New windscreen

MINX · Postby **MINX** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:34 pm

FYI.

Got a nasty chip in the screen the other day.
Right in my sight line.
Rang OBriens, and after they took all my details came back with $159 for repair, or $488 for a new screen(both done at my home)
Rang Instant Windscreens, $95 for repair, $330 for new screen (at their workshop) 12 mth warranty.

Thought about it for a bit.
Car has dam near 90k kms and many micro chips in the screen.

OBrien rang me back some 20mins later.
They have had 2 NB Screens in stock, can do a deal, offer $380 fitted, at home.($108 disc!)
I advise they are still more expensive than other guys....they reply with Lifetime warranty, and first chip repair free.
I suggest $350 would be acceptable to me, they respond with $360 - deal done.
So, Monday, guy comes to home, fits screen, very pro job, less than an hour, car needs to sit for at least an hour, job done.
So much easier than taking it to a workshop, leaving it for half a day, getting home and back yadyadyada.

So I suggest shopping around, and then bargain where applicable.
Very satisfied with OBrien job.
Screen and seal all looks like new! Well it is.

Locutus · Postby **Locutus** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:20 pm

just out of curiosity - did they fit an OEM (nippon glass, i think) screen, or an aftermarket screen?

MINX · Postby **MINX** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:29 pm

No - aftermarket glass- I think oem is double that price.
Glass they use is all the same for every vehicle, ie same thickness and type for Commonwhore, Prado or MX5, just dif size.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 7:54 pm

the glass is not all the same nor is the quality and many say the fitters are not all the same either. You would have to wonder what a windscreen warranty covers apart from obvious manufacturing faults- lifetime is laughable.

MINX · Postby **MINX** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 8:06 pm

Mr Morlock wrote:the glass is not all the same nor is the quality and many say the fitters are not all the same either. You would have to wonder what a windscreen warranty covers apart from obvious manufacturing faults- lifetime is laughable.

Yep, lifetime of what? I dont know how they determine that.
Other than manufacturer faults showing up over time, and installation problems over time.

I would defy anyone to pick this was different from a factory windscreen, I certainly cannot.
I guess quality is determined by ADR standards.

Main reason me making this thread, is for the reassurance for people, that changing out an old windscreen is an easy and safe task, if you use a reputable fitter. And certainly safer, and offering better performance than a chipped, scratched old original screen.

Hammer · Postby **Hammer** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:07 pm

A little off topic but related to this....do you know if they can save decals that are on your windscreen?

I too will be replacing my windscreen just before rego, but I'd love to save my vintage MX5 Club of NSW decal. The decal seems to have shrunken a little (due to heat) and is trully stuck on.

Would be interested to know if they save decals.

A.Chen89 · Postby **A.Chen89** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:49 am

Hey Hammer, have you had any quotes for a replacement windshield in Sydney?

I rang up O'Briens after a replacement windscreen they were asking for $550! Needless to say I didn't go through with it, $360 though sounds a bit more reasonable.

Hammer · Postby **Hammer** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 1:32 am

A.Chen89 wrote:Hey Hammer, have you had any quotes for a replacement windshield in Sydney?

I rang up O'Briens after a replacement windscreen they were asking for $550! Needless to say I didn't go through with it, $360 though sounds a bit more reasonable.

I was quoted around that same price too. Slightly cheaper if you go to their premises.

But I'm lucky that I have the once yearly windscreen replacement option on my insurance, so I'm not expecting to pay anything when I replace my windscreen.

I've had two star shape chips on the windscreen recently fixed (as opposed to replacing the windscreen due to me wanting to keep the club decal) which cost me about $250 total. Then within a month, I got two massive cracks (received from the MX2500 trip) - NOT HAPPY JAN! It'll not pass rego so I plan to have it replaced just before I get a pink slip in October this year.

1st crack & the Club decal I would like to save

2nd crack sustained on the 2nd day of the MX2500 Trip

MINX · Postby **MINX** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:44 am

Hammer,
I would try warming the decal with a hair dryer, then peeling off.

The trick would then be to find a new translucent adhesive to stick it back on.
You might be able to pick up an off cut for niks, from a Picture Framer.
Mounting adhesive has release paper on each side, and is mostly translucent, (not optically transparent.)

pcmx5 · Postby **pcmx5** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:26 am

National windscreens fitted a new screen to my NA for $215 about 3 months ago.Band tinted and a good fitting job.

Peter.

de Bounce · Postby **de Bounce** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:24 pm

MINX wrote:Hammer,
I would try warming the decal with a hair dryer, then peeling off.

Could try wetting the back of the decal then apply glad wrap and let it sit in the sun for an hour or two.
Theory is it will moisten the decal and allow it to be pealed from the windscreen.
Worked on old rego labels when I tried it.

Good Luck

Hammer · Postby **Hammer** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:30 pm

Thanks guys. I'll try both ways. I hope at least one of them works, as I'm not a fan of the current club logo.

I've asked club commitee members if somehow they still have some of the old club logos sitting in someone's garage but none seems to exist anymore. :frown: