Windshield Woes

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

mikeoverland

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Posts
117
Reaction score
182
Location
san antonio tx
First Name
michael
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
250/I6
Does anyone know a place that I can get a windshield for an 81 C10 delivered to Leon Springs for under 300$. There are thousands of these trucks on the road and the best i can get a windshied for is 500$ delivered. 500$ seems to be extortion level pricing to me but what do i know?
 

mtbadbob

Full Access Member
Joined
May 9, 2021
Posts
617
Reaction score
918
Location
Montana
First Name
Bob
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V20
Engine Size
350
Does anyone know a place that I can get a windshield for an 81 C10 delivered to Leon Springs for under 300$. There are thousands of these trucks on the road and the best i can get a windshied for is 500$ delivered. 500$ seems to be extortion level pricing to me but what do i know?
Yeah, that's steep! I paid $275 installed in my yard for one in my Square AND my '15 HD! My buddy has a glass business and say's the square windshields cost about $75
 

R Carnella

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2017
Posts
359
Reaction score
752
Location
Long island
First Name
Rich
Truck Year
1990
Truck Model
Suburban V2500
Engine Size
5.3
I used this company for mine about two years ago, i think i paid around 175 and picked it up myself from a local warehouse

 

Doppleganger

Full Access Member
Joined
May 24, 2019
Posts
11,600
Reaction score
53,648
Location
OH-MI: Just like it sounds
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
5.7
Call around the locally owned auto glass shops. The chain stores (SafeLite, etc) dont pay anything so you get idiots playing installer that dont know anything either. I was quoted $280 installed for my square.....Pinkerington with a seal. I have used this shop MANY times - even on the rare vintage Euro stuff. Top shelf.
 

SirRobyn0

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Posts
6,698
Reaction score
11,151
Location
In the woods in Western Washington
First Name
Rob
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
305
Call around the locally owned auto glass shops. The chain stores (SafeLite, etc) dont pay anything so you get idiots playing installer that dont know anything either. I was quoted $280 installed for my square.....Pinkerington with a seal. I have used this shop MANY times - even on the rare vintage Euro stuff. Top shelf.
Good advice I believe. I use a local guy found him about 10 years ago or so and totally changed my way of thinking about auto glass. I'll never use a chain again.
 

Grit dog

Full Access Member
Joined
May 18, 2020
Posts
5,882
Reaction score
9,622
Location
Washington
First Name
Todd
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
454
Shipping is what’s killing the price. Cost more to ship to your house than the windshield itself is worth.
That said just a quick plug-in to Summit Racing, windshield $149, shipping $159. Well under $500.
Add a seal for $50 and the needed tools and you’re at around $400.

(I was surprised too. Thanks to Amazon, the Rona and Biden, in that order, shipping cost has gone bananas as well. I bought a new Jeep CJ windshield (smaller box and flat glass) for $100 and shipping was around $50, only 5-6 years ago!)

But you’re in (near) the city. What have the auto glass shops quoted for a purchase price?
Also just checking you know what you’re in for, installing it yourself. Suffice it to say they come out 1000x easier than they go back in. Me and the boy reinstalled his. Spent about 2 hours, abandoned project before tools started getting thrown, considering new paint and glass, lol. Resumed for another 3-4 hours.
I’d call it at least a half day, lock strip tool, good pick set and plastic pry bars are all mandatory, as is a helper to “move the windshield” while getting the last side fit into the gasket.
I’d do it again, but I’d let someone else do it for maybe $150?
But mostly I would have issue trusting a random peel n stick windshield guy doing an old school gasket setup.
 

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
10,014
Reaction score
14,159
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981, 1965
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s; 65-C20 with 4:57 gears and Borg Warner Overdrive
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350; 1972 L48 350
And, some shops won't even look at your vehicle if it's older than their set year. I found a local shop that won't even consider anything older than 1974. I couldn't even get them to agree to just install the glass if I brought everything in, the cab prepped and ready to go and no glass in it when it was brought in.

I am sure you can find something in the San Antonio area, has to be a number of old glass shops in and around that area.
 

CalSgt

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2021
Posts
1,466
Reaction score
3,046
Location
CA
First Name
Casey
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
Chevy K-10 Custom Deluxe
Engine Size
350
Me and the boy reinstalled his. Spent about 2 hours, abandoned project before tools started getting thrown, considering new paint and glass, lol. Resumed for another 3-4 hours.
LOL... Dad and I were inventing new cuss words putting mine in, we had to stop and take a lunch break before it got out of hand.
 

Randy and Easton

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2021
Posts
877
Reaction score
1,227
Location
North Richland Hills, Texas
First Name
Randy
Truck Year
1976
Truck Model
C-10 LWB
Engine Size
350
Funny, I thought it was just US! Hilarious, don’t feel so bad. We finally got it in and it leaked like crazy… new precision gasket and all. Jeff Gau at precision said we did not seal gasket to pinch weld before putting in the glass…anyway, local hot rod know it all in the area gave us a local glass guy that does all the old old hot rods. Came to the house with a new gasket and pulled old one out, re installed and not a drop of water inside since. Took him 30 minutes, us? Hours…..Only charged Easton $100 for gasket and labor…. Sometimes you just have to prevent child abuse and let someone else do what they do best…
 

Attachments

  • 637F7366-627D-489B-AC98-673327D02F42.jpeg
    637F7366-627D-489B-AC98-673327D02F42.jpeg
    169.7 KB · Views: 57
  • C1F7D15E-7411-49C9-9062-3E1C33363E15.jpeg
    C1F7D15E-7411-49C9-9062-3E1C33363E15.jpeg
    159.5 KB · Views: 61

ChuckN

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2022
Posts
895
Reaction score
2,545
Location
Bellinham, WA
First Name
Chad
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
350
Guess I’m lucky. Got a quote for 325 including labor and windshield with antenna at Louis Auto Glass (no seal but can provide my own), family operation that been in business for a century or so. LMC has a seal kit with chrome strip, so with that kit I’d probably still be less than 400 installed.

If anyone is local to NW Washington (Skagit or Whatcom county), they’re worth a shout. They have a guy at the downtown State St. location (Bellingham) that specializes in installation with classic vehicles, used to dealing with rust (and making it work). He did our old ‘54 3100 and I thought it would be dodgy, but it was no sweat.
 

mikeoverland

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Posts
117
Reaction score
182
Location
san antonio tx
First Name
michael
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
250/I6
I used this company for mine about two years ago, i think i paid around 175 and picked it up myself from a local warehouse

and they have a warehouse in san antonio! score!
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
41,850
Posts
903,464
Members
33,362
Latest member
Dhatch84
Top