Windscreen replacement prices
Discussion
i'm 3rd party so have to shell out the cost of replacement
called autoglass to see how much for supply and fitting, rubber seal etc. for my 1990 mx5
how much would you think? £200ish sound about right?
£572
what?! was this a polite way of telling me to nob off or does a piece of laminated glass and a chap to fit really come to this figure?!
looks like i'm taking a stanley knife to the scrappers with me...
called autoglass to see how much for supply and fitting, rubber seal etc. for my 1990 mx5
how much would you think? £200ish sound about right?
£572
what?! was this a polite way of telling me to nob off or does a piece of laminated glass and a chap to fit really come to this figure?!
looks like i'm taking a stanley knife to the scrappers with me...
Autoglass reused trim on my E38 and have bodged the install. Still sorting out mechanicals before contacting Glassman again to come and sort it out.
Just a warning in case they pull that trick on you. I didn't realise reusing the trim would cause wind noises from a poor fit but there you go!
Just a warning in case they pull that trick on you. I didn't realise reusing the trim would cause wind noises from a poor fit but there you go!
here's a shocker i had my Audi window done last year and was quoted the same sort of price. found a guy who came to my work and fitted it for £130. yes he is a proper company. he also told me that a new transit window to the trade was £19 yes £19 and the big companies still want to charge top money.his no. is 07951815800 he is called Vince (surrey kent area)
Edited by done by a diesel on Tuesday 1st June 19:41
I had a similar experience with my Civic.
Phoned a local independants who came and did it for £117 all in. He even made sure to ask me exactly what colour the factory tinted glass was at the top, as imports are bronze and European models are a greeny colour.
Never use any of the big names if you're paying yourself.
Phoned a local independants who came and did it for £117 all in. He even made sure to ask me exactly what colour the factory tinted glass was at the top, as imports are bronze and European models are a greeny colour.
Never use any of the big names if you're paying yourself.
Autoglass are known to be at the 'ambitious' side of retail pricing. From an independent POV, this is a good thing. They have the insurance market sewn up and to be fair, despite some of their prices being heart attack material, correctly installing a bonded windscreen demands a fair price - not for what equates to 30-quid labour.
The industry is driven by price. I've just taken a call for a guy in the market for a Peugeot 106 windscreen. He was quoted £370 by AG and was doing the rounds looking for a cheaper quote - understandably. But he started the conversation with me by saying he'd been quoted £80.00 supplied and fitted. Eighty English Pounds.
It is not uncommon for cheaper jobs to be done with non-standard trims - for example, a Porsche 996 with a Ford Transit trim around it! Many of these guys will use cheap and nasty polyurethane; while others will use the leading brands (albeit, bought out of the back of an Autoglass van!). One of the most common corners these guys will cut is 'diving' the screen in behind the wipers and cowl (in most cases, these must be taken off to ensure good contact between glass > adhesive > aperture). With the cowl still in place, they will also use an extended stanley-type blade so any damage to your paintwork will go undetected... until the rust starts to spread.
I could go on with what some of these guys get away with and how your car will be butchered at the hands of someone who is happy to earn £30-50 a job.
Do the math, how many jobs would one guy have to do per day -mobile- taking into consideration all the correct consumables, trims etc required for an average of £35 a job to make a living, let alone sustain a viable business?
The industry is driven by price. I've just taken a call for a guy in the market for a Peugeot 106 windscreen. He was quoted £370 by AG and was doing the rounds looking for a cheaper quote - understandably. But he started the conversation with me by saying he'd been quoted £80.00 supplied and fitted. Eighty English Pounds.
It is not uncommon for cheaper jobs to be done with non-standard trims - for example, a Porsche 996 with a Ford Transit trim around it! Many of these guys will use cheap and nasty polyurethane; while others will use the leading brands (albeit, bought out of the back of an Autoglass van!). One of the most common corners these guys will cut is 'diving' the screen in behind the wipers and cowl (in most cases, these must be taken off to ensure good contact between glass > adhesive > aperture). With the cowl still in place, they will also use an extended stanley-type blade so any damage to your paintwork will go undetected... until the rust starts to spread.
I could go on with what some of these guys get away with and how your car will be butchered at the hands of someone who is happy to earn £30-50 a job.
Do the math, how many jobs would one guy have to do per day -mobile- taking into consideration all the correct consumables, trims etc required for an average of £35 a job to make a living, let alone sustain a viable business?
Glassman said:
they will also use an extended stanley-type blade so any damage to your paintwork will go undetected... until the rust starts to spread.
Can you explain more on this, are you saying that if - when removing the old screen - that they take some of the paint off and go down to the bodywork, that it will rust?On an old car of mine he did that, then painted over those patches with this black stuff. He worked for RAC windscreens.
The OLFA Utility knife is a useful tool - in the right circumstances and in the right hands. Having said that, it's quite old hat now as tools and techniques have advanced to leave this knife way behind the times.
But it still does have some use.
Olfa Knife (short version)
Cutting through polyurethane with one of these to release a bonded screen exposes the technician to the risk of going too far through and scoring the aperture / pinchweld. There is also a personal injury risk in that many will use their head to push the glass as they hack and slash at the glue.
Used carefully, this knife is still OK, but in this day and age, it's quite frowned upon by those who know the damage it can cause. I still use it from time-to-time, but very rarely and much will depend on the type of car & fitment, or the previous installation.
When the knife comes through - especially at the bottom - it will make deep gouges into the painted surface and/or protrusions, the easiest escape from this is to paint the scratches with the (black) primer used to prepare glass and/or metal, but essentially, these primers are adhesion promoters and not rust inhibitors (although some so have this quality).
When removing a screen, it's realistic to say that occasionally, you will end up with a few little marks to the pinchweld / aperture and this is usually dealt with by applying an appropriate rust inhibiting primer. But if you're ending up with gouges, scratches or long lines cut into the paintwork/trim/etc, you're doing something very, very wrong.
But it still does have some use.
Olfa Knife (short version)
Cutting through polyurethane with one of these to release a bonded screen exposes the technician to the risk of going too far through and scoring the aperture / pinchweld. There is also a personal injury risk in that many will use their head to push the glass as they hack and slash at the glue.
Used carefully, this knife is still OK, but in this day and age, it's quite frowned upon by those who know the damage it can cause. I still use it from time-to-time, but very rarely and much will depend on the type of car & fitment, or the previous installation.
When the knife comes through - especially at the bottom - it will make deep gouges into the painted surface and/or protrusions, the easiest escape from this is to paint the scratches with the (black) primer used to prepare glass and/or metal, but essentially, these primers are adhesion promoters and not rust inhibitors (although some so have this quality).
When removing a screen, it's realistic to say that occasionally, you will end up with a few little marks to the pinchweld / aperture and this is usually dealt with by applying an appropriate rust inhibiting primer. But if you're ending up with gouges, scratches or long lines cut into the paintwork/trim/etc, you're doing something very, very wrong.
8400rpm said:
Glassman said:
they will also use an extended stanley-type blade so any damage to your paintwork will go undetected... until the rust starts to spread.
Can you explain more on this, are you saying that if - when removing the old screen - that they take some of the paint off and go down to the bodywork, that it will rust?On an old car of mine he did that, then painted over those patches with this black stuff. He worked for RAC windscreens.
screen in:
and out:
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