2C if that little ------- snacked on something else somewhere.

'Might be better to know NOW than later depending on what you might/could find...

'Just my $.02.

(Of all the STOOPID things to happen - and to have it done THERE of all places!)

 

[BradleyP]

Sorry to see that!
I know someone that had a rat chew all his wiring and insurance did not cover it. Per isaakgt, I also have bait boxes under each of my cars that are stored.

 

[GTNJ]

Seriously, Jeeersey, you might want to go over the REST of your car 2C if that little ------- snacked on something else somewhere.

'Might be better to know NOW than later depending on what you might/could find...

'Just my $.02.

(Of all the STOOPID things to happen - and to have it done THERE of all places!)

I'm afraid to go over the REST of my car . :ack

 

[Piana]

I'm afraid too. :ack

I had a similar experience in my Ferrari. I brought it in for service and they noticed insulation in the trunk area. They trapped mama and babies while they had it. Your intruders can still be in there. Look for other signs. Bait stations seem to work. I have a pest service in a country home just for that reason. Another option is an air chamber. Go to www.copperstarproducts.com. You can get indoor or outdoor protection at a reasonable cost.

 

[nz05gt]

Don't panic the window seal is only double sided taped on, it is actually the door seal that fills the gap between the door and the edge of the windscreen glass.
:thumbsup
Neil

 

[GTNJ]

Don't panic the window seal is only double sided taped on, it is actually the door seal that fills the gap between the door and the edge of the windscreen glass.
:thumbsup
Neil

Neil, Does that mean that it is an easy fix without removing the windshield?

 

[nz05gt]

Neil, Does that mean that it is an easy fix without removing the windshield?

Yes it's just a matter of pulling it of and cleaning of the old tape and refitting the new rubber which should come with the new tape already fitted,there are some alignment holes on the A-pillar to help set it up.
:cheers
Neil

 

[DanQ]

GTNJ sorry about your window molding. That's got to be a first!

Fubar your avatar just busted me up! ROFLMAO...

 

[Howard]

We have mice in New Jersey?? Seriously, I keep two baited traps around the car all year, especially in the winter. The bastards love raisons. If your garage has access to the outside (dirt floor, holes in cinder block) the mice will get in. Conventional traps are cheap and effective IF you inspect and renew them regularly. If the garage is hole-free and has a wall-to-wall cement floor, just kill the existing mice with the traps and don't leave the garage door open after that. I agree with the RTV fix. No one will know but you (and us).

Howard

 

[todd]

I am going to go against the grain here. I would replace the gasket My insurance has glass replacement so if the mouse damage was not covered that rock the truck in front of me kick up is covered. And as far as traps go don't use poison the bodies get in places and stink. Use the humane ones or use the glue ones.
P.s. If you do catch them alive they are enemy combatants so torchure is justified.:willy :willy :willy