[Lotus7]

The windshield wipers should not be moved manually unless you do the "Fold out position" procedure in the Owner's Manual pp.64:

Fold-out position of the wipers

Required when changing the wiper blades or
under frosty conditions, for example.
1. Switch off the ignition.
2. Under frosty conditions, ensure that the
wiper blades are not frozen onto the windshield.
3. Press the wiper lever* up beyond the point of
resistance and hold it for approx. 3 seconds,
until the wiper remains in a nearly vertical
position.

After the wipers are folded back down, the wiper
system must be reactivated.

Fold the wipers back down
Before switching the ignition on, fold the
wipers back down to the windshield; otherwise,
the wipers may become damaged when they are
switched on.◀
1. Switch on the ignition.
2. Press the wiper levers down. The wipers
move to their resting position and are ready
for operation.

This procedure will let you clean the windshield. or replace the wiper blades without the blade arms touching the rear edge of the hood.
*This refers to the wiper stalk on the steering column, not the wiper arm.
(LEDZEP clarification edit)