Well after 83,000 miles of driving through flying debris I have come to the realization this morning that I need a new windscreen. It was very hard to see out of this morning with the sun streaming in. It sort of looked like a planetarium display, look at all the pretty stars. :crazy: I've used Guardian glass before & have been happy with their work. Any other companies you guys & girls recommend? Are there any pitfalls to installing a windscreen in a MINI? PS: Anyway to have this post both here & over on the other un-named, but not better MINI site? Having to post stuff in both places is going to be a pain in the tochus. Editorial old fart semi rant... I really like this site, but having some folks look here for what's going on & others look there is going to do nothing to keep us all on the same page. Any idea's?
I thought you should have posted that there is a new thread on MA and put a link to this site. Of course with the virus scare over there people might not want to click on any links. Do we know if a post would get pulled instructing people to come here if they go to the other page?
Couple things... NAM blocks links to M/A. Sucks but that's the way it is. Crashton, what I've found is that MINI glass cracks, PPG glass pits. It's a bit of an overstatment, but my 02 S has been through 3 windshields. Consider them a wear item! Because of the A pilar covers, I think you want to find a place that has done MINIs before. Stay away from the Stealership... When I had one done there, it was 3x the cost of other places, and they just farmed it out. They made the mistake of leaving thier invoice from the mobile windshield guy IN MY CAR when I picked it up. (I used the dealer that time because I wasn't paying for the job... But that's another story.) For my MDX, I just did one with someone I found via Yelp!. Dealer quoted $1100. National-chain quoted $385. This guy did it for $190.... All quoted with the same glass! So it pays to shop around. Matt
Thanks good Doctor! The dealer was not being considered for all of the reasons you mentioned. I should have had the windscreen replaced already, but I just didn't want to open my wallet. My last trip through coal country did it in. The darned thing looks like it's been sand blasted. It was bad before, but now it is unlivable. My biggest worry id those A pillars flying off at speed. I'll call around & see who knows their stuff.
We must have different MINI dealers, mine was rather cheap, just replaced my 07 glass this past summer with original MINI. Went with MINI since all the glass cracks or pits due to the angle of the MINI windshield. Chuck, I do not know how you went 83K miles on 1 windshield. Mine was so buffed from the sand on our roads, it really sucked. I have 31K on the MINI, figure I will have to do another at 60K or less. I did consider an external supplier, but local MINI was priced right under $400 with a rain sensing windshield. Don
Going off what was said above, id rather do MINI glass... Id much rather it crack than pit lol... I wish mine would crack, so I could call insurance and get a new one :devil: Mines not the worst but im nearly sick of it
Mine has pretty stars too, so figure this out Chuck and I'll copy cat you down the road! Oh look... we have an :arf: over here on this site!
My windshield looks like a bad metal flake paint job on a dune buggy :arf: I'll call Sammy in the morning and see who he recommends. Now off to another :beer
I am also living with the original glass and experiencing the "starfield simulation" effect when driving into the sun. It's actually at the point of becoming a safety hazard because of the reduced clarity, even more so than if it just had a star or crack. That begs the question...has anyone had any success convincing their insurance company to cover a replacement based on severe pitting?
Very few dealers... actually do thier own glass. Many, many outsource the service to mobile shops. They get a volume discount, and then do a massive mark-up. $400 for a windshield is much more than you need to pay for the very same part. Call around and ask. Pretty much any installer can get any windshield with a few days notice, be it OEM or aftermarket. Here in CA we don't have mandated low deductables for windshields. Some states do. If I lived in one, I'd probably get one a year! But for most people, if it's an out of pocket purchase, spending some time on the phone can save you a lot of money, no matter the windshield you choose to use. Matt ps, I live near Silicon Valley. You can bet that pretty much nothing from the dealer is reasonably priced. Not all are that way, but Mini of Mt View sure is! They only get my business if the work is free, or I need a part in a real pinch....
I suggest we Mid-Ohio folks - those who are seeing stars - do a Saturday drive around a gravel pit behind those big trucks that say "not responsible for windshield damage."
My first one was due to a large stone in the passenger lower corner at about 26,000 miles. Had safe-lite do mine and only had to pay 100 dollar deductable, the tech aslo told me to go with the oem as the aftermarket ones they used were prone to leaks. Two weeks after I had it replaced a small stone kicked up and put a nice star right in front of my view!!!! I used the glass repair kit and sealed it nice. Now i hope it does split more so I can get another oem one
I've read somewhere that in Sweden or Finland or maybe both the windshields are tested as part of vehicle inspection. Too many stars is a fail. I doubt that is the case in any state here. As far as insurance covering it call your agent & ask. Me well I'm going to pay out of pocket. Those trucks with signs that say not responsible for broken windshields make me laugh. I'm sure it does keep some folks from filing claims with them. I work near a quarry & lots of those trucks carry signs like that. Truth be told they are supposed to tarp their loads & don't. They indeed are responsible. I carry a digicam to record the moment if that happens to me. All of my stars are from road debris of varying size. Not from carp coming directly out of a truck. Do not follow or drive behind a dump truck if you want to keep the chips away.
I can see glass leaking from poor installation, but not from poor quality glass. That is a new one on me. :confused5:
One thing that will help a little with pitted windshields is to clay bar the glass. The clay will get the crud out of the pits, making it not quite as bad to see through. Mark
Crashton, that's what I thought, perhaps it's in the way the glass is shaped that he was talking about. It was 100 bucks either way so I went with the oem .
The deed is done.... Well the installer from Guardian Glass just left. I'm very pleased with the install & the care the installer took with my MINI. He was a very detail oriented person, even so he would not detail my car.:confused5: The glass used was Pilkington, sort of sounds like glass that should be in a Limey car. Thanks for all of constructive help folks.
Holy Cow...the Sheriff is waiting for you! What did it set you back? (The windscreen, not the ticket from the Sheriff) Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
I think i would have taken a quick drive without the windshield and a pair of goggles just to see the looks on peoples faces