Any leads on window glass?

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ccmt
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My tercel:: '86 4WD SR5
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Any leads on window glass?

Post by ccmt »

Howdy folks,
Someone decided it would be fun to smash in a few of my windows last night. So that’s fun. I live in Vancouver and called a couple glass places but they said the parts are obsolete. Any suggestions on places to track down glass?
Thanks,
Calen
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Petros
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by Petros »

there is one company that still inventories Tercel windshilds in this state, they have glass shops around. "Safelite" I think is the name. there is not much call for Tercel glass so it is not inventoried by the normal suppliers, but at least one still has it the last time I checked. they may be enough of a demand for one supplier to stock it, but not for more than that. you have to find a glass shop that uses different suppliers. If you call three shops, and all use the same supplier all will tell you it is not available. You might also call places that specilize in classic car glass.

In california they are still available and cost about half as much, when driving several project cars home on different trips, if I needed glass I had the glass done while I drove through the state. Paid the mobile glass installer cash and he gave me a great price. half as much as I would pay to have it done in Washington state.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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rer233
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by rer233 »

Never had a problem getting new windshields. Exactly what glass do you need?
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
ccmt
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My tercel:: '86 4WD SR5
Location: Washington, D.C.

Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by ccmt »

Thanks for the leads. I was actually planning to head to California in the next few days so might see what’s around there.

The windshield is fine (minus a crack in that’s been there awhile). they got the big glass on the hatchback, the passenger side front door, and the fixed glass on the rear passenger door.

Looks like there’s an ‘84 at the pick’n’pull in Arlington, WA. Would those be interchangeable with my ‘86?
Thanks again.
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rer233
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by rer233 »

All glass in Tercel wagons is the same- looks like you've got it covered!
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
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seantp
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by seantp »

I tried Safelight a month ago and they said there were no windshields in their Nationwide inventory.
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helipilot77
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by helipilot77 »

I got one from safelite last summer. They had to order it which took a week. But they were able to get it.
. / TOYOTA
./_| |/|/ |]
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Petros
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by Petros »

helipilot77 wrote: Thu Apr 12, 2018 4:06 pm I got one from safelite last summer. They had to order it which took a week. But they were able to get it.
yes, same here. I just had to plan ahead. but even in LA the installer must find a supplier and than go get it, but it is much faster, and cheaper, than what I found here in the Puget Sound area.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by xirdneh »

i have been able to get windshields in bremerton but i cannot remember the name of the place
its just north of the auto center and its an auto glass shop (maybe "Autoglass Plus"
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
rocketscience
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by rocketscience »

I called every glass shop in the greater Olympia area and was unable to find a new windshield this winter, a few said they could get it but then backed out when they actually checked their supply chain. I cut one out of a junkyard car.
pantah
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by pantah »

They sold a lot of these in Costa Rica. I found a source for windshields new for $70! However the universal windshield gasket they provided me is not a good solution and doesn't fit right. So... Where to get a gasket that the windshield sits in/on like the original?
rocketscience
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by rocketscience »

pantah, do you mean the seal? I used this urethane sealant: https://goo.gl/wQhdNS
Apparently it is recommended that you use primer on the glass even with 'primerless' sealant if the windshield doesn't have the black edge frit, both for adhesion and to protect the urethane from UV rays.
If you mean the rubber dam that keeps the sealant from seeping inward try asking a glass shop. I didn't use one.
pantah
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by pantah »

Still confused. I spent a few hours chiseling out the old black gasket. The universal gasket is too thin and narrow on the frame side allowing the windshield to sit too far in. It is maybe 1/3 the thickness of the gasket I chiseled out. So where do I get a factory gasket? I do have sealant, but that is way too thin to work IMHO (then there is the exposed edges to deal with).
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Petros
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by Petros »

I do not think they used a gasket, they put a heavy bead of polyurethane sealant against the metal, and lay the glass against the soft sealant until it cures. I have seen this done perhaps 5 or 6 times, no gasket, just sealant.

there are some plastic clips used to help center the window that stay embedded in the sealant, but they are not necessary and I think those can be purchased as a generic windshield installation item.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
rocketscience
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Re: Any leads on window glass?

Post by rocketscience »

if you are going to install it yourself this might help... when you removed your windshield you may have noticed two black rubber blocks embedded in the urethane below the bottom edge of the glass maybe 8" or 10" in on either side on top of those raised spots on the cowl. If your windshield was square and you can save them then reuse them, otherwise you can cut new ones out of those big pink rubber erasers or any other rubber and test fit the glass in the space before you lay down the urethane sealant. a helper would be really nice for this especially if you had to remove all the old urethane from the pinch weld for rust repair like I did, but you can do it by yourself just be very careful. I had to cut a bunch of different blocks to get two sized just right so the windshield is squared up with an even gap all the way around.

Then with the glass still in there you can stick a couple pieces of painters tape on the windshield vertically that line up with blocks so you can use them as a guide when you set the glass. I put guide tape on the sides and top but didn't really use them, you'll just set the glass on the blocks bottom first and then lay it back. Cut the nozzle of your urethane square to make an opening around 1/4" or 3/8" and cut a "V" shape in the side slightly taller than the height of the body above the pinch weld. Lay a bead, making sure to smooth out any seams where you stop and start, you want a continuous V shaped peak all the way around. A powered caulk gun was a huge help with this. Clean and prime the glass and set it in, the stuff I used was very viscous so I had to push it in a bit just to get it to sit on the blocks, then kind of thump it down with the butt of your palm evenly all the way around till the glass height looks good and even. I then used a little extra urethane and a putty knife to fill and smooth any spots that looked like there was any possibility of uneven sealant or places where water might sit or get trapped just in case. I reused a few trim clips but also put spots of urethane all the way around and used a bunch of painters tape to hold the trim down tight until the urethane set.

I was a little apprehensive about doing it myself but it really wasn't that bad, and I've had zero leaks or problems with the trim lifting so far.

This video is a good one but I put the urethane on the frame not the glass so the nozzle looks a little different https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY1bLFKbRuA. Also in this video he says you don't need primer with primerless urethane but according to DOW's install instructions and the advice of some glass guys you do need it if you don't have an edge frit.
Last edited by rocketscience on Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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