Removing a Windscreen

[Spinal]

Does anyknow have any advice on removing a windscreen?

Ideally without breaking it...

Need to sort out a rust bubble... Called a local autoglass type person, who wants £85+VAT for the job.

Considering I can get a new windscreen fitted to the car for £150, I'm almost better off bashing it in and getting a new one...

M

 

[Sp!ke]

Why are you bothering to do this on a £250 car?

Just drive it and throw it away when the tyres need changing.

 

[Spinal]

Because I don't want to scrap it... and I love tinkering with the car.

It's not all about the driving, but also about the taking apart and putting back together...

Plus, each thing I do is an extra skill which can come in handy with one of the other cars.... and I may as well learn on a £250 car instead of a £25k car...

M.

 

[Will]

I have to say though, some of the questions you ask do sound silly. Sorry.

I do loads of work on my own cars, but seriously - who trys to take out and refit a windscreen themselves? Especially with a glass specialist charging only £85.

I take it they are not bonded screens on a Probe?

 

[DSM10000]

If it is bonded then how would you put it back?

You need a specialist mastic and applicator that feads and heats the mastic bead to the correct width and temperature. If you were to buy the materials and hire (if that is possible) the equipment it would cost you more than the £85 quoted surely?

There are some jobs that are possibly best left to those with the requisite knowledge and equipment?

 

[Spinal]

From what I can see, the bonding "stuff" exists in hot and cold versions... the cold one not needing specialised equipment to use.

£85+VAT doesn't guarantee they won't break the windscreen... so let's say it's £50 to remove and £50 to fit... so the cheapest is £100, the alternative is £200 (50 removal +150 for a new one fitted)

At that point, I may as well get a new one fitted for £150 from the start and bash out the old one with a hammer. In which case I may as well try removing the old one without breaking it instead of bashing it out... no?

M.

 

[DSM10000]

Good luck !

I admire your chutzpah!!!

 

[Will]

Why not consider living with the rust bubble - It's a £250.00 car?

Seems a bit much to spend £150.00 on a windscreen just because of a bubble on the roof, that no doubt has been there for ages and will probably outlive the rest of the car?

I'm no expert on Windscreens, but I can almost guarantee that this job will go wrong. Most likely you'll break the screen, and it's quite likely to leak afterwards. Not to mention, bonded screens are a safety item in modern cars - they provide a fair bit of the structural rigidity and stop the roof/pillars from flexing etc.

Read it back and think about it - in the nicest possible way, this is just a silly idea

 

[davidjpowell]

Why not consider living with the rust bubble - It's a £250.00 car?

Seems a bit much to spend £150.00 on a windscreen just because of a bubble on the roof, that no doubt has been there for ages and will probably outlive the rest of the car?

I'm no expert on Windscreens, but I can almost guarantee that this job will go wrong. Most likely you'll break the screen, and it's quite likely to leak afterwards. Not to mention, bonded screens are a safety item in modern cars - they provide a fair bit of the structural rigidity and stop the roof/pillars from flexing etc.

Read it back and think about it - in the nicest possible way, this is just a silly idea

As are so many, but I do enjoy reading the threads so please don't stop! Why not wait until the current screen needs replacing?

 

[horgantrevor]

i know a way but i cant tell you your wind screen is part of the strength of the car

is your life worth a bit of rust in a accident

and any one removing a wind screen will have a 50 / 50 chance they will break it leave it alone would be my advice

 

[SilverSaloon]

why not just fix the rust with the window in place.... yes it will come back eventually but on a £250 car you can just fix it again when that happens (should be atleast a year before you get it coming back through if done well enough). spend the money you would spend on screen removal tools/mastic on decent rust treatment like bilthamber hydrate80 and the like