Quick update a few days in delay - The new windscreen has been fitted!
I did the removal and re-installation of the trim panels on the sides of the windscreen as Autoglass didn't have anyone that knew this generation of 323 left!
Unfortunately, while one side came off and back on fine, Poppy has spent time with one side in the sun a lot, so the other side was more brittle and snapped a clip and part of the top of it - Nothing superglue couldn't fix! Now re-installed and just as tight as the other side!
The seals on both sides of both trim panels, while still there, where no longer in place or really attached. Superglued them back to the trim panels as they all looked still to be in good condition and now they nicely seal the pillars from water and direct airflow around and not into the trim.
Removal of the trim panels is easy - unscrew a single screw near the top, visible when you open the door then they simply slide off their clips upwards. Refitting is reversal of the removal, but watch as they will bend slightly to fit, opportunity to snap if they are brittle.
No rust was found at all around the windscreen on the roof, either pillar or below - very happy with that
The seal on top of the windscreen was rotten and Mazda no longer supply them, so a custom aftermarket one was fitted with a tighter fit than the original and now giving her a slightly cmoother airflow over the seal too.
This week's storms have battered her and there's no leaks to report, plus she has slightly less wind noise on the motorway thanks to the 'revised' seals!
All in all, it's gone quite well in the end. I hope this helps anyone needing their windscreen replacing now or years into the future in the UK
