Glasswork:

Glass replacement and servicing has become an artisan skill with the complex manufacturing methods in today's cars. Porsche has always been at the pinnacle of development, so complex installation has been needed for quite some time. Porsche, VW and Mercedes have shared the same technique for years with curvy glass and trim installed in the rubber seals. Most of the issues with Porsche come from lack of experience by glass shops. We see windshields that leak, are crooked, or have bent, damaged, or missing trim when the glass has been replaced. We fix or reinstall glass properly on all Porsche models.

Due to the nature of glass, there is no guarantee against breakage during any of the process. Tempered glass especially (often called "temperamental") can have a memory to previous stress, not breaking until handling, wild swings in temperature, chassis repairs, etc.

Glass Construction:

AS1 is the DOT requirement for frontal glass construction. It is two layers of glass with plastic sandwiched inside. The plastic allows the glass to stay together in the event of damage or accident. AS1 glass is the windshield in all US highway cars. The 928, 944, 993, 996, 997, Cayenne, and Boxster windshields are bonded into the chassis of the car and act as a structural element to the chassis. Some models have the rain sensor, radio antennas, and a variety of trim which requires care when installing.

AS2 is the glass on the side and rear of the car. AS2 is single pane tempered glass. When it breaks it turns into tiny little pebbles allowing it to be disposed of easier and is safer than sharp shards. Some of this style glass is bonded and acts structurally, while some is used with traditional seals. Often the 911 and 928 Coupe side quarter windows are above the heads of most shops due to the multi-piece trim and odd shapes. We can handle the challenge.

Grey market cars should have US DOT (Department of Transportation) spec glass installed to pass the federalization process. We can not install lightweight glass from 964 RS or 996 GT3 RS in road going US cars.

Windshields:

Antenna for the radio in 1986 and later 911/930, 944, 951, 928, 964, 993 and 996 cars is actually part of the windshield as a fine wire molded in the glass. Care is needed when working with the hook-up of the wire.

We often find that some cracking and fogging of the plastic substrate comes from poor replacement in the past with poor sealant, no sealant, or poor alignment to the opening in the chassis of the car. Proper alignment and installation is imperative to have a lengthy service life. Quality urethane is also important to use with any style glass that is bonded to the car.

Coupe rear windows and Targa glass:

Most owners do not know how complex the 911 rear glass really is. Once it is out of the car one can see the assembly methods. 1980s 911 and 930s have the rear window defroster wires, third brake light (if equipped) wiring run through the rubber seal, as well as the metal or plastic trim installed in the rubber seal, it can be a handful to deal with. The rear windows of 87-89 911/930 coupes have plastic trim that shrinks and can delaminate over time. This trim was only used on the rear window, and metal trim was used on the rest of the glass in these cars. The only way to solve this problem is to replace the trim with metal, which means the glass must be removed. The plastic trim is no longer available. Cars that have non functioning rear defrosters, and have had the rear glass removed often have not had their wiring re-installed properly. Late 911 and 930s, with third brake lights also have the wiring travel through the rubber. Poor third brake light function and recent glass service often means a problem with the rear window installation. 993 coupe rear windows with external third brake lights have several problems when/if the rear window has had any service. Solder joints and wires are often problems with these.

We have experience with the 911 Targa rear glass. It can be a difficult piece of glass to work with due to the size, and complex curves. It is often left in the car when these cars are painted. Now that many of the 911 Targas are requiring service due to age or restorations, seal replacement is inevitable. This means that the glass needs to be removed from the car. Trim and seals are still available for these cars, so replacement is not a problem. If your car needs glass many of the Porsche salvage yards still have it in stock. New Targa glass is almost cost prohibitive at over 2k USD at this point. These cars have the third brake light and defroster wires in the seal as well.

Restoration:

356 and early 911 cars use the chrome brightwork installed in the rubber seal. The aluminum trim is clear anodized and is very delicate. Again, these cars require care and when doing restorations the glass needs to be removed when replacing headliners. 356 Roadster and Speedster windshields require a tremendous amount of care due to the metal frame that surrounds the windshield. Most parts, seals, and trim are still available for these cars. If you are working on a project of this nature in our area or throughout the Mid-Atlantic we can provide the help needed to complete this difficult task.

Glass repair:

Scratches on glass cannot be fixed and at times can lead to glass breakage due to the "stress crack" that is makes. Damage to front windshields from rocks and other road debris can also lead to cracks across the glass and poor visibility. Insurance companies at this point are shying away from glass repair techniques (filling in hole with clear epoxy) and advise on replacement due to the possibility of more cracking in the future. We do not repair glass with the aforementioned technique. It is better from the perspective of safety to replace damaged glass of any kind. There are also practices of polishing or buffing glass to restore the clearness (i.e. fine scratches from wiper blades over time). This yields little results and replacement is needed to restore OE appearance and effectiveness.