Someone broke into my car last night and smashed the side glass on my beautiful and previously near-mint '89 745. The thief hit just the smaller, fixed portion of the passenger-side rear window only. Thankfully there was no damage to the padded window sill or seat leather.
Does anyone have any thoughts whether I should buy new OEM glass or try to find a used pane at a local wrecker? I'm leaning towards the used glass for obvious cost savings, but also because I'd like the car to be as original as possible, and an older pane may likely have aged similarly to the rest of my factory-tinted glass. Who knows? Maybe I can find another 1988-9 Belgian-made window out there somewhere.
Are there any safety/longevity/leakage issues with installing used auto glass? I'll be having it done professionally; are most installers willing to work with used glass?
Oh, by the way: nothing was stolen from the car but a $5 digital tire pressure gauge, as I don't keep valuables in it as a rule. The thief somehow missed the original TD-6141 Volvo stereo, the garage door opener, the DEQ registration card (which is now safely in my wallet), a few home-recorded cassettes, a very nice Cutter and Buck umbrella...and even a few loose coins beneath the rear seat. Haste makes waste!
Thanks in advance for your input, and I'll look forward to reading your advice.
-- Jonathan