New Windshield for Dino - anyone have any experience with Pilkington products?

I just went through this. If the scratches are deep enough to catch your finger nail when you you rake it perpendicular to the scrathes I would advise to get a new windshield. Glass polishing that deep could change the optics of you viewing.

However if they are very light they can probably be polished out without any issues. Check Eastman Company, they sell a polishing kit that can do this for around $35. Again if very light scratches it's worth a shot for $35. Very easy to use.

Hope this helps.

Drew Altemara

 

Pilkington is a long time architectural glass manufacturer....England IIRC.

I've done LARGE projects in Houston where they provided bolted curtain wall glass panels for a bank lobby three story atrium space, worth maybe a million $$$ alone.

I guess they could probably handle a little Dino glass OK......

.02.

 

Totally agree with Drew's opinion, and also that of Mr. Roger Penske, who WILL NOT run a car with a cracked, compromised windshield. Even a minor crack.........

A second impact, to such a unit, will blow tempered glass into your face!

*lowering helment visor*

 

I have owned a Dino since 1986. Windshield is laminated, not tempered glass. I have 134,000 miles on car out of a total of 185,000. Windshield has been dinged and/or scratched dozens, maybe hundreds of times. Top, bottom, left, right, center; by stones and old wipers pushed into service before scheduled replacement.

All scratches and minor pits have been polished out except for the last year's crop. Yes, there is a little local distortion but no big deal. Cerium oxide is cheap and very safe. Diamond grit in progessivly finer grades is faster but more expensive and requires a lighter touch. My windshield was replaced before I bought the car so I started with brand new. The chance that $600 will give you a new, guaranteed leakproof windshield is close to zero.

Polish as long as there is nothing structurally wrong! A visible crack is structural! I have not been able to find any glass shop in Santa Barbara willing to touch my windows at any price. Just to remove/replace for a re-paint! We just lifted rubber with a cord and sprayed as best we could. Oh Well!

See my "Dino saga" posts for all the problems I have worked through during the last 19+ years.

Luck,

John

 

Good point Mr. C., thanks!

That's half the battle here, as well, finding someone brave enough to touch your car! LOL!

 

Is the correct spelling Pilkinton or Pilkington? There is a place in Ohio that sells windshields for a lot of old stuff. I ran across them while I was researching sources for a windshield for an 1950s vintage
FC-170 Jeep truck that uses a huge windshield. The Ohio guys had these windshields for a little under $300 that others wanted over $500 for. If that Dino windshield is made by the same company, maybe they could supply it as well. They would probably want to know the National Auto Glass Society windshield number, such as W-548 for the old Jeep. Don't know if the Dino has an NAGS number or not. But you could give them a call:
Pilkinton Classic Glass of Ohio, 1-800-848-1351.

 

Just exchanged PM's with the guy.

A little gruff, unwilling to send a picture because "Glass is Glass" Kind of short answers. AND NO PICTURE..

Well, that's not exactly true, now is it...

These were made in 1999, he has 4, gonna sell them all on ebay.

$75 crating charge, plus shipping. Why not just charge $75 more to begin with?

Ah, who knows, at $699, what's to lose. YOu can always re-sell it on ebay to someone else if it looks crappy.

DM

 

If I remember correctly, when I called about those Jeep windshields, they were available in clear and tinted. Many months later, they only had tinted available. So glass is NOT glass. What were the Dinos originally: clear or tinted?

 

Mine is clear, with a little (very little) tint on the top.

But, I've been told they came a couple of ways, tint, no tint, tinted on the top, who friggin' knows.

I'm no expert, but mine has a little tint on top.

DM.

 

All windshield glass since the early 50's and maybe earlier is laminated safety glass. Tempered glass is used in the door glass and back glass. Windshields are either clear, tinted or shaded. Shaded is the strip of dark glass just at the top of the windshield. And believe me if you are going to have glass blown into your face you will prefer that it is tempered glass.

 

iirc Pilkington do everything from bulletproof to drinking glasses,I think my dad's rover had it..

 

tinted glass on many cars was only introduced as a/c became available.....on Dinos....I have no idea!