Replacing a Windshield - Honda Prelude Forum

leftbrain99 · 04-14-2010, 03:21 PM

I accidentally posted this in the wrong forum earlier...

So, if people have experience with replacement windshields, I'd love to hear about it. Just developed a crack, so I'll be looking to replace mine soon. I have received quotes from $199 to $350 installed at my location. I believe these are all using PPG parts. MOST Hondas come with PPG Windshields (marked DOT-18), but these Preludes were built in Japan and came with Asahi windshields (DOT-20). I'm willing to bet that the PPG replacement glass is every bit as good as the Asahi and probably cheaper to acquire.

It seems that all the installers can supply one with a blue tint strip across the top, but I don't want that. My car didn't come with that and it won't match my paint very well. Some say there is one without the tint strip, but they either don't recommend it or they can't supply it. My guess is they just don't want to special order something for me. The codes are GBN (Green-tint, Blue-shade, No molding) or GTN (Green tint, No shade, No molding). I think the molding the part number refers to is a molding that comes attached to the windshield glass. The G for Green tint refers to the entire glass, which does have a faint, hardly-noticeable green tint.

I'm just wondering if people here have gone through this before. I like to know what I am getting and the windshield repair guys keep a lot of information to themselves. I'm also curious about the actual strip-molding around the windshield. Can it be reused or do I need it replaced? If so, I will order it from Majestic, but it's not cheap. Also wondering which of these I should supply, if any:

Kronn 98SH · 04-14-2010, 04:15 PM

All my parts were reused, except for the glass itself. So I don't see why you would need to supply anything else.

Also, mine has a tint strip at the top, and where the tint fades to clear windshield, it has a blue hue. And you can only tell in direct sunlight, at the correct angle.

leftbrain99 · 04-14-2010, 09:21 PM

Would you, or anyone else, be willing to supply a picture of the windshield with the tint strip? Was yours a PPG glass product?

Kronn 98SH · 04-14-2010, 09:23 PM

I could snap a photo, no problem. I don't know any details about it. I just replaced it with what they had in stock.

pimpinlude · 04-14-2010, 10:29 PM

If you have insurance, its part of the COMP.
Had mine replaced when Ludey was only a week old, the cost $100 and it was the exact same windshield, nothing blue on it.
LA can't be that different from NC.

leftbrain99 · 04-14-2010, 10:48 PM

If you have comp insurance, then, yes, windshield replacement is covered. That's outside of the scope of this discussion, though. I'm interested in product and experience only.

pimpinlude · 04-15-2010, 06:47 AM

OMG, its a windshield call a glass place and have it replaced.

leftbrain99 · 04-15-2010, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pimpinlude

OMG, its a windshield call a glass place and have it replaced.

Thanks. Are you done?

So, when I change my wiper blades, I choose the blades I want. When I change my spark plugs, oil filter, etc, I pick the brand and model. When I replace an engine part, I choose a Honda part or one that I am comfortable offers similar quality and reliability. Why should I not spend some time making sure I know what I'm getting when I replace the large, heavy piece of glass that I will look through whenever I am behind the wheel of this car?

I don't carry comprehensive coverage on this car, so I'm paying for this windshield out of pocket. So, I do give a damn about cost vs. quality. And I don't want to do it again because I got cheap glass that will crack at the first rock hit when someone else may already know that. Whenever I do something or have something done, I make sure it's done right, the way I want, the first time. I used this forum for it's intended purpose to help me on that front.

Thanks for contributing. You were a big help

danieljohnson57 · 04-15-2010, 07:56 AM

i have a stock windsheild in my 99 prelude that has been wrecked. if you want i'll pull it out. windsheild has no cracks or chips in it. and i changed one in my 01 prelude and got the other windsheild out of a junk yard and didn't break or crack it at all. so if your intrested let me know