40 Lasalle window Glass

[Bob Kazawic]

I am at the point with my restoration that I have begun to look for glass replacements for my 1940 model 5019. I have gotten several quotes and canot figure out the wide range in prices. OEM Glass quotes $1200. for all the pieces with each piece etched with the date. Caddy Parts gives me a quote for $500.00 for same package and a vendor from Minn gave me a $575.00 price. Everyboby says they have the factory patterns. Why the range? am I missing something? any other good sources?
Bob

[Rhino 21150]

Is your glass intact? Can you remove it for a period of time and have a glass shop replicate it? Many local glass shops can cut to match, then send it off to temper and etch. Should cost no more than $50 per piece, discount for doing all at once sometimes. A 1940 doesnt have any curved glass, does it? Im talking only flat.
Tiny charge for tinting.

[Bob Kazawic]

They are all flat. There are 12 pieces so the $500 quote is not bad.
Bob

[Rhino 21150]

Around $40 per piece? Happy camper!

[Doug Houston]

Is your glass cracked, broken, or delaminated? If it isnt, I wonder what the point is in replacing it?

Of all the pieces of glass in the car that would unlikely be bad, its the backlight (rear window). Though its flat glass, it might be tempered. Thats early in the days of the use of tempered glass. In the "C" body cars, (the 62 series), the backlight is curved-tempered.

The use of polyvinyl Butyral was begun  in about February 1938, just after my 60 Special was built. All of the glass in that car is original, and of the old lamination method. Im not about to replace one piece of it.

One other item: if you DO go ahead with replacing your glass, do not have the windshield pieces tempered. Its not done in this country, though it is in Europe.  Your head will break before a tempered windshield will. Thats why it isnt done in this country. The windshield should be made from flat laminated glass. Im sure that the car makers have been hammering hard at the safety authorities for tempered windshields. Theyll get their way some day, Im sure. Look at the air bags. Theyre a costly plum that government forces us to buy, and that have caused injuries and death.