Does this price seem right for windshield install?

[artisticent]

I bought my D about 4 years ago and took directly to Danny at DMC who did about 4K worth of repairs.. At the same time sold me a new windshield, gaskets, silicone and even their fiberglass A pillars. My intent was to get the upholstery done in the next year and then have this all installed. Anyhow here I am with nothing done except the old windshield is now removed, pillars cleaned up so I figured to move things along Id call them to ask how much to put in the wrapped a pillar covers and the windshield. They quoted me $1200 for that to be done. The importance of the A pillar covers installed prior is because I really want the material wrapped over the a pillar so the windshield covers the material. If I can sort out how the heck to install the A pillar covers correctly, can I have someone else install the windshield.

Thoughts guys??

I am so close to being done and drive this car but without a windshield for 2 years Im chomping at the bit to get out there with you guys

[dn010]

The pillar covers are easy to install and you can do it yourself (I will try to find and upload pictures if you'd like), your problem is that whoever installs the windshield really needs to use the special jig that holds the roof at a certain height while the urethane is drying. I'm not sure of anyone outside of DMC that has a jig, you can 'guess' by jacking up the roof with a bottle jack but once the windshield is set and if it's wrong and your doors won't open/close correctly, you'll be wishing you had done things differently. I'd say that $1200 to have a windshield (that you already have purchased!) installed is excessive.

[artisticent]

The pillar covers are easy to install and you can do it yourself (I will try to find and upload pictures if you'd like), your problem is that whoever installs the windshield really needs to use the special jig that holds the roof at a certain height while the urethane is drying. I'm not sure of anyone outside of DMC that has a jig, you can 'guess' by jacking up the roof with a bottle jack but once the windshield is set and if it's wrong and your doors won't open/close correctly, you'll be wishing you had done things differently. I'd say that $1200 to have a windshield (that you already have purchased!) installed is excessive.

I heard about that issue if the roof lowering without the windshield being in there for a period of time. I think you're right about that being of Paramount importance. I think I'll call dmc and try to see if they can give me a price on JUST the windshield after I tackle the a pillar install. I haven't taken a close look but I was confused on how they actually are affixed. There didn't even seen to be enough surface area for glue. But again, my interior pieces such as dash, binnacle, knee pads, a pillar covers are all out of the car so it's now a matter of getting the order of what goes back in and in what order

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[Flash66]

Install the windshield with the doors closed and drying and you shouldn’t have any issues. I did mine this way and all is fine. Also FYI I used black urethane that goes on like shoe polish with a foam applicator that is s sealant and black masking like the quarter glass in a lotus esprit about 2” on each side of the windscreen to hide the A pillar post and just used neodymium magnets to snap my A pillars into place which is nice because I can pop them on and off. Use masking tape to apply the urethane boarder.btw the urethane is only cosmetic. I’m not talking about the actual urethane sealer for the windshield. You can by the cosmetic stuff at autozone.

[dn010]

OP is paying someone to install his windshield so it's a bit of a useless tangent but fwiw I'll add my experience anyway. I opted to install the A pillar trim by gluing it under the windshield. I had measured and placed a board between the tunnel and roof with the headliner gone (it will need to be removed in order to get the trim in anyway) so I too did not use a jig. I used contact cement to adhere the trim to the fiberglass where needed and then trimmed it as needed. I cut it enough so half the material was left under the windshield and the other half was the fiberglass to bond the windshield to. I used tube black urethane from the autostore. I used urethane primer also from the store (expiration dates are key on these), I made a border with masking tape on the windshield and applied the black primer which created a nice border around. I used the primer on the fiberglass, applied a bead of urethane using an air caulk gun (usual hand pump caulk gun would not be ideal here) and put the windshield on, taped it and weighed it down. I waited three days to remove the weight and tape. This was not a very labor intensive task (I think the most labor was cutting the old windshield out) and the only help I needed was to recruit my wife to help me put the windshield down on the fresh urethane. The install and trim look factory.

I did take pictures of the trim install I am trying to locate for you so you can see what is involved.

[artisticent]

I absolutely am encouraged to do this myself as im hearing you guys tackle this. There will be plenty of tasks that I for sure wont have the skill to do such as recovering with leather so If I can do this Ill be very happy. You guys are awesome. I am such a stickler on things being done right that nothing has been done as a result lol

[artisticent]

OP is paying someone to install his windshield so it's a bit of a useless tangent but fwiw I'll add my experience anyway. I opted to install the A pillar trim by gluing it under the windshield. I had measured and placed a board between the tunnel and roof with the headliner gone (it will need to be removed in order to get the trim in anyway) so I too did not use a jig. I used contact cement to adhere the trim to the fiberglass where needed and then trimmed it as needed. I cut it enough so half the material was left under the windshield and the other half was the fiberglass to bond the windshield to. I used tube black urethane from the autostore. I used urethane primer also from the store (expiration dates are key on these), I made a border with masking tape on the windshield and applied the black primer which created a nice border around. I used the primer on the fiberglass, applied a bead of urethane using an air caulk gun (usual hand pump caulk gun would not be ideal here) and put the windshield on, taped it and weighed it down. I waited three days to remove the weight and tape. This was not a very labor intensive task (I think the most labor was cutting the old windshield out) and the only help I needed was to recruit my wife to help me put the windshield down on the fresh urethane. The install and trim look factory.

I did take pictures of the trim install I am trying to locate for you so you can see what is involved.

Pictures would be amazing thank you

[artisticent]

Install the windshield with the doors closed and drying and you shouldn’t have any issues. I did mine this way and all is fine. Also FYI I used black urethane that goes on like shoe polish with a foam applicator that is s sealant and black masking like the quarter glass in a lotus esprit about 2” on each side of the windscreen to hide the A pillar post and just used neodymium magnets to snap my A pillars into place which is nice because I can pop them on and off. Use masking tape to apply the urethane boarder.btw the urethane is only cosmetic. I’m not talking about the actual urethane sealer for the windshield. You can by the cosmetic stuff at autozone.

Love the idea of magnets. Im hoping they fit relatively well so that the magnet's purpose is to simply hold them on and not to also reshape them. These are from DMC but they are the fiberglass version

[dn010]

Magnets or folding the material is unnecessary if you're going to glue the trim down as it came. I replaced mine because they were sunburnt from years of sitting outside. I got replacements from DMCH that are fiberglass. I can't see the need to remove them at all, I'd imagine I'd go through another windshield before that happens. But to each their own - I'm not knocking the magnet idea, I am only telling you my method and reasoning. One thing we have in common, is that we both successfully accomplished our windshield replacements on our own!

I just found a load of post trim pictures. It may be better for me to post them to a new thread in the resource area. I will accomplish this in a few moments and link to it.

[artisticent]

Magnets or folding the material is unnecessary if you're going to glue the trim down as it came. I replaced mine because they were sunburnt from years of sitting outside. I got replacements from DMCH that are fiberglass. I can't see the need to remove them at all, I'd imagine I'd go through another windshield before that happens. But to each their own - I'm not knocking the magnet idea, I am only telling you my method and reasoning. One thing we have in common, is that we both successfully accomplished our windshield replacements on our own!

I just found a load of post trim pictures. It may be better for me to post them to a new thread in the resource area. I will accomplish this in a few moments and link to it.

Yes please on those pictures. Or even send to [email protected]
Thanks again
Nathan