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Looking at a 2003 911 that has a large chip in windshield that current owner said was not able to be repaired, so windshield will need to be replaced. So the question is do I get someone like safelite to replace it with a generic replacement or get OEM glass from a dealer?
Wow..hmmm..never had any experience with SafeLite, or the quality of their glass. If it were me I would replace with OEM glass. Going to be damn expensive and you might have to wait months for a replacement from Stuttgart. I doubt a Porsche dealer would have one sitting around, but you never know.
See if you can read the brand of the windshield that you have now & have the same thing installed by a dealer for that brand. ( It may be Sekruit or something like that.)
After I posted I called my local Porsche dealer and they actually had one in stock for about $700. That did not include the seals or installation, so i am guessing around $1K total. I did an online quote with Safelite and they quoted $700 installed. The parts guy at the dealer said that they have had Safelite come in on occasion to get glass from them but did not recall whether it was the windscreen, door, etc.
Lots of horror story threads on Safelite and the cheap Chinese glass they use (Fuyao), just search the Rennlist threads. Issues are that the glass is wavy and varies wildly from windshield to windshield. The Safelite installers don't understand the required tricks to get the glass to seat properly and rush through the process. In addition, they use an aftermarket seal that is poor quality which causes seating problems and sometimes leaks down the road.
BTW, wholesale dealer pricing on the windshield is only in the $425 dollar range from Sunset Porsche (see link). You might want to ask your dealer if he'll let you supply your own OEM parts (glass and seal) and show them the Sunset prices. Probably not but they may come down some on parts cost. If not you might want to try a high-end auto glass shop for the install rather than dealing with a low quality outfit like Safelite.
Edit: BTW, shipping costs on a windshield are crazy high so I'm not suggesting you buy it from Sunset unless you are in that area. You don't say where you live but many big cities have at least one dealer that offers wholesale pricing.
Yeah don't use the safelite glass for sure. Also, take off your wipers and plastic cowl yourself. They won't, they'll hear pry and slightly damage everything instead.
If you're paying for it yourself, find a local glass guy who might be willing to pass his cost for the factory windshield on to you, since he will be about to get wholesale cost from the local dealer.
Last edited by marlinspike; 09-13-2020 at 02:10 AM.
Yeah don't use the safelite glass for sure. Also, take off your wipers and plastic cowl yourself. They won't, they'll hear pry and slightly damage everything instead.
If you're paying for it yourself, find a local glass guy who might be willing to pass his cost for the factory windshield on to you, since he will be about to get wholesale cost from the local dealer.
Not so, at all. I used them for my 997. It was a USAA insurance claim. I called them and said OEM glass, not the Chinese stuff. About a 2 hour appointment at their shop. No problems. Sekruit (Spelling?) glass, clean install. Would use them again if needed.
Not so, at all. I used them for my 997. It was a USAA insurance claim. I called them and said OEM glass, not the Chinese stuff. About a 2 hour appointment at their shop. No problems. Sekruit (Spelling?) glass, clean install. Would use them again if needed.
Check for butyl tape where it doesn't belong. I've had about 8 windshields replaced, in different parts of the country, all by safelite (lots of the country has no competition anymore). They definitely cause damage to trim. You can't pull a windshield without damaging the cowl if you leave the cowl in place. They don't even have a wiper arm puller among their tools. I've even seen them try to cut the gasket so they can pull it out and reuse it.
I have used Safelite and at first was not happy but after all when it was finished I couldn't be happier! Here is my story..
i called Safelite told them I wanted my windshield replaced with a Porsche one. No problem. Had to wait five weeks for to show up. Guy comes out and realizes he doesnt have a gasket. Orders it and comes back week later. He does the install and while taking out the old windshield he scratched/tore interior panel runs along windshield. Says he will replace it with a original one. I stay calm and think there is no way that is gonna happen... couple months go by and I get a call from Safelite, parts in and they come back out to install it! There is no way they made money on this install but made a customer probably for life!
The Porsche dealership recommend glass guy came to my house yesterday and replaced my windshield with an original Porsche replacement. Looks incredible. Rain sensor
As far as I know ”Sekurit” is class type, and when it gets hit (by stone etc.) it goes little pieces..after that you won,t see trough. Not nice. Trust me, I have experience from it at 80 km/h speed.
Nowadays, at least here in europe, they use laminated windscreens, that wont go pieces (and block,visibilty). Sekurit class is only used side and back windows.
Sekurit is the brand name for glass made by Saint-Gobain, they make many types.
Right you are. Orginally ”Sekurit” meaned toughened glass (or ”safety class”) , which broke ”safety” comparing to normal class.
So, that time (over 20-30 years ago) people talked about ”sekurit class” which broke to small pieces, but not harming people.
Don't know where you are, but I had a good experience at a Las Vegas Safelite. I live in Wisconsin, while I was in the Mojave Preserve driving with spirit I hit a divot in the road and my mirror fell off. It wasn't the glue that failed, it actually took part of the windshield with it! I did not want to have to drive back to WI w/o a mirror, and with part of the interior glass missing. The first thing I did was drive to the interstate so I could get cell service. Called my insurance company tried to explain, they didn't understand. Called the nationwide Safelite number, the customer service person didn't understand. They kept asking questions like what address the incident occurred at. I kept saying no address, I was on a hard packed gravel road in a National Preserve. So then they'd ask 'what's the nearest intersection?'. They just weren't getting it. (I think Safelite did mention they could get OEM glass). I looked at the map, realized I was only an hour or 2 from Las Vegas and set my GPS for the nearest Safelite so I could talk to someone in person. Can't remember if I tried to call a Porsche dealer, this might have been a Saturday. I pull up w/o an appointment and am able to get a tech to look at it right away. First thing he says is 'that's not the factory mirror'. He immediately recognized I had swapped for one that was auto-dimming and had a compass display. (I think it was from a Nissan/Infiniti). He said he could glue the windshield piece back along with the mirror to which it was attached. He finished and said something like 'have a nice trip'. I asked about the bill, and he said it was a free service they offer. So, I gave him a Jackson and was on my way to the Vegas strip. My unplanned trip to Vegas turned out nice as the next day I was able to drive a Ferrari F430 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Exotics Racing) This was in 2015 and I've never had a problem with the windshield since, the repair is completely unnoticeable.
09-12-2020, 12:02 PM
Windshield replacement
