Windshield installer no house calls

[HeavyFuel]

The guy that was recomended won't come to my place to do it.

He wants it in his shop, and quizzed me up and down about  'Why can't you bring it in?   No motor?  Where is the motor?"  wtf.  

I thought they did house calls all the time.  What do they have to bring over?  A few supplies one man can carry.

Is this unusual?

I've decided to put the thing in myself, rather than trailer it to this guy.......if I can do the vinyl top and the headliner, the glass is next, I guess.

[JB400]

It ain't hard if you know how.

[HeavyFuel]

It ain't hard if you know how.

It doesn't look that hard if you don't know how.

But I've screwed up simpler things....

[moparguy01]

ive had that issue on older cars, because the owner wants to do them himself to insure they dont get scratched or messed up. and usually the owners won't go on a house call.

[Indygenerallee]

If I were close I would come do it for free. I have all the equipment to do it. my buddy worked for Safelite autoglass and I got all his old equipment!! There is no reason they cannot come to your house. Safelite does house calls give them a call.

[Indygenerallee]

Also it sounds like they want it at their place in case they FUBAR something good your not standing right there and they can half ass it 

[HeavyFuel]

I'm not in the middle of nowhere, but I can see it from here.

We don't have Safelite.

[HeavyFuel]

Also it sounds like they want it at their place in case they FUBAR something good your not standing right there and they can half ass it 

Ohhhh.....if it does go somewhere for the install, I'll be right there.     That thing is never gonna be in the hands of anyone else again, without me there.

[JB400]

Warm up your weatherstrip in the sun or in front of a heater. Then, put it on the windsheild.  After that, put a piece of rope all the way around your window in the channel.  I've never used sealant, but now is to put it on if you want on the window opening.  Then you and a buddy insert the window in the opening, and pull the rope out carefully. Install your trim and your good to go.  If you use sealant, wait a few days and then run your car through an automatic car wash and see if it leaks.

[Fred]

Yeah run it through a car wash....................then go and get a new paint job.
A garden hose will be just as effective to test if it leaks.

[440]

Yeah, I cringed too at the auto car wash suggestion. I always hand wash no matter what. My wife had the paint on her car damaged from a malfunction, they offered to fix it. They hand cut it and now you can see how thin the paint is on the edges 

[Fred]

Fixing is exactly that.............It's a far cry from original.

[JB400]

Sounds like your car wash owners don't know how to adjust pressure.  If that's the case, then water hose would work fine.

[Fred]

We're talking about car washes with brushes etc that do damage to the duco.

I wouldn't go near any carwash with any car  ever  full stop !

[JB400]

We're talking about car washes with brushes etc that do damage to the duco.

I wouldn't go near any carwash with any car  ever  full stop !

We don't have those here, Nothing but water, soap, and pressure.

[Fred]

We're talking about car washes with brushes etc that do damage to the duco.

I wouldn't go near any carwash with any car  ever  full stop !

We don't have those here, Nothing but water, soap, and pressure.

That's interesting, still have plenty of them over here. I guess because they're more convenient and there's no elbow grease needed. Just sit back and enjoy the drive through lol.
Either way though, I still would go near them.

[bill440rt]

Highly unusual a glass installer won't come to do it. Most are mobile, frequenting body shops & dealerships all the time. Only thing I can think of is perhaps he is unfamiliar with older cars & doesn't want to make a screw up at your place.
Sounds like either find another reputable glass installer, or do it yourself unfortunately.

[41husk]

Highly unusual a glass installer won't come to do it. Most are mobile, frequenting body shops & dealerships all the time. Only thing I can think of is perhaps he is unfamiliar with older cars & doesn't want to make a screw up at your place.
Sounds like either find another reputable glass installer, or do it yourself unfortunately.

Most glass shops will come to you in my area.  Infact I think all the shops that didn't are no longer in business in my town   I would call around if you just don't want to tackle it with some friends.  I guaranty a 18 pack of beer for a friend that has done this before will be cheaper than any glass co. Just remmember, the beer is consumed after the window is installed

[HeavyFuel]

This guy is like 60ish and the owner of the company, does most of the important installs himself, I'm guessing.  Been at it for about 30 years, puts him ALMOST into the right era.  Nice dude from what I'm told, but his policy on having it in his shop might be a result of just having more work than he can handle.  He can afford to be choosy.

