Hey, any of you guys who replaced windshields before did you had to pay about $300 for a new windshield seals or striping ..I have an 01 z06..I called a local GM dealer few days ago and asked how much is the seal ...the guy tells me that the seal comes in three pieces and the price is ....$75 for a top piece and $95 for each side piece this is just crazy !! is this really true ...so it looks like the seals cost more than the windshield it self....why?
Why does it comes in three pieces but not in one like from a factory?? please help me .....need more info...

 

Call/ do a search for Fitchner Chevrolet(forum sponser) ask for Corvette Bob, he'll set you straight.

 

A Zo6 windshield is less weight than a standard C5 and according to my sources can only be had OEM.........the windshield alone is like $1,100 or so........

 

Removing the windshield on the hardtop. Below is how I tackled mine. I am a tradesman and I don't recommend this if you have never done one before. Also, if you do it yourself, and the car is still under warranty, you may void your warranty.

It's kind of hard to save the upper rubber finishing molding, so I ordered a new one ahead of time. Remove the right and left windshield inner post finishing moldings. Be careful when pulling them off. Then remove right and left side door glass weather stripping with hair dryer. After that, remove the channel on both sides that hold the weather stripping. And that will leave the finishing molding on the windshield post which is all one molding from the windshield to the back of the roof panel. On the finishing moldings, make sure you remove all screws and then apply some heat with the hairdryer. Pull cautiously. Now on to the windshield molding. I then took a hair dryer and heated it at a far distance, so as not to heat and bubble the paint, but only to warm up the molding, glass and sealant slightly. Pulled the molding off. Washed and cleaned the wax off the edge of the roof that meets the top of the glass where the molding was. I then put a four inch glaziers tape to protect the paint. Be careful when cleaning the area to only use cotton cloths and a mild dishsoap, so as not to scratch the finish. Then took a glaziers cutter and cut clear the silicon sealant on the top of the windshield.

Got two vice grips and used a thin wire, sort of like a high E string on a guitar, referred to as a piano string in the trade. From inside the car I took one end of the wire and ran it through the top of the windshield, through the sealant, bringing it out about five feet in length, and then took the glazing cutting knife and cut a slit on the bottom of the sealant of the windshield. Stuck the other end of the piano wire through and leaving about another five feet exposed. Put a piece of 5 in by 5 in square cardboard between the piano wire and the bottom of the windshield not to disturb the rubber sealant on the cowel for the dashpad. I then attached one end of the vice grip to the end of the wire on top and one on the bottom, and slowly went to the top of the windshield and used a back and forth sawing motion to create a friction which in turn made the wire hot and was able to slice through the sealant on the bottom and sides. Repeated process on the other side. Don't forget to remove the rear view mirror and disconnect wire harness from rear view mirror so it doesn't hang and damage the headliner. Also remove windshield wipers and cowel finishing panel.

General Motors recommends removing four bolts starting from the rear of the fender forward and swinging them out, but I didn't. I just covered the ends of the fender with tape, opened the windows and both doors. When done cutting, stuck my hand inside the windshield and pushed forward, then grabbing the top of the glass with my right hand, took my left hand out from inside and placed it on top of the windshield and with my right hand grabbed the bottom, using gloves of course, and picked the windshield up over the car. Remember the hood is also open. With the technique I used, I didn't have to remove the two stops that are on the cowel, which are stuck on with two sided tape. So I know the glass will go back to original position. I would recommend two people doing this. Remember, cover the fenders and doors with blankets so in case you lean you won't scratch the car.

Windshield In

I cut away the excess stripping, bought some windshield primer paint to touch up any scratches that I may have made with the blade. The molding was nice and soft from sitting in the house. I set up the horses and opened the box for the new factory windshield. Cleaned the windshield with GM glass cleaner. Put the molding on. Vacuumed the area for any dirt or dust. Covered the new dash. Covered the fenders. Had three tubes of the GM weather strip sealant, and I put a nice high beam all around the roof, windshield posts and the cowel. Took a three inch strip sealant foam about a quarter inch thick, placed it near the serial number on the windshield, so when windshield goes into place, the sealant won't ooze out and block the serial numbers. Picked the windshield up carried it over to my friend on the other side, wearing gloves, and started from the top end of molding corner, laid windshield corner to corner top end flat, then slowly dropped windshield down into bottom cowel without removing the factory window stops or swinging the fenders out like GM recommends. Put two pieces of tape on each end of the windshield on top, taped to the roof to hold the windshield from moving down. Put the heat up in the garage to 70 degrees, put the windshield cowel cover back in place, left the windshield wipers off until it dries for 24 hours. All that's left now is the weather stripping for the doors, channel and finishing molding.
Just reverse the process, and don't forget to use the weather stripping sealant when replacing the molding channel and weather stripping. Be careful of the headliner, that you don't damage it when removing or installing windshield. It's very delicate. Also, make sure your emergency brake is on so the car doesn't rock and roll while you're working. Also, make sure batter is disconnected and use goggles or protective glasses in case of any broken glass.

 

Loved reading your procedure, but what a ROYAL PITA this job is.

When I'm ready for a new windshield (to swap out a pitted one), I think I'll just grab a baseball, have at it with one good throw, and call-up Allstate. $100...done.

 

I'm scheduled to have mine replaced next week. The shop owner has two C5's and two C6's!!!! He says the side moldings are salvageable but the top is not. He's charging $17.00 (yes, 17 bucks) for the top one. And I'm going with the non-HUD glass, at $230 installed. Good luck.

 

At $230 you're not getting a windshield for a Z.........just so you know.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1187875

 

Hey , thank you guys for replying ...sorry I also forgot to mantion that i already took the windshield off I did the same way pretty much that mr-z described...in that proces when i was cutting around I damaged the stripping on the glass and I dont think i had any side pieces...except for the one that goes around the door way....

 

Fitchner had mine shipped from Michigan to my glass shop in NJ, 850.00, oem z06 windshield.

 

Well the Steelership has to have their cut of my insurance money too
I'll tell ya, what I should have done was taken it to a regular body shop (reputable of course) and told them I will buy parts you do the labor.
I probably could put a supercharger on for what I would save in parts mark up

 

[QUOTE=u4ick;1563072225]At $230 you're not getting a windshield for a Z.........just so you know.

Yes, this is the standard non-HUD glass. I understand there will be a slight reduction in sharpness of the HUD, and will let you know how it turns out and if it's worth the cost savings.
And I'm going on a diet to lose the 5.7 lbs difference ;-)

 

That's great your keeping it original. It keeps your value and zo6 stock unlike the others that don't have the money or don't care.
Thay are great vetts and will get more in demand as the years go on. like the c2 zo6, c4 zr1 and c6 z

 

I insisted on keeping mine orignal during the windshield replacement. Not keeping the correct parts on vehicles will throw red flags during resale.

 

Your right.

 

I hear you. lt's a job. I did it only once on my 99 hardtop c5 whan I own it and never again.

 

Just fyi, I did get my non-HUD windshield installed for $230 total, and can read the HUD just fine. My windshield is on a 3-year trash cycle so I wanted to experiment with cheaper alternatives.
Red flags? Like non-GY SC tires? Like non-stock intake? Like the trailer hitch for my track tire trailer? How 'bout the pin stripes?

 

Hi,

Jumping in here- read your post with some interest.

So - the "non-HUD" windshield still allows you to read the HUD display?

Sounds like a smart move- if I understand the HUD windshield to be $1,000.

Other than replacing with a non OEM windshield- do you see any drawbacks going to the $230 windshield?

Great alternative if you plan to keep the car a while- and go thru windshields like you say every coupla years.

 

If I am not mistaken the non-HUD windshield is heavier.

401,

Any idea of by how much??

 

There are a couple of references to 5.7 lbs in the string below. You can also entertain yourself seeing me get spanked for not maintaining the originlity of this wonderful machine.

 

Does anybody have part numbers for both the Z06 windshield and the C5 by any chance?