TIREGUY

The windshield on my Coupe finally cracked all the way across. I found a windshield in a yard for $50 and a glass company that will install it for $50. But they won't guarentee that they won't break it installing it. If I buy their windscreen it's a $175, without a new seal, $125 more if they deem it necessary to put in a new seal. Anybody ever due this and if so is it more then a one man job? thanx for any info!

874000Q

I have put in several windshield as a D.I Y. project and it is a two man job. If the ruber is good, you take out the old windshield (we put a blanket over the dash and on the hood and pressed it out from inside) and you clean out the gasket and put it on the new windshield. Now you take some heavy twine or 18 gauge wire and run it from the bottom center of the windshield, along the groove in the gasket, all the way around and back to the middle. Now you and a helper place the windshield on the botton of the opening with the sheet metal in the groove and while your helper gently pressed on the windshield from the outside, you pull the wire straight towards you from the inside of the car (you are inside the car and pulling the wire in, this will pull the rubber seal over the sheet metal and into place). You usually have to "lube" the rubber up, dish soap works pretty good. You might have to try a few times to get the technique but it is really pretty simple. Now doesn't that sound easy? Good luck!

audinutt

I did the same procedure except instead of using twine I used Weed Eater line, it's plastic and flexible... I got my first windshield in and managed to crack it when putting the trim back in the last corner..
Luckily it only cost me $22 @ pick-n-pull..

Well 2 days later i did the job again...
If you want to save the seal kick the windshield out.
If you want to save the glass, cut the windshield seal all the way around it.
Use a razor and press GENTLY, the glass will lift off..


HTH!
rich
'86 4kq

Dwight V.

My experience is a little different.
I had mine replaced by a pro shop several years ago. Audi has to use these horrid little gator-teeth retainers in the USA cars to keep the windshield in place during a wreck (in Europe, they like the glass to simply pop out as a safety measure). My old glass wasn't broken, just badly chipped. The shop could not get the old one out without badly damaging it. Putting the new one in was also a challenge. Had I thought about it, I would have told them to dump the stupid retainers. They re-used the old seal.
One critical problem with these is sealing the bottom corners. They are very leak-prone and have to be sealed with urethane. For this reason alone I would let a pro shop do it as they will warrant it against leaks as part of the install.
If you decide to have someone do it, ask about a half-dozen body shops who they have do their glass work. Quality varies greatly. The big chains usually hire know-nothings that they train. Independents are often self-employed and have a lot more to lose by doing a poor job. In my area, there is one guy most every shop uses all the time because he is the best (and he's also very affordable).
One tip: now is the time to have them move the rear view mirror a little higher on the glass to get more vision!