I've looked at many of the postings here about how to install... lots of good info.....so I'll do it myself.

One big question:  Where do I purchase a Pilkington windshield?   Finding a retailer has got me beat so far. 

The local glass shops I talk to just kinda blow me off about the manufacturer, they're like, "It's all made in China or Mexico, who cares who makes it?"

I know the thickness matters in regards to how well the glass will fit into the gasket.

[paironines]

These windows need sealant in the glass channel and between the gasket and frame. Most glass guys don't do this and they leak big time.     Put sealant on the window frame, then put gasket on window frame, then put sealant in gasket glass channel, then glass into the gasket and lock rubber strip in.  Very easy this way. I got my Pilkington from local glass guy who initially put it in wrong.

[Indygenerallee]

These windows need sealant in the glass channel and between the gasket and frame. Most glass guys don't do this and they leak big time.     Put sealant on the window frame, then put gasket on window frame, then put sealant in gasket glass channel, then glass into the gasket and lock rubber strip in.  Very easy this way. I got my Pilkington from local glass guy who initially put it in wrong

This is exactly right. Far too many people think you put them in dry and they will leak like a mother also don't use silicone it does not adhere to the rubber and will leak also.

[68charger hp383]

When we did ours we didn't want to mess it up so we called the glass place in town and they got to our place with in 30 mins and got it done with know problom

[Indygenerallee]

Dow U-418 is what you want to use on the rubber, primerless to auto glass urethane adhesive.

[oldgold69]

seal the rubber between the body and rubber  with butyl      seal the glass with butyl too   urethane seals  too hard once its dry if you have a leak  it will be a pain to fix   youll have to wreck the rubber   butyl is flexible and moves with the body  if you install the windshield  rubber with the rope make sure the rubber is completly seated  in the bottom channel and sealed  use dish soap on the sides and top of the insides of the rubber it helps it slide over the pinchwelt

[bull]

Don't many of these glass guys have mobile service?

[Indygenerallee]

Don't use butyl

[HeavyFuel]

Don't many of these glass guys have mobile service?

Yesterday I checked with another glass outfit in town, and they said he said they could probably get to me in a few months, when things slow down for them.

Plus a $50/ hour charge for the house call, on top of the regular charge.  

[bakerhillpins]

Don't use butyl

Why??   

[Indygenerallee]

 Butyl will shrink over time and can have adhesion problems down the road. Dow U-418 is the best stuff to use as it is a primerless adhesive for the glass to be able to bond with the rubber seal properly.


IMAG0578 by indygenerallee1, on Flickr

[bakerhillpins]

Thanks! 

[HeavyFuel]

So I call Auto City Classics (ACC) to ask about their windshields, and they carry two brands.....PPG and PMK

PMK ? ....no google hits on that...had him repeat it like three times, the guy must think I'm re-re.   

Anyway...I want Pilkington. 

He says, "Do they make the glass themselves, because they buy alot of windsheilds from other places." 

I ask him if Pilkington puts their logo on it after they buy from another manufacturer.  I get silence on the line.

He says that ACC only stocks glass that meets OEM specs and that I shouldn't be concerned about thickness.   Well, that's great....but I'm still concerned.

Or should I be?  Is it worth the hassle I'm going through for a Pilkington, or is PPG just fine?   My local glass shop can get me a Pilk Classic for about $325 delivered (not installed).

[moparstuart]

 The OEM glass in the car would have been PPG but who knows if the thickness is still the same on stuff they are making today ?  you will just have to get one and measure it  .

[HeavyFuel]

The OEM glass in the car would have been PPG but who knows if the thickness is still the same on stuff they are making today ?  you will just have to get one and measure it  .

It's a fact that the PPGs of today are thinner than OEM of yesteryear.

The comparison has already been done by Just 6T9.  It came out to .191 inches vs .201.......1/100 of an inch.

I'm just getting wrapped up on some posts were a few guys got leakage through the seals, and glass thickness was suspect.  Maybe it had more to do with not having sealant in the groove where the glass lives.

[bill440rt]

Huh.
1/100th of an inch is not very much. From what I had seen, some of the current PPG's were much thinner than that.
I can attest the Pilkington I put in was thick like the original, but that was a few years back now & anything could have changed.

