Thanks for all the replies guys. Not trying to save money -- I believe I'll be more careful than the outside installers will, very picky about the car so I'd rather not have someone else working on it if I can avoid it. I believe I'll do a better job of cleanup as well. Also, I have no intention of trying to re-use the old trim. I want the newer flush mount glass. However, I made the mistake of having the car painted WITHOUT removing the windshield. So -- the new flush mount glass trim is slightly smaller than the old rubber trim -- which means my paint/masking line will show. Not to worry - found a source of replacement trim for the new windshield which is WIDER than the trim that comes on the new windshield. So, off with the old trim, on with the new --- and after clean up, install the new windshield with wider trim that will cover the old paint/masking line.

So - back to more specific questions. The current windshield is simply butyl'd in as I understand it. A local installer said if the car were left in the hot sun for a couple of hours during the summer that with a good push from inside (person on each side, feet on the windshield) it could simply be pushed out trim and all. Or you can use the wire method of 'cutting' the butyl. Anyone who's done it that can elaborate on that? Of course we'll have suction cup handles and people to carefully take the windshield out. From everyone I've talked to, the old trim is highly likely to break anyway.

Art - you mentioned urethaning the new windshield in as it would be on a contemporary car. Is there any reason the new one can't go in with butyl just like the old one? My understanding is that the rubber trim (old or new) is largely cosmetic -- the water seal between the windshield and the inside of the car takes place is the butyl between the glass and the metal lip -- the trim simply keeps the majority of the water out of that cavity. Also, can you be more specific about which interior trim to remove and how it comes out?