All cracked up...Back Glass that is...
 

I was having my windows retinted. The PO had it done, and the stuff turned purple and distorted...so I figured I would get it done professionally.

Well, this afternoon I got a call from the shop. Turns out they shattered my rear glass...:mad: Good news is they located a new one, and the car should be ready to go tomorrow. That's good for me, because I do know I needed to replace the rear gasket. I just hope the glass gets installed properly. I do not know of any rust issues, but I do know there was a leak at the top of the rear glass when it rained really hard, but it did not leak when I washed that car. Also, there are no rust trails on the paint from around the window, and no rust in the trunk area.

They are also paying for the repair.

So, is there anything I need to look for, since I will be at work while all this is taking place?

Luckily my employer is letting me take a company truck home for the night. :)

Thanks!

Does yours have integral defrost element?
 

If so, be sure they do a like-for-like replacement. They are also very pricey.

Yes, it does have the rear defrost elements.

The tint shop did say the glass replacement was costing more then the tint job. I was paying $250 for the tint job. This little shop is known for taking care of the customer, luckily.

I had this happen to and Oldsmobile back in '93. It also has the rear defrost glass, and that glass was $210.

score!!!!!!

at least they are taking care of it. imagine if this happened in the driveway as you were trying to do the job.

I thought about that after I got the call. Well, no need for me to order the rear seal either.:D

if they dont eff anything up, then its like an early valentines day present for your car. thats kinda sick now that i think about it. haha

Nah, not sick, just a case of MBitis. This is also my birth month, so either way it's happy Valentines Day or happy birthday.

The curiosity of what back glass w/rear defrosting element runs prompted me to call around.

The glass dealer said it now only comes with the rear defrost element, even if the car did not have it to begin with.

The glass is available through LOF which is now Pilkington. Cost for glass with installation is $1100.00:eek: :eek: Cost for the glass only is $765:eek:

Yeah, SCORE is correct!:D

great. now im gonna go put sheets of plywood an my windows. i cant afford one to break at that cost. d@mn

Geez, I may need to remove the front and rear glass from my 300D before it gets hauled off......:eek:

BTW, are you having the tint done in Rockwall, or somewhere else out your direction? I need to have both my cars done.

The tint is being done in Greenville. About 5 miles from my place of employment.

You may want to remove the glass you have, just to be safe.

Me and Whiskey Dan both went to look at the ugliest little 240D you ever saw in Greenville this past summer. Ran like a little top, but was just hideous to see, inside and out. Driver's seat was propped in place by a spare tire behind it! :eek:

hey jimmy, im looking for a front windshield for mine. wanna sell one?

Yeah, not suprising. I've seen seats mounted to plywood and tied down with bailing wire.

That car would have made a good donor engine for a project I am considering...

Well, actually I have given the car to a member of this fine forum, he just hasn't come and gotten it yet.:o I'm holding his pressure washer hostage. :D :D
I will check his plans for the car.

just thought id ask.

NEVER hurts to ask!:o I'll check on it when I next speak to him. :)

thanx

I had a 123 back window replaced a few years ago. Seems like it was about $300 or so. Either the price has gone way up, or they are getting severely hosed.

I called around also, and that back glass for the 123 is getting hard to find, new. LOF, now Pilkington, has it available. PPG is special order. I have a friend who has a PT Cruiser. A chance stone from a lawn mower took out it's rear glass. Cost was $800 installed.

I checked Safelite's on-line quote system and they show $685 discounted from $879.

Wow, still pretty steep. That's a better price that the LOF OEM type though. Did that include installation?

it all happens in Texas

Sure seems that way. I just got a call from the tint shop. The glass people brought out the wrong glass.

Mr Murphy is working hard today...

The next Benz that comes in for tinting to that shop will be in for some sticker shock.

Either that or any car with a re-tint request.

Sheesh man! The tint shop just called me again. The glass people brought the correct glass this time, but brought the wrong seal. :mad: How hard is it to read a part number and cross check the number on the part? I learned that hard way also, just because it's in the bin does not mean it's the correct one! Now I am told it will be tomorrow...dang man!

