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$1000 dollar windshield!

3K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  bullheimer 
#1 ·
62 Imp, or my 62 leSabre

glass $410
shipping $200
installing: $250
rubber gasket: $80
tax: $80
all together now: $1020. i paid $1500 for the car!

how easy is one of these things to install anyway?
 
#2 ·
Does it matter? do you want to take a 1,000.00 chance and do it yourself or get a pro? I wont even do my own on a 100.00 piece of glass...money well spent. But you are getting gouged,btw..250.00 for installation is about 150.00 too much imo...I pay 150.to R&R and that includes the glass, but THATS for the newer cars that are glued in. I had an old chevy van done with the rubber seal and it gave the guy a fit getting it in, I'm glad I paid someone ,I would have broke it for sure. Find out where that glass was made if its from China (like most glass) your really getting gouged.
 
#3 ·
Are you buying the glass then paying someone to install it or going to the glass company and buying everything from them? If the former is true try contacting a local glass company. You might find a cheap all included price straight from them. If it is the later I'd try another glass company. I've never paid more than $150 to get glass done like that. One time the guy even hung out for about an hour while I repaired some rust damage then put the windshield right back in so I didn't have to wait and he didn't have to come back.
 
#4 ·
62 Imp, or my 62 leSabre

glass $410
shipping $200
installing: $250
rubber gasket: $80
tax: $80
all together now: $1020. i paid $1500 for the car!
What's your point? The $200 for shipping and $80 tax have nothing to do with the windshield or installation or even the car. You got a deal on the gasket, which is normally over $100. On the other hand, there are vendors on the web selling the windshield for nearly $100 less than you paid.

The only issue here is the installation cost, and that's your call to have it installed or do it yourself. I suspect that a large part of the $250 installation cost is "insurance" in case they break the glass.
 
#6 ·
Check with local glass suppliers. Windshield for my 54 truck was 350 plus shipping. Binswanger glass found one in the warehouse in dallas. 113 dollars . Those specialty folks call to find them . They dont stock all of them .
 
#7 ·
This brings back a wonderful memory for me...NOT. But a good education though.:pain:

This was about 1985, I chopped the top on a '55 Chevy pickup. I went to a glass shop that was recommended many miles away, had to pay to have the truck flatbedded there. The guy calls me about a week later to tell me he can't do it, he had already broken three windshields....that I was paying for! :evil:

I ran on down there to see the three broken NEW windshields, the back glass and the door glass installed and a bill of $1200! The door glass looked like crap, the shape being different along the top (very different). I was stuck, I paid it and left.

Now understand, I was getting about $1800 for the whole job! LOLOL Lesson learned I'll tell you that. It ended up costing me another $400 or so for the windshield so about 300 hours work got me $200. :D No kidding!

I have a piece of the roof pillar I cut off mounted to a piece of wood and it hung in my office right behind where a customer would sit so I would stare at it as I sat at my desk as a reminder to NEVER do that again. :sweat:

Brian
 
#8 ·
my point is my butt hurts. i didnt even buy it yet! i know about cutting windshields, since your story is true Brian, i would never chop a top.

this price was from the most reknown place in the area. they have to ship it from boise. another price i got was from the yocal yokal. they have this piece IN STOCK, however, am still getting bent over since they gave me a moderately better price of $880.

i live in the N.W. EVERYBODY HERE has to buy a new windshield every three years or less. there are logging trucks on every road everyday but sunday. my toyota's glass has been broken for about 4 years now. i would have to get some kind of zero deductable for glass breakage i guess on this thing. wonder if Hemming's ins has something like that. i could just see my head exploding getting my first rock chip. my 56 truck has the same rubber gasket. i don't remember paying 250 just to install that. (it's chipped as well but not cracked). seems like it was 250 installed glass and all.

the same yocal gave a quote of $240 to replace the glass in my 67 lemans. it's much cheaper for some reason. i found a place that has just the glass for $450 and 160 to ship it. (Impala Bobs). i just dont see all that added expense for a $400 item! Not sure where any of these screens are made.

Anybody out there do this themselves? i'd sure like to know how hard you thought it was/is.
 
#9 ·
The reason that LeMans windshield is so much cheaper is every single 66-67 GM A body used the same one, two door, four door, convertible, wagon, it didn't matter. Every single Skylark, Special, Gran Sport, Chevelle, Malibu, SS, Cutless, F-85, Tempast, LeMans, every single one of them and there are a LOT out there. Where as the 62 was I believe one year only. The different models like two door or four door may have used different ones, convertibles often do, all I know is there are far less of those cars. Believe it or not the windshield for my little Rambler is damn expensive just because not many people care about them, even though the glass was the same for a number of years. Supply and demand says it all.

Brian
 
#12 ·
#18 ·
North of Seattle????? mabee one of the body shops around you can help find a glass guy. The one I use comes to the shop removes and replaces most windshields for 150.00 or less...when I do a resto he'll remove all the glass for 50 -100.00 then come back and install it when I'm ready. I found him at my buddies body shop.
I'd suggest getting a few tel numbers and meeting with them to get an impression don't just let the first guy you come across do it .
 
#19 ·
Yeah, we have a very nice guy and good tech do all our glass, $80 + $10 for urethane on any window. The rubber gasket ones maybe a bit more but these guys know their stuff.
Call a local bodyshop and if they aren't jerks they will just give you the name. Some will want you to bring it by so they can sublet it and make a few bucks but most aren't so greedy and will just give you the guys number.

Brian
 
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