Swapped out a cracked windshield myself instead of calling a shop...

I used to always just call the glass guys for any windshield crack bigger than a quarter. Would drop $200 easy at a place in Tulsa and wait around half a day. Then last spring I had a 14 inch crack spreading on my old F-150 and decided to try it myself. Picked up a aftermarket windshield for $85 at a local auto parts store, watched a YouTube video twice, and had it set in about 2 hours. The trick was using a thin nylon string to seat the trim instead of prying with a screwdriver. Saved $115 and honestly it's been holding fine through rain and gravel roads. Has anyone else tackled a windshield swap and ended up regretting it or was it worth the hassle?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathana4815d ago

$200 to watch a crack spread? I'd just tape it and call it art.

hannahs4515d ago

Think about what you are getting for that $200. Someone spent years learning how to experiment with materials and understand how paint behaves, how different solvents interact, how to layer things so they don't just peel off or look like a mess. You're paying for their skill and the hours it took to create even one piece that actually looks interesting and intentional, not for the literal cost of the materials. Calling it just a crack spread ignores that most people can't actually make something that looks like that, even if they tried. If it was that easy to replicate, everyone would do it. Art isn't always about expensive paint and canvas, it's about the final result and the effort behind it. You are paying for expertise and a finished product you couldn't do yourself.

simon_coleman15d ago

lol @hannahs45 i get what you're saying but heres the thing nobody talks about - what if the person who bought it just likes how it looks and thats enough? like not everything has to be about technical skill or hours spent, sometimes a crack spread is just visually cool to someone and $200 is worth that feeling