After numerous rock chips the original windsheild suddenly cracked when I leaned on it while washing the car...so I replaced it this year. It had a 20 year run...so it was probably overdue. The new glass looked great...but after a few months my wife noticed a 2" diagonal crack in the upper drivers side corner ..in the blacked out area. NOT a huge deal...but I did not like the idea of a crack so soon after replacement. I took it back to the glass company and they said it was not covered.. and that "stress cracks" need to happen within 24 hours. They did give me a break on a new winshield so I had it replaced...again.

This time I drove it home slowly, and parked it in the garage and watched it daily...paranoid about it breaking again. I did not even put the targa top on ...or open or close the doors. 24 hours and no crack...2 days no crack...3 days no crack....so I thought that is was home free. Six days later, with the car just sitting ...I went out to drive it for the first time since the replacement and there are 2 CRACKs!...forming a "V" this time on the passenger side corner....8-10" long and very visible. I am taking it back to the glass place today....and they must be either doing someting very wrong ...or their glass is defective. I am out over $500 and the orginal glass was looking better than this....Just venting at this point. 24 hours or not... the company should honor their workmanship.

 

Your problem is not typical, or normal. i agree that something stinks. What brand is the new glass?

 

Is it possible there was ever damage to the windshield frame, and it's putting abnormal pressure on the glass? I'm guessing the glass shop would have noticed this and informed you though... And if your glass was truly original, then I guess that's not it.

That does stink.

I think I would be pretty rough on the glass for the first 24, so the glass would be covered if it broke, instead of waiting for the 24 hour stress crack warranty to expire.

Drive it up ramps into parking lots at an angle to put tortional stress on the glass, put the top on and take it off a few times. You WANT it to crack within 24 hours for them to do a free replacement, right? Or did I read that wrong?

Maybe they have a bad batch, and once you go through them, you'll be fine.

dunno...

 

Turns out the brand is "PPG"...which should be good based on other glass threads. when I took it in they are now saying the trim moulding is bad and needs replacement?? Why didnt they say that before the first 2 installs. Anyway still waiting to hear what they will or wont do. Maybe time to get a second glass shop to take a look.

 

Take it somewhere else and have it looked at now and find out what the problem is.PPG is now PILKINGTON,what ever you do stick with one of these and dont even stop at Safelite,nothing but grief there.

 

Update: The glass repair place re-checked with the local Chevy dealership and the metal reveal mouldings seem to be the problem. The early C4s have a different set up where the glass is surrounded by metal on 3 sides..and per the dealership: "The parts should not be reused". When they are bent up for removal, and then re-bent there can be metal against glass..which seems to be what caused my problems.

The glass shop agreed to fix for free it I bought the new mouldings. So-far so - good after 3 weeks. But since I am out over $1000 to date, I turned the whole deal over to my insurance company to see if they can help. They also tried a different glass "Pilkington". When the prior install was examined for problems, the PPG glass curve was of "by 1/8"" on one side...so it could have ben a couple of reasons for the continued failure.
What a mess...but at least I have my '85 back on the road.

 

I think you should at least get reimbursed for the defective glass that they found.

 

Boy, that's the understatement of the year!