windshield replacement questions

Not really worth it to replace glass as a DIY item any longer. Especially if you have airbags. The old glass gets cut free and the new glass and trim gets glued back in with a special urethane adhesive. However with the price of the adhesive and the new glass it is only about 25-50 dollars more for them to replace it. Then you get a warranty and don't have the aggravation either.

A friend of mine said he needed a windshield once. He went to a "pick a part" place. Apparently you can remove a windshield with piano wire. I am not sure how the whole thing worked out. Not very well, I suspect. Anyway I think I would use the telephone book and the phone, and call phone around to get the best price. Yes, this is a don't try this at home thing, at least for me.

eh, you can probably get an old-school (floats in a rubber gasket) windshield from a junkyard for about 1/2 the installed price of a new one. However, I suspect a '99 MY car will have a glued in windshield making sucking it up and paying the installer your best bet, unless you're really handy.

nate

An installer can sell you an installed windshield cheaper than you can buy it.

I didn't even consider junkyard glass. Looking at the world through a new windshield is so sweet.

I agree. I've had windshields replaced only because of pitting.

I would not attempt to do a windshield because the windshield itself (OEM Carlite) for my Escort is only about $100, and installed it was $205. That was 2 years ago at Royal Auto Glass in the DC area.

Agreed, but when I freshened up my '62 Stude new glass was not available for it, so I got some OJT on installing a windsheild. (screwed up the first install, too - it cracked within a week. Wraparound windshields are a PITA.) If one is on an extreme budget and/or has a car for which new glass is not available and the vehicle uses a traditional gasket, DIY replacement *is* an option.

mate

George wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Don't even think about doing this yourself.

This windshield is bonded in and is a structural part of the car. Mess this up and you can expect -- in addition to water leaks and wind noise -- cracked glass and/or poor adhesion.

Pay the pros and save big bucks NOT fixing problems afterwards. Unless you're REALLY adventurous, that is...

Thanks. That's the sort of thing I was concerned about. I'll just assume you know whereof you speak ... 'cause, who ever heard of bad advice on the internet.