Have you researched AMD's prices??

[HeavyFuel]

You're right, 1/100th is a tiny amount...I wouldn't be worried about that little bit.......Chris did that measurement a while ago.

I couple weeks ago I looked at AMD....I think they are the most expensive place out there.

Glass =         $250
shipping =     $125
box charge =   $30

That's over $400 bucks from AMD......no thanks.

Sorry about the 

I read a few of the horror stories out there concerning hiring out the install.  Definitely made up my mind about doing it myself.

[oldgold69]

there was a liquid butyl that we used to put between the glass and the rubber to seal the glass very seldomn leaked     that is different from the ribbon butyl that holds the backglass in   ive never used the urethane they make now  the original urethane  [1970s] was to stiff the glass would lift  off the seal  and leak   had a new 74 caprice come in with the glass 3 inches from the top lip  slipped right off the seal  im sure they improved it since then  it is probably the answer for the backglass now  wont settle

[HeavyFuel]

Pulled the trigger on the Pilk tinted with blue shade...about $325 from Pilkington Classics.  Got the phone # right off the public website.  It should arrive at my local glass shop this week.

The back glass cleaned up nice.  I couldn't obtain any glass dam at 5/16 thick without getting a whole box, so I picked up some 3/8 x 3/8 black automotive dense foam weatherstriping (self stick on one side).  The weight of the back glass will compress it a bit, so it should work OK.  (EDIT----5/16 is too thick!) http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,95015.0.html


I'm using the Dow U418 HV (high viscocity) urethane; that should also help to hold the back glass at the correct height of 5/16.  (EDIT----5/16 is too thick!)

The FSM specs a rubber block spacer to hold the rear glass correctly in the opening.....I'm finding that it is too small, and the glass/pinchweld overlap at the roofline is too narrow.  There is supporting evidence of this in the fact that the factory sealant had 'leaked' into the car in places, which I noticed during cleanup/prep of the rear glass.  A bigger rubber spacer will be used to center the glass better in the opening.

If everything comes together, I'll be putting both glass in on Friday....I'll take lots of pics.

[JB400]

 

[HeavyFuel]

Just got a call from the local glass guy....they got the Pilk delivered today.  

The shipping cost was $110 because it got sent in a super duper wood crate.  The guys at the shop were pretty impressed, since other glass gets shipped to them in a cardboard box for $40.

Also, he located 8mm (5/16") and 6mm foam dam sold by the foot ($.48) by his supplier.   I'm gonna get 15' of each size, 'cause it's cheap, and probably will use the 8mm.  I'll compare the compression of the 8mm foam to the 3/8" automotive foam that I picked up to see which one holds true to the thickness I need for the glass trim to fit correctly.

Good plan.....I'll probably dork it up anyway.

[Indygenerallee]

Pilkington glass is nice!! you won't be dissapointed!!

[HeavyFuel]

Back glass is in!

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,95015.0.html

[UH60L]

I got all 8 pieces of glass for my '69 as set for $1200.00 from the paddock when they were still around.  (which means it was probably marked up a few bucks from whoever they got it from....)

I'm curious how this all works out as I still need to isntall all of my glass and have never done a windshield (or rear window).  I'm pretty mechanical, and can do most of my own work if I have to, but doing it that first time....well, you don't want to mess up a windshield or scratch that paint......

Good info on that Dow sealant, might go get some of that.

[HeavyFuel]

I got all 8 pieces of glass for my '69 as set for $1200.00 from the paddock when they were still around.  (which means it was probably marked up a few bucks from whoever they got it from....)

I'm curious how this all works out as I still need to isntall all of my glass and have never done a windshield (or rear window).  I'm pretty mechanical, and can do most of my own work if I have to, but doing it that first time....well, you don't want to mess up a windshield or scratch that paint......

Good info on that Dow sealant, might go get some of that.

I used the Dow 418 HV for the back glass, where glass adheres to metal (painted).

I'm not sold on using it up front for the rubber to glass application.  I did a test on the back side of the rubber gasket, and the Dow popped right off when touched the next day.  I'll probably use the 3M bedding and glazing gooy crap, the same stuff that is used between the windshield gasket and channel.