Cracked Windshield - Asking for advice please - Page 3

MrChrisLS3 · 09-06-2018, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linda53

I looked into Safelite but because of negative reviews I saw on other sites as well as various threads on this forum, I didn't seriously consider them. I did price a replacement online and it was almost identical to the quotes I got from local shops. I may contact them to see what the price would be with Pilkington.

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and comments. All are very much appreciated!

I used Safelite on mine a few years ago. I made an appointment and took it to their shop. I think it was in the $400 range, Pilkington glass with HUD, no remote start. Remote start jumps the price a bit.

john2012camaroSS · 09-07-2018, 03:02 PM

I replaced my windshield 6 months ago through safelite. I am in NY. They wanted over 1k for OEM glass. I have automatic start /HUD so that adds to the price since they add a bracket in the glass. I went for Safelite brand. It cost me somewhere around $500. The tech assured me I would be happy. So far I am very happy as I have absolutely zero issues.

1WILD1 · 09-08-2018, 08:50 PM

I'm another one who has been doing auto glass for over 20 years. Safelite is not a bad company per say, but they train a lot of techs. You may get someone who's had 20yrs experience or 20 days, it's a roll of the dice. As for drive away time, it varies on what glue we use. There really isn't a "better" when comparing the glue, so long as you wait the appropriate time it's fine. (I use 4 hr drive away time glue but I deal with car lots 90% of the time. As far as glass quality, all glass has to hold up to the same standards. Where I have a problem with aftermarket is fitment can be off and color(shade band) can be off/look bad. Think of aftermarket like generic drugs, not quite the same cut/dimensions, most of the time you would never notice, however sometimes there can be fitment issues. Yes safelite has there own brand of glass/ it is aftermarket/ I won't use it/ but you can get the factory glass from them.
As far as price, the heads up windshield is 3x more for the part. You will not get a HUD pilkington glass installed for 400. Not going to happen unless the shop wants to lose money. The remote start version is actually a few dollars less for the part than w/o, so that doesn't affect price but the HUD and convertible raise the price.
What shop to use? Most any tech who has been in the business for a while and is a good tech will usually start their own shop. I would trust a one person operation who has been in business for 5 years or more over Safelite. There are many techs who I wouldn't let touch my lawnmower, let alone my camaro. But most of the self employed independent guys I would have no problem with. Check for bad reviews though. Happy customers often leave nothing for reviews, mad customers what to scream it.

Some questions to ask the tech/what to watch for...
1:How do they set the shield in place..If they use the system that has a vacuum cup attached to the door glass to support the shield as they install it, tell them you don't need there service.(Lil buddy tool) I would never hang the weight of a windshield on a door glass, bad things can happen.
2: Make sure they primer over any scratches. YES there is a good chance that while trimming off the old glue the razor blade can catch and scratch the paint under the glass where you cant see it. The scratch itself is no big deal IF they primer over it, if not it will start to rust.(i did not check your location and rust is a bigger deal in some areas more than others, Ive seen techs come to MO from AZ and be dumbfounded when asked about primer over scratches.
3: Do they shortcut or long cut. short is placing a bead over the old glue. This leads to a greater chance of a leak IMO. Long cut removes the old glue and uses all new. The better method IMO.
4: What do they use to cut it out. If you see them with manual hand tools or a cable/wire system to cut it out that is good. If they immediately want to use a sawzall looking tool I would politely ask them to move along and not let them touch my car. (there are a few vehicles this is needed to work on, a camaro is not one of them but some techs use them regardless. Risk of damage is greatly compounded with one of these tools.)

This is probably more in depth than should be for a simple forum question,but knowledge on what is happening is key in any situation.

FYI my prices would be 295 base model/remote start, 450 convertible no HUD, 795 with HUD cpe or cnv. Prices do vary by location/market though

Best of luck to you.

09-07-2018, 03:02 PM	#30
john2012camaroSS Drives: 2012 Black SS Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: New York Posts: 220 View My Garage	I replaced my windshield 6 months ago through safelite. I am in NY. They wanted over 1k for OEM glass. I have automatic start /HUD so that adds to the price since they add a bracket in the glass. I went for Safelite brand. It cost me somewhere around $500. The tech assured me I would be happy. So far I am very happy as I have absolutely zero issues.

09-08-2018, 08:50 PM	#31
1WILD1 Drives: 2015 Camaro Convertible V6 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Metro St.Louis Posts: 7	I'm another one who has been doing auto glass for over 20 years. Safelite is not a bad company per say, but they train a lot of techs. You may get someone who's had 20yrs experience or 20 days, it's a roll of the dice. As for drive away time, it varies on what glue we use. There really isn't a "better" when comparing the glue, so long as you wait the appropriate time it's fine. (I use 4 hr drive away time glue but I deal with car lots 90% of the time. As far as glass quality, all glass has to hold up to the same standards. Where I have a problem with aftermarket is fitment can be off and color(shade band) can be off/look bad. Think of aftermarket like generic drugs, not quite the same cut/dimensions, most of the time you would never notice, however sometimes there can be fitment issues. Yes safelite has there own brand of glass/ it is aftermarket/ I won't use it/ but you can get the factory glass from them. As far as price, the heads up windshield is 3x more for the part. You will not get a HUD pilkington glass installed for 400. Not going to happen unless the shop wants to lose money. The remote start version is actually a few dollars less for the part than w/o, so that doesn't affect price but the HUD and convertible raise the price. What shop to use? Most any tech who has been in the business for a while and is a good tech will usually start their own shop. I would trust a one person operation who has been in business for 5 years or more over Safelite. There are many techs who I wouldn't let touch my lawnmower, let alone my camaro. But most of the self employed independent guys I would have no problem with. Check for bad reviews though. Happy customers often leave nothing for reviews, mad customers what to scream it. Some questions to ask the tech/what to watch for... 1:How do they set the shield in place..If they use the system that has a vacuum cup attached to the door glass to support the shield as they install it, tell them you don't need there service.(Lil buddy tool) I would never hang the weight of a windshield on a door glass, bad things can happen. 2: Make sure they primer over any scratches. YES there is a good chance that while trimming off the old glue the razor blade can catch and scratch the paint under the glass where you cant see it. The scratch itself is no big deal IF they primer over it, if not it will start to rust.(i did not check your location and rust is a bigger deal in some areas more than others, Ive seen techs come to MO from AZ and be dumbfounded when asked about primer over scratches. 3: Do they shortcut or long cut. short is placing a bead over the old glue. This leads to a greater chance of a leak IMO. Long cut removes the old glue and uses all new. The better method IMO. 4: What do they use to cut it out. If you see them with manual hand tools or a cable/wire system to cut it out that is good. If they immediately want to use a sawzall looking tool I would politely ask them to move along and not let them touch my car. (there are a few vehicles this is needed to work on, a camaro is not one of them but some techs use them regardless. Risk of damage is greatly compounded with one of these tools.) This is probably more in depth than should be for a simple forum question,but knowledge on what is happening is key in any situation. FYI my prices would be 295 base model/remote start, 450 convertible no HUD, 795 with HUD cpe or cnv. Prices do vary by location/market though Best of luck to you.