Re: 5000/200 Windshield replacement... bad experience (looking foradvice)

[JordanVw@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/20/99 2:41:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
dan_hussey@email.msn.com writes:

<< and the
 installer managed to chew up those interior A-pillar covers with his power
 tools  >>

he should have removed them, they pop right off....

speaking of typ44 windshield terrors, as some of you know, i had gone thru 
the same thing a few months ago on my '86 5kTQ, not because of a cracked 
windshield, but to remedy a previous god awful install job that resulted in 
paint damage..
this was all "out of pocket", not thru the InsCo.
anyway, had the "windshields on wheels" guy come out and pull the windshield 
(great shape, OEM glass, he got it out without breaking it) and i then 
prepped, and resprayed (3 stage pearl white, what a joy) on the A pillars, 
and up to the sunroof. finish job looks great.. then i call the guy back, i 
get a new trim strip/seal, and he proceeds to tap it onto my good windshield.
crack!!! 
he breaks the windshield while he is tapping the trim strip/seal on.
so i go out and find another good used windshield, call him back, and try 
again. $$ out of my pocket,again.
this time he gets the trim strip/seal on without cracking it (or at least 
thats what i thought), and gets it installed. 

a month passes.  went out to the car yesterday, as i have been driving my 
non-Q turbo this past week waiting for some parts to arrive that i ordered 
for the TQ and out of the corner of my eye, i noticed a odd sparkle at the 
top center of the windshield. 
aaarrrggh.  apparently the heat from the sun caused the windshield to settle 
down on the urethane in a way that the glass was stressed, and pop!.
man...i was pissed.

"spontaneous windshield breakage" i guess you call it...  :<(

anyway, i called the installer to bitch, and he was somewhat sympathetic, as 
he agreed that it shouldnt have happened...  he agreed to cover my 
deductible, so i'll see what happens. . 
chris