Good news it this, I asked about the area where the glass is mounted, and they said they did not see any rust. YAY!

I'll be borrowing the company truck again to go home. I am surely thankful I have an understanding and generous employer. It also helps I work for a family oriented company.

very weird, but did you notice that the ad on the bottom of this page for most of this time has been:

Auto Glass Replacement
Find auto glass replacements. See our online replacements guide.
AutoGlassReplacements.info

Used Car Dallas Texas
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DallasUsedCarInfo.com

Auto Glass Company
Free Mobile Service Great Prices 100% Guarantee Workmanship
www.autoglasscompany.com

Mercedes Pricing
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YEAH! Adds insult to injury...I wish Murphy would take the next few weeks off...I'm tired of his rules already.

yeah, he hates me around tax time, and christmas. and every other time i think i can do something ive never done before.

Yes, that is installation and all. But I've noticed that you get different quotes from different shops. I'm guessing their shops are individually owned and have options on pricing. (@ their website, you enter your zip code and it comes up with best price in your area )

I have found much cheaper though by getting a referral from a local indie on glass. In my case, Auto-Heinz here in Ft. Worth referred me to an independent who does all of their glass replacements and his price was at least $100 cheaper on a windshield.

MY baby is back!
 

Yeah! I got dropped off atteh tint shop yesterday at 5:15pm. They were still installing my back glass. I got to look at the window channel, and there was zip-zilch-nada rust!!:D The installer used the greased rope trick to get the glass back in, and it was installed with the seal and the trim as a unit. The glass did not have the antenna, and had the black defroster leads attached. The glass installer had it installed in 45 min.

They finished the car at 7:30 pm. The shop owner did the tint work on the rear glass this time. Seemingly took for ever, and he did not rush. The work is excellent, and since they were the ONLY shop in town that would stand by their work, says a lot. It also helps that this shop has been there for 7 years, owned by the same guy. I did call around the other local shops and only this one said if the glass breaks while they are working on it, they will replace it. So, in anyone is in the Greenville, TX area, I highly recommend them:

The Tint Shop
8409 Wesley St
Greenville, TX 75402

(903) 455-8468

Maybe I missed it, but how on earth die the rear glass get shattered during the tint install/removal process? Did you ever get a clear answer on that one?
Greenville isn't really that far for me to go for tint, but $250 sure seems high for a sedan tint job. Is this 3M film?

Well for the $250 they had to remove the old tint that was faded, bubbled and distorted. They used a heat gun to aid in removing the tint. The owner says it happens, but not very often. He thinks they either left the heat in one spot too long, or managed to find the window's stress point.

I think the film is 3M, but I did not pay attention to that...:( I do know it is the metalized, and has a lifetime warranty. It would have been $110 if all they had to do was install the tinting. The extra $140 was for removing the old stuff.

Well, that is closer to my price range for sure. I wonder what kind of package deal they might give if I have the wagon and the 240 tinted there......:idea2:
Hmmmmm.........
Can you snap a pic of the car to show the shading of the tint from the outside. I'm interested. Quite a commute for me, but not out of the question.....

Yes, I can do that. I can do that after work, as long as it's not raining out side. I'll get it done for you.

First, I am really surprised (shocked) at the new glass prices - junkyards have them for $20, and if you're lucky, already with tint on them.

Second, how come the tint place didn't tint the new window before it was installed? Wouldn't it be a lot easier not to have to tint the rear window while on your knees on a springy rear seat?

If it was easier than of course they would have done it that way. :rolleyes: Probably too much of a risk of scratching or shifting the tint during install.

Jimmy,

I can't seem to get the pics to upload, even though I resized them, even tried to upload as a PDF. Site hangs up with "Please Wait" so...PM sent...

Yeah, glass prices have really shot up. But, since I did not have to pay for the new glass, I'm not worried about it this time.

I did ask them why not tint the glass before installation. The reasons were, new tinting usually shifts and then wrinkles, hence the "no rolling down" the windows, and the good chance of scratching or gouging the tint during glass installation.