Rac10000

On the way home from our epic get-together at LRP a rock hit the lower left side of my windshield. It chipped the glass at the point of impact and cracked it left a few inches (to the A-Pillar) and right 6+ inches toward the center. So now with 500 miles on the odo I need a new windshield.

I called my dealer and they recommended Hudson Valley Auto Glass. They said the will use OEM glass and it shouldn't be a problem.

Anyone replace a windshield yet? Any tips or anything I should look out for?

PistolPete

Argh, sorry to see that happen. Do you have auto dimming mirrors? That's the only complication I can think of but shops deal with that all the time now.

Friend had a windshield replaced on a 991 GT3 with OEM glass with no issues.

It this was me, I would do two things.

1. Take careful note of the wind noise in the cabin at typical highway speeds before the windshield is replaced. This is a brand new car to you so you may not have noticed with all the other sounds in the car. Make sure there is no weird new noise after the replacement.

2. Put newspapers in both footwell areas and flood the entire windshield area with a garden hose after the replacement. Check for any leaks that will be easily seen on the papers. I had a water leak in the footwell of my other car last summer and the first thing the dealer asked about when I took it in was if the windshield was replaced.

Dr.Bill

Just find a shop that does a lot of high-end cars. There are a ton of trim bits to remove, wires & connectors. If the dealer suggests a place, they should be fine.

In about one year, I had four windshields on my GT3. I used the guy who used to do all the work for the dealer. Never had an issue. OEM glass each time. Good thing I had free glass replacement with my insurance!!

Finally - don't watch, particularly when they remove the old one. Really, seriously. Don't.

TRAKCAR

I pitted and cracked my windshield in 4 places during ED.
It's soft and thin.
Add clearplex on the new one.

Joemat

Sorry to hear.

I used Hudson Valley Auto Glass to replace the windshield on my BMW 550i and they did great work. Make sure you use OEM glass as there is a big difference.

Alan C.

I have ClearPlex on my windshield. Caught a rock on the lower right side a couple of days ago. There are 4 small tears in the film and 2 small, 1/4", cracks in the winshield.

Rac10000

Thanks for the tips, guys ... Hudson Valley Auto Glass ordered the new glass through Danbury Porsche so it's definitely going to be OEM.

And I am going to look into clearplex!

^ edit: jeez, Alan ... So it went through the clearplex too? The lower corners are definitely vulnerable ...

TRAKCAR

Alan, it's not bullit proof..

Alan C.

I know. Just posted so people would know that you can still get a stone crack. On the plus side there are plenty of pits in the film from the Smokies trip and track time at AMPs.

I will assume a Crack repair can't be done with film on the winshield. I'd imagine the resin would flow between the film and glass. I really don't want to replace the windshield.

jennifer911

Rac, do you have rain-sensing wipers? The fit of the gel gasket is very important for the unit to respond properly. On most every car it is required to correctly install an expensive new gel gasket when the windshield is replaced. Glass shops usually try to save the extra cost by reusing the old gasket. Check with the dealer if a new gasket is required and insist the glass shop complies.

Alan C.

I had the sensor problem on my 11 GTS. PITA

Rac10000

Yes, I do have the rain-sensing wipers. I will call the dealer and glass shop to make sure a new gasket was ordered. Thanks for the heads up!

Jenner

If you are going to add a protective layer to the new windshield, or those of you with ClearPlex when it comes time to replace you should check out the Bray Group 2 layer windshield film system:
http://www.braygroup.com/

I had it installed on my GT4. Comes with an 18 month warranty and I extended it to 36 months so if it gets damaged anytime in the next 3 years all my replacements are free.

DrPhil Gandini

That Bray stuff looks interesting. Do they only install through dealers? I tried contacting them and was ignored. I presume you had it installed by a dealer, not yourself?

Jenner

Yes it was installed by my detail shop Automobilia Auto Salon (they also did my XPEL full wrap).

There is no way I would try to install this myself!