SVX Windshield
 

Now I am starting to get pissed...

Just got off the phone with a salvage yard that is sitting on two SVX windshields. The deal is they won't sell them to me. They say the can't get them out without breaking it. Told me they had broken several trying to remove them, and my only option was to go to a specialty glass company. Unfortunately the only folks that deal with these new is Subaru, at $750 + installation. Ouch.

Has anyone ever heard of this? Can't remove the windshield without breaking it?

Their only suggestion was to pay for it and take it out myself. So I thought I would hire an expert from a glass shop to remove it for me, but wanted to get a little more info before I went through the trouble. Get a little testimony if anyone has any experience with this???

My sense of humor is fleeting.

-TAG

Re: SVX Windshield
 

Tag,
Don't lose your sense of humor over things like that. Things will work out in the end.

I'd suggest PM'ing Huck. I know that he has had a windshield replaced with used glass. I also know that he ordered one piece of glass that was broken in shipping. Perhaps his experience can help you sort things out.

Good luck.

i cant see why they would break while being removed. This is a prett straight forward process. I've done it a zillion times. Yeah, there are things you can do that will shater them Some of them take less to break than others. I find the most common mistake is trying to pry it up so it's easier to cut. That will probably break it 50% of the time.

I found that a box of straight razors, suctions cups and a few hours is the best way to go about it. just remove all trim around the window, then slow cut out the caulking. be careful not to cut the actual window as this can also cause breakage, depening on the type of glass. Then use your suction cups to bring it out. Usually a 2 person job. I've pulled them from the outbacks before w/o a problem, I'm just asuming they are made the same, as most are.

Since they seam to have problems w/ it, tell them you'll do it for $20- $50. Obviously if they cant get them out they have no use for them, right? and if you cant, at least you had some fun :)

Any time you remove a windshield there is a big chance it will break.All it takes is a little chip on the edge and it spells disaster.I have help cut out a few at my friends salvage yard.

The way they do it is to use a piece of piano wire. It is pushed through the caulk from the outside and pulled back and forth with a person on the inside. Sometimes just the heat that is generated from the wire is enough to break it.

I am not sure about this,but I think most glass places do not like used glass because if it breaks they do not want to be held responsible.
Plus they are usually taking out glass that is already damaged so they probably are not all that skilled at removing it without breakage.

There are also "Hot Knifes" that are used in this application. It is an L-shaped soldering iron that heats just enough to cut without the goo melting back together. It takes about 20 minutes to cut through the seal all the way around.

I've used a hot knife in the past and it works well for one person windsheild removal.

With any glass work, you are risking breakage so be careful and hope for the best. I would estimate that a first timer has a 50/50 chance of breaking it. Pros probably still have a 25% breakage on removal which is why no shop will do used glass work.

Also, while you have the cowl cover off (I believe you need to take it off to remove windsheild) sand it down and repaint it with rustolium or have a shop black epoxy it. I saw many SVXs at Reading (including mine) with rusting cowl covers. Black and rust is never a good color combination on the SVX. With it out, you can make sure that all the edges are properly protected.

Doug