Replacement Windscreen?

[Tr4dude]

Well I pulled the old windscreen out of the padding that it was in for the TR6 and the small chip that was in it turned into a crack right down the middle.

Who would have a good replacement used or new! VB has it for $139 plus s&h . are the new ones from the big 3 any better than a used replacemet? any experience with them?

 

[Geo Hahn]

FWIW - I got mine thru a local supplier and the brand was 'Pilkington' -- a UK company I think. They installed in in my garage but then the insurance company was picking up the bill so I don't know the cost.

I would be wary of a used windscreen as even if there are no chips or cracks the glass will suffer from dust or sand pits and other microscopic damage that will keep it from ever being as clear and clean as new.

Is Arizona unique in that almost everyone carries full-glass coverage on their comp? This is the coverage that is zero-deductible for all 'glass' (also includes headlamps and side curtains) irrespective of your regular comp deductible. Costs very little -- I think because insurance companies prefer you have it rather than a deductible that may tempt you to use one of the glass replacement companies that waive your deductible and give you 12 steak dinners then stick it to the insurance carrier.

 

[TR3driver]

Is Arizona unique in that almost everyone carries full-glass coverage on their comp? This is the coverage that is zero-deductible for all 'glass'

Could be, as I don't think I've even heard of it before. For sure my current agent never asked if I wanted it. But then, I only carry a small deductible on the entire car.

I got a quote recently from a local glass installer to replace the glass in my TR3 windshield. He was going to buy from Pilkington, and the price to me would have been about $450 installed (might have been a bit less if it wasn't an insurance job).

 

[glemon]

I had a a new windscreen for my TR250 and broke it on the install, boneheaded move involving a hard tool and only a couple inches of rubber seal left to lip out (my string broke). Although it is not that bad a task if you go online and get the tricks of installation, I priced Victori British at the lowest about $140 plus truck freight shipping, which I guestimated at $30-40, then got a couple online quotes, Safelite quoted $200 installed at my house no less, at that price and they get a new one for me if it breaksif it breaks I figured it was a no brainer.

I ordered on wednesday and they came to my house on Friday morning and istalled it, I talked to the guy (thinking he might need some instruction) but he said he did quite a few classic cars and they were "kind of fun" for a change, and the old rubber seal windshields were pretty easy to figure out.

He actually gave me some tips, used a much thicker cord than I did, 1/4 or 3/8 nylon umder the seal, said you pull down to pull the cord down out of the seal not straight out (Up from the lower edge) and had a hard plastic spatula like tool that he used to flip out any seal that wasn't cooperating. A much better tool than a large Craftsman standard screwdriver let me assure you!

 

[Andrew Mace]

...had a hard plastic spatula like tool that he used to flip out any seal that wasn't cooperating. A much better tool than a large Craftsman standard screwdriver let me assure you!

Oh, that brings back PAINFUL memories. Spring 1970, and I'd just done a pretty good job of destroying the front end of my Herald convertible. (OTOH, you shoulda seen what I did to the back of a '63 Rambler wagon! :laugh: ) Anyway, I found another Herald to use for parts, and set to "rebuilding" my Herald.

Some borrowed Porta-Power and some creativity got the frame straightened enough to bolt on the "new" nose. Next was to swap windshields, as my sister had thoughtlessly ruined the original with her forehead. (She was ok, though, with just a small cut.) No problem getting out the broken one, of course, but this naive 17-year-old then proceeded to try to lever out the stubborn windshield in the parts car...with a <span style="font-style: italic">large Craftsman standard screwdriver</span>.

The following weekend, I drove to a local wrecking yard for another windshield.

p.s. I still have the car. No, not the one I was trying to fix. I ended up putting the "parts" car back together to a degree, and it's been waiting for a proper restoration ever since!

 

[glemon]

Well at least you had the excuse of being 17, I am into over 30 years of driving and working on these beasts (though if you were at it in 1970 you have me beat, didn't get my drivers license or my first car, Austin Healey Sprite, until 1978). Anyhoo, I was sure I was just prying some rubber seal out, dug just a little more and "CRACK".

But back to the original subject, I started witn an online quote at the Safelite site, the $196 they quoted my may be a national price for an installed TR4-TR6 windshield. As you can tell I was kind of tickled that I could get one installed at my house for very little more than getting one delivered, price does not include the big rubber seal, I supplied my own.

 

[Andrew Mace]

As you can tell I was kind of tickled that I could get one installed at my house for very little more than getting one delivered...

Yeah, that -- along with the fact that you got an installer who actually knew how to do it and apparently enjoyed working on older cars -- is pretty cool!

Funny how the "lack of a skilled labor pool" to deal with older cars seems to hit every facet of the industry. When my son bought an '81 Subaru last fall from a used car lot / car wash / detailers, the owners admitted they had to coach their staff on how to buff and wax the older paint finishes; even at that, it wasn't a great job. Apparently, anything that's not base coat / clear coat is a mystery to them! Fortunately, I've since shown my son what a fresh can of good rubbing compound, some soft cloths and the right amount of "elbow grease" can do! :laugh: