Good, so the windshield WILL HAVE TABS. That's all I wanted to know. Now it's down to drawing a good bead (10 years of experience should help here...) and not tearing up my car to put it in. Still nervous. Will know in 72 hours.

Putting the bead on is easy it is determined by the cut on the nozzle once cut it puts the same bead on every car and the alignment tab make it idiot proof.

Now I read more. I worry about if they will use a plunge cut, primer the pinch weld, etc :(
Nightmare.

Your talking about a full cut vs a partial cut there is nothing wrong with a full cut at all,I did a full cut on mine if you read my other post you would have seen where I said once the nozzle is cut the height of the bead will be the same out of the gun for any job he does until he changes the tip.

No to be a smart azz but I thing your lack of experience in this field is what is making you worry.

I said a few post back not to worry.:hello:

I brought a dozen doughnuts by the shop and confirmed my appointment (expressed worry). The manager was there, and he and another tech will be working on my car. Joe (manager) has experience doing work on Ferrari circuit cars as well as Porsche 997 series cars. I take it that the other tech is similarly experienced, as he has done work on Ferrari,Lambo, etc. According to the manager, his least favorite cars to work on are BMW Alpine series, and he rates my 370Z as moderate/easy.

I was told:

They would take it down to the pinch-weld, or if the original bead looks good and is solid, 1mm or so off. Then they would prime any areas scratched, as they said this was inevitable, and if left un-primed, will inevitably rust fast. They are using Sika products. They prefer not to use the "hanging tabs" on the OEM glass, and cut them off, as they say they can be off just a tiny bit and mess the job up. I defer to their experience. The glass and primed pinch-weld will then have the activator put on (after the glass is chemically cleaned), the bead will be laid, and the windshield set to dry, then the trim pieces will be put back on.

Anyway, they seemed very knowledgeable, experienced, and put up with me for 5 minutes. If anyone can do it right, I think it's these guys. It seems like a shop with a lot of collective talent, at least those present. Every now and then you luck into a little place like this that is part of the "big machine" (example, the tech at Wal-Mart one time who balanced the tires on my Trans Am and got a slightly out of round rim to be dead-smooth up to 120mp+, and spent 2 hours doing the job with their crappy machine until it was PERFECT).

ETA:

Yes, I know I am a pain in the *** and only know half of what I am talking about (if you want to be VERY CHARITABLE) regarding windshield replacement. I have clients in healthcare that do the same thing I am doing, and it annoys the hell out of me, which is why the doughnuts and the fact that I will tip cash if it goes as planned. I realize they are putting up with me, and going the extra mile, and I expect to pay for that, as well. I'm a worrier and annoying, and like things big and small explained to me, but I understand that and compensate well for it. It's just part of doing business with me, I'm sorry to say.

Right cut off the factory tabs as they maybe off abit. What a crock of sh!t ,Nissan glass going in a new Nissan car this is one of reasons Safelite sucks.
my Nissan glass went right in perfect and mine is older than yours.
They cut them off to put the glass where they want it,I didn't know that they knew more about the 370 than Nissan.:shakes head:

Who knows. I figured I'd probably hate the car after this as it will never be right and sell it in a year, anyway. Meh. Sucks that my enjoyment was cut so short. 3 days of fun, though, and I got 1 road-trip out of her, at least. :shakes head:


Windshield is a main structural component. Replacing it is like bending the frame, and then trying to bend it back. It's never...just...right. So yeah, I finally came to terms with the fact that this is going to be the car I forever hate and ramp over curbs and in general just don't give a **** about because it was ruined from nearly day 1, anyway.

Sucks, as I was hoping to enjoy owning this thing. Mice and men and all that. Now I'm going to be the guy throwing his keys across the hood and hitting **** in the street for sport in a "nice" car because he hates the thing, lol.

Sorry, just trying to find some humor in getting rid of a car that was in great shape and ending up with a junker by a twist of fate.

*or*

Just set it up on blocks, pay it down, take the hit, sell it in a year, forget the whole nightmare and try not to think about the $10K in depreciation. There will be other cool toys, I am sure.

Either way, it sucks, and I feel cheated out of what I was hoping would be an enjoyable ownership. I can see now this windshield thing will just end badly no-matter what most likely. One of those things that make you just HATE a car, like a rattle that won't go away.

Dude that's a tad extreme isn't it? It's not like the frame is bent.

If it is whistling/leaking/trim pieces constantly peeling up in hot sun/roof rusting/whatever/etc. it might as well be like the frame is bent. That will drive me insane and make the car an annoyance. I don't need this car. It does nothing my daily driver doesn't do that I NEED. It's a toy. Pure and simple. A luxury item. A device I own because of the pure hell of it. Something that used to make me smile when I took it out and played with it. When it ceases to do that, it ceases to have any value to me. It's not like it's my only car and it gets me to and from anything. When I drive it, I'm usually not going anywhere, just tooling around enjoying it. If I can't enjoy it, I'll probably just put it up on blocks and forget about it until the residual is greater than the owed, dump it, and find another toy.

You really are blowing this way out of proportion. I've had several windshields replaced, and never had any issues (except for this recent time of them damaging the paint). The actual windshield installs have been perfect. Just relax. Hell, I'd tell you to watch them just so you can see how easy it really is.

....if that's your stance from a windshield replacement, the car deserves better.

Wow...just wow. I'm OCD about stuff, but come on man, it's a windshield. They get replaced all the time, even on exotic cars. That doesn't mean the car is now junk or you need to sell it. If it makes you feel better, contact a high end car dealer like Porsche, Ferrari, whatever...and see what shop they would recommend.

:werd: it is just a windshield man and can be replaced correctly if taken to the right place... I agree with others as well that if this is enough to "ruin the car" to you.. sell it and buy an old hatch that you really dont have to care about.. It could be worse man

Really only worried about: Looks different/sounds bad (wind-noise)/rusts/leaks.

I have seen horror story after horror story on the 'net, pictures, etc. and it seems like a GOOD install is something like one in twenty.

Part of it is also not having slept in nearly 20 hours, a bad 12 hour shift, and all of that magnifies my OCD. Of course, I am not going to deny the OCD and tendency to fixate. It just gets worse without sleep, and after a bad night at work (everyone who was alive when I got there, was alive when I left, so yeah, I have had worse nights, but it wasn't a good one. Very busy, didn't get to eat or hydrate like I normally would, got floated to another unit, etc. etc.)

Pick any subject, and search the internet about it. You are guaranteed to find a horror story about said subject.