Windshield replacement - Part II
 

Wow !
Anyone that is thinking of doing this themselves has my admiration ! I had briefly thought of doing this - then I came to my senses.
The glass guy had been out there for an hour and a half trying to get the glass to seat in the frame. He says that the Porsches are so tight that it is very difficult to do it by yourself. He called for reinforcements and another guy came to help beat it into submission. I would NEVER hit glass as hard as these guys did ! I'm amazed it didn't break.
The good news - I can see out the front again - what a difference !
I took a bunch of pix - if anyone cares to see them just email me.

------------------
Tom Sharpes
74 911 Targa
http://members.rennlist.com/5150targa

My windshield got hit today. Road rock. http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/frown.gif

Hope I can get it replaced cheaply. Mine's the windshield with the antenna. http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/frown.gif Wonder if I can get it repaired...

------------------
Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2

Shop around, Mark. I don't know if I mentioned this, but several friends assured me taht they get calls from the glass shop when they're slow. They'll pay a $100 deductible and sometimes pay the car owner $50 for the chance to do the job. Safelite was going to do mine pretty cheap but I wanted the Sigla glass.

I have not seen it done, but I know that it is a bear. Someone told of a brief, one-person field installation that went VERY quickly. True, I'm sure, but hard to believe. I'd never try it. Be sure you get someone who's done LOTS of them. I can tell you this is one of those jobs that is easier to do wrong.

------------------
'83 SC

Mark,

FWIW, my body shop guy says he does windshields all the time and it is a piece of cake with sufficient practice. Of course, I am not prepared to try it yet...

BUT -- FWIW, he will not touch the targa rear. A glass guy does that, and one who has done it plenty of times before. Not sure exactly how involved that procedure is compared to the front windshield, but I do know that there are hundreds of dollars in trim at stake, at least on the early (bright/chrome vs black) cars.

Anyway, regarding your windhshield, I could be wrong, but I wouldn't hold much hope for good repair unless the damage is really minimal. If it is just a small, fairly symetrical stone chip with no "spiderwebbing", cracking or clouding around it, then it can possibly be fixed.

Hate to say it, but if you go for the OE Sigla tinted/antenna glass you might even want to contemplate an insurance claim, depending on your deductible. The glass itself is pricey, then there's rubber & labor.

Good luck!



[This message has been edited by campbellcj (edited 09-01-2000).]

I am wondering about sales practice again...
Over here some aftermarket windshields are available (with the same certificate like the Porsche replacement-usually its the same manufacturer) where the price difference with or w/o antenna is neglegible. 20$ or so.
may be worth looking around...

Good luck!
Jens

Good news. I called my insurance agent to ask about decent glass shops, and he informed me I have a $0 deductible on my comprehensive. So a new windshield is on the way, complete with antenna and tinting.

Hooray for all those premiums I've paid!

------------------
Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2