Leopard 45

Five of the six saloon windows required reseating—unsurprising, as all were among the larger panels. In addition, both forward-facing hatches were found to be corroded and leaking, with visible run lines evident on the front windows, both inside and out.

One advantage of the Leopard design is the forward door, which provides excellent ventilation. Taking this into account, the decision was made to replace the front windows entirely and eliminate the smaller hatches—at a cost comparable to simply replacing the two smaller hatches.

The root cause of the window panel separation appeared to be inadequate surface preparation during the original construction. The painted bonding surfaces remained glossy, showing little evidence of proper etching, which likely compromised adhesion. This was further exacerbated by the degradation of the bonding adhesive—believed to be Sikaflex—after prolonged exposure to UV. Together, these factors contributed to the eventual bond failure.

Repairs were carried out using Sikaflex 295 UV, requiring a considerable number of tubes. The work was completed with notable efficiency and attention to detail, making a complex process appear straightforward. The windows were then carefully braced and left to cure for a full week before supports were removed and final touch-ups completed.
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Snick As was contracted to do this work. Working around high humidity and rain, they managed to get this done and allowed braces to remain in place for 7-days. Great effort to Steve and his team.