911SC windshield replacement - Ottawa

[Darkly-Noon]

My SC's windshield has gotten pretty pitted, and I'd like to get a new one. Any recommendations for a place that can do it in the Ottawa area? I want the original kind with the upper shade band. I have a new rear-view mirror and bracket already, and I've read that I should use the genuine Porsche seal as well.

thanks
John

[philip j]

Hey John, we should see if we could get a couple of guys interested, and buy from the Pelican in Maine who imports the German windshields. Shipping is greatly reduced with volume, and we could pickup in Ogdensburg. Philip

[Darkly-Noon]

Sounds good - I'm not in a rush for this, so if there's interest in a group buy, I'm all for it. Any place that can do the install?

[philip j]

The vendor who advertises here go by the name of ProSource Glass, if anyone wants to check for availability. Philip

[Cook&Dunning]

I am ordering a windshield from Richard at ProSource glass - I have an 89 3.2 which has the later pinch weld / 964 part number - No one has one available in Canada - except from dealer? I checked around - best price I could find from Suncoast Porsche (usually best price for dealer parts) was $1150. Add in shipping, exchange, duty and it was near $1600. ProSource is about half. Pilkington brand, not Sigla, Sigla is NLA, but Pilkington makes Sigla glass, so same quality. I will be paying a crate fee ($25US) and a freight fee ($145US), so adding a second windshield would likely lower that for both buyers. Not sure if that works for anyone, just putting it out there. I am going ahead this week. Finally- his prices include insurance and if damaged in transit he will replace and handle the claim.

Suncoast did have best price on Porsche brand seal/gasket, $139 vs $240 from local dealer (3.2 Carrera)

I am having windshield shipped to CBI in Niagara Falls, NY

I have a lexan windshield of of my Carrera track to street project if anyone needs - $100 / offer plus shipping - I can probably help with delivery around Ontario

[Jerz]

Hey. I will take your Lexan windshield, if still available. PM sent.
Jerz

[Cook&Dunning]

Here are some pics of lexan windshield. There is some pitting on surface, and some ghosting of previous racer lettering on top

[brighton911]

Hi John. Back in 2011 I had mine replaced by Glass Menders on St Laurent. They supplied an original tinted windshield with built in antenna for $678 installed, tax in. He knew exactly what he was doing. And yes, do get the original gasket, it's still cheaper from Pelican than Marks, I checked this year.

Dave

[Darkly-Noon]

Thanks for the tip, Dave - I'll look into that

[Darkly-Noon]

Thought I'd follow up on my own inquiry about windshield replacement. I checked around a few glass places in Ottawa, including the one Dave mentioned above, but no-one wanted to touch an old 911 with a "roped-in" windshield. Asking at the Mark Motors Porsche parts desk directed me to Andreas (one of the founders) at the body shop. He offered to have a look at it.

After looking at it, he warned me that after seeing a couple little paint bubbles along the lower edge of the windshield seal, there had likely been water leaks in the past. As the rubber seal ages, it shrinks and water gets in, causing rust along the lower frame. Previous owners had squirted all manner of sealants around there, but it didn't accomplish much. We wouldn't know the full extent until the old glass and seal came off.

So I bit the bullet and brought the car in last fall. Sure enough, it was rusted right through in spots, so after cleaning out everything, he welded in a new section, sanded and re-painted the area. He also replaced the little cowl seals. And now for the new glass.

I wanted a replacement of the kind original to a 911 SC, meaning green tinted with an upper shade band. The only one Porsche supplies for the car now is for the 3.2 Carrera, which also has a printed antenna. I went with that one, even though the SC uses a power mast antenna. The brand was Pilkington. He also replaced the black aluminum trim pieces, as the old ones were too mangled to use. And of course, the genuine Porsche seal, and the new rear-view mirror. All parts supplied by Mark Motors.



He had a hard time getting the new glass and seal in, as the fit was very tight. He was concerned about breaking the glass, but managed to get it in. However, there was a problem - the seal wasn't completely covering the gap in the windshield frame in two of the corners, and water would be able to get in there. As it was late fall by this time, he advised me to take it home and let it sit over the winter and let the seal set. In the spring he would try to re-install it.



So I brought the car back last week and and he had at it again. It took 2 attempts to get it right, but it's aligned and fully seated, now. Job done!



How much, you ask? $1200 for the glass, $420 for the seal plus some small parts, bodywork, paint, labour and taxes added up to $4k. This was probably a worst-case type of situation with the bodywork that was needed, and you could no doubt do it with cheaper parts and labour if you shopped around, but I'm satisfied the work was done right. Besides, "the mistress" is worth it!

Hopefully this information is useful to some people. I don't wish to scare anyone, but if you have (or are looking at buying) an 80's or older Porsche with a shrunken or cracked windshield seal, paint bubbles along the lower edge, signs of windshield de-lamination or stop-gap measures like sealants, it probably means you're going to have to deal with this at some point.

Happy motoring!

[911 Rod]

Looks good. Is that a 964 seal?

[Darkly-Noon]

No, it for the 911. As I understand it, the 964 seal and glass are both different

[wayner]

Originally Posted by Darkly-Noon

Thought I'd follow up on my own inquiry about windshield replacement...

...Hopefully this information is useful to some people. I don't wish to scare anyone, but if you have (or are looking at buying) an 80's or older Porsche with a shrunken or cracked windshield seal, paint bubbles along the lower edge, signs of windshield de-lamination or stop-gap measures like sealants, it probably means you're going to have to deal with this at some point.

Happy motoring!

I'll add this thread for reference:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/686953-why-windshield-trim-should-regular-maintenance-item.html