Hi all, Last week we got a lot of snow+ice in Boston as many of you probably did too. In chipping out my '89 Corolla SR5 from under 2 inches of solid ice a couple nights ago I was probably too aggressive (in retrospect should not have used my hands/fists to knock the ice sometimes. I was being gentle at first, such as by running the heater at full blast for 30 minutes to try to loosen and melt the ice, but the ice wasn't budging at all), 'cause the next day I noticed a crack running across the entire lower length of the windshield. It does not affect my visibility, but it will not pass inspection in June like this obviously, and I heard that the police may also ticket you if you have a cracked windshield? If not for the ticketing part, then I'd think about waiting under winter's over before replacing the windshield, in case it gets broken again. Driving from Boston to NJ yesterday I noticed a few cars pulled over on the highway with shattered windshields due to ice flying off the top of vans/trucks/SUVs.
I do NOT have comprehensive insurance hence no glass coverage.
How much should I expect to pay to have this done? The "instant price quotes" online come out about $275. I'm aware that almost all windshield replacements are done under people's comprehensive insurance, so the price charged may be high since people are not paying for it directly. Since I don't have comprehensive though, then price is an issue.
What is my best bet to getting this done well and less expensively? My apt's in a wealthier suburban area so I think local shops would have high prices. About 5-10 miles away are some lower-middle-class blue-collar neighborhoods and I was thinking to call them, explain I have no comprehensive coverage, and see what kind of price I can get.
In 2000 I asked a glass shop in New Haven, CT what it costs to replace the Corolla's windshield and they told me $130, but that was a long time ago and I live too far from there now anyhow.
Thanks for your help! John