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Car Forum / Honda Cars / August 2006Replacement Glass ? Giant Glass: Opinions On ?
Hello: Have a 2006 Accord that looks like it will need a replacement front windshield due to a lot of rocks impacting it over the year. Would Giant Glass be O.K. to use ? I guess I'm wondering if they use "real" Honda approved glass, or an after-market type ? Should I have it done by a Honda dealership ? Any thoughts on would be appreciated. Thanks, Bob > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Thanks, > Bob Don't know about Giant Glass but I've seen aftermarket windshields get pitted easily by rocks, where an OEM windshield still looks clear. Unfortunately I couldn't tell you how to look for good glass. -Dave I worked for an auto glass distributor for three years. Aftermarket glass is perfectly fine and definitely cheaper. If this is a 2006 Accord and has been pitted bad enough that the windshield needs replacing and not just repaired, chances are the OE Honda glass is no better or worse than Aftermarket. Truth be told, it is often manufactured in the same plant. Most Honda dealerships have contracts set up with auto glass shop like Speedy Glass or Apple Auto Glass and most of the time they prefer the Aftermarket because of the price. Personally, I'm familiar with Giant Glass, but as long as they are qualified professionals who use the right equipment, you are in good hands. If you are still a little nervous about going to one of these shops, just stop in and ask them some questions. I'll give you some pointers. While you are asking questions, casually watch the technicians at work. They should be wearing surgical type gloves when handling windshields that are being installed. Oils from hands and fingers can cause the urethane to not adhere to the glass. Plus, urethane contains chemicals that can irritate the skin. Ask how long it will take before you can drive your vehicle. Windshield urethanes require a "cure time" to harden. Newer types of urethanes will set in an hour two, longer in winter. A good technician will explain this to you Take a look around the shop. Is the work area fairly clean and free of contaminants? If all else fails, ask your insurance company or Honda service manager who they recommend. One more comment on OE vs. Aftermarket, If you have a peek at manufacturer's stamp on any 03-05 Cavalier, Sunfire, it is made by a company called Crinimex out of Mexico. GM found that is was more cost effective to install at their factories then PPG glass. Oh, and PPG also supplies aftermarket glass. The only time I have found that OE is better than Aftermarket is when the factory glass has a solar reflective coating, i.e. Chevy Venture, and the windshield with solar coating is about 3 times the price as the Chinese version without it. > > Hello: > > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > -Dave What you said makes perfect sense considering all the windshields replaced out there. It was years ago, and could have been my father's car that I noticed the nicks much easier on the windshield with an aftermarket windshield. Maybe it was a crappy glass shop who's no longer in business. Who knows! >I worked for an auto glass distributor for three years. Aftermarket > glass is perfectly fine and definitely cheaper. If this is a 2006 [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] >> >> -Dave > I worked for an auto glass distributor for three years. Aftermarket > glass is perfectly fine and definitely cheaper. If this is a 2006 [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > If all else fails, ask your insurance company or Honda service manager > who they recommend. good informative post. honda do indeed buy in their glass from outside, and do their own q.c., so there's no reason aftermarket won't be just as good if it comes from the right source. as usual, it's the cheap stuff to be careful about. in the old days, glass from pilkington was /the/ best, but i don't know if they still do auto glass. is ppg a subsidiary of pilkington perhaps? > One more comment on OE vs. Aftermarket, If you have a peek at > manufacturer's stamp on any 03-05 Cavalier, Sunfire, it is made by a [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >> >> -Dave > good if it comes from the right source. as usual, it's the cheap stuff to > be careful about. Bingo! How do you tell it's the cheap stuff? >> good if it comes from the right source. as usual, it's the cheap stuff to >> be careful about. > > Bingo! How do you tell it's the cheap stuff? price? as mentioned by others, inspection for small blemishes and optical flatness are dead giveaways. it's surprising the difference in q.c. between manufacturers. >>> good if it comes from the right source. as usual, it's the cheap stuff >>> to be careful about. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > flatness are dead giveaways. it's surprising the difference in q.c. > between manufacturers. Duh. Ask an obvious question, and get an obvious answer! lol Plenty of auto glass shops around but the most common I see/hear about around here is Safelite. > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Thanks, > Bob See my reply to this identical message in rec.autos.makers.honda. Learn how to properly crosspost.  SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Thanks, > Bob have you tried having them polished out? > > Hello: > > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > > have you tried having them polished out? Polishing may work, but if the scratches and dings are too deep, excessive polishing can cause distortions in the glass. You may be able to have the chips repaired though. I've had quite a few filled over the years. |
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