Windshield restoration

[Steve Sprague]

I was told at a windshield place that all they are allowed to use is
after market windshields for insurance claims.

	Yes, very true.  Insurance companies will only pay for aftermarket
windshields and will not pay for factory replacements.  I fought with AAA
back in 1989 for a factory replacement for my 79 Golf (Rabbit) and they
would give me what the price of an aftermarket piece.  So I went with the
aftermarket one and it had the blue band on the top which was nice on real
sunny days.  It helped here in CA.  The aftermarket one is a German glass, I
think it called, Seikerit (spelling), which was used on the car.  Don't go
for any American glass as they tend to crack easy, which is what the
installers told me.  They steered me to the German one.  So beware if you're
putting one our Audi's.

I wonder if they are as good of a quality as the OEM. Also, they only
had one with the green band on the top, which I did not want, since the
original one didn't have it either.

	I think it is pretty close.  The glass lasted another 10 years before I
sold the car when I lost 5th gear!  Pitting was minimal and in good shape.
I just couldn't see spending a few hundred bucks for glass from the VW
dealer.  I'm sure Audi glass it even more pricier than the Golf glass.  On
my Jetta, the glass was still intact after rear ending a Toyota Land Cruiser
on the freeway this past January.  Not a crack in the glass.  Of course the
Jetta lost the war on that one.

	If possible, check out someone else's car to see the work.  I would make
sure that the installers us factory seals though.  The seals used on the
Golf were fine, but my Jetta had seals that looked aftermarket and were not
as wide as the factory units.  You could see the lines in the paint where
the factory seals covered up.  On a good note, I didn't have any leaks on
either car.  If your getting a new windshield then ask the installers what
seals they use and make sure they are the factory ones.

Steve Sprague
84 4ksq (ur-4drq)
87 Toyota SR5 Xtra Cab 4X4
89 Jetta 16v Wolfsburg Ed (rip 01/31/2001)
79 Golf GLS (Rabbit L in the states)


Traurig, Scott R wrote:

> You bet. I had another thought, though. In some states, like Taxachusetts,
> windshield replacement has no insurance deductible by law. Many insurance
> companies will allow replacement of pitted windshields for obvious visual
> safety reasons. So you might be able to get one for free! In NH, my
> insurance company was willing to pick it up for just my comprehensive
> deductible, which was $100, but alas I gave up my 126K-mile Talon with a
> very pitted windshield for the A4.
>
> So for $100 or maybe less, you could get a whole new windshield.
>
> Scott
> 98.5 A41.8TQ
>
> 	-----Original Message-----
> 	From:	Larry C Leung [SMTP:l.leung at juno.com]
>
> 	Thanks. got to drive the parent's brand new 2001.5 Passat GLX. I
> marveled
> 	at the clarity of a new windshield vs. mine with a 173K miles on it.
> It's
> 	almost like night and day.....
>
> 	LL - NY
>
> 	On Thu, 29 Nov 2001 07:17:58 -0500 "Traurig, Scott R"
> 	<scott.r.traurig at baesystems.com> writes:
> 	>www.eastwoodcompany.com has a kit for windshield polishing and
> 	>refinishing.
> 	>I've heard good things about it. It's a great catalog, they have
> all
> 	>kinds
> 	>of cool paints and supplies for auto restoration. As an aside, also
>
> 	>check
> 	>out www.por-15.com. The original Por-15 paint is incredible for
> 	>painting all
> 	>those nasty rusty suspension parts and other stuff.
> 	>
> 	>Scott
> 	>98 A41.8TQ
> 	>
> 	>> From: Larry C Leung <l.leung at juno.com>
> 	>> I'd be interested in this too.
> 	>>
> 	>> On Tue, 27 Nov 2001 19:56:15 "Chris Dyer" <chrisdyer at hotmail.com>
>
> 	>writes:
> 	>>
> 	>>My 14 year old windshield has numerous, permanent streaks from the
> 	>>wipers.
> 	>>No major cracks, tho, so it's a keeper. Anyone tried windshield
> 	>>polishing?
> 	>>I'm hoping there's a DIY process w/some sort of product(s) that
> will
> 	>>lightly
> 	>>etch the glass and polish it.  I don't expect to get rid of
> pitting,
> 	>>but the
> 	>>light scratches perhaps...Does such a thing exist?  If so, it
> would
> 	>>greatly
> 	>>improve the night vision (much halo-ing from said scratches).
> 	>
>