DeTomaso Mailing List: January 2001, Message #101

Andy and all,
What you said about the Novus system is entirely correct.  However, if
you call your insurance company immediately anyway, my experience has
been that they send Novus, they waive the deductible and just  pay Novus
themselves because it's a great deal for them.  Never costs me anything.
GPD4

On Sun, 31 Dec 2000 00:34:00 -0500 Andy Poling <andy@realbig.com> writes:
> On Sat, 30 Dec 2000 MikeLDrew@aol.com wrote:
> [...]
> > So, we loosened the main mounting bolts for the windshield frame 
> to be able 
> > to move it around, then I got inside the car with the fiddly 
> screws while Tom 
> > got on one side and lifted, to position the thing so the holes 
> would line up. 
> >  In the midst of this we heard a big POW, Tom said "Uh oh", I 
> looked up and 
> > saw the windshield had broken. 
> > 
> > Sigh...
> > 
> > Well, it previously had a nickel-sized rock ding in the center, 
> and it had 
> > shattered outwards in two directions from the ding.
> 
> I'm sure that you know about this Mike, but in case anyone else 
> doesn't...
> this is an especially good trick with potentially expensive vintage
> windshields.
> 
> If you have a little (I've been told that, as a general guideline, 
> anything
> smaller than a quarter is do-able) rock star/crack in your 
> windshield, it
> can be repaired in place.  It's called the "Novus" method, and they 
> use an
> epoxy with the same diffraction rating as glass.  They drill a tiny 
> hole
> through the plastic safety film, then inject the epoxy into the 
> cracks, and
> use a small UV light to cure it.  Takes like 15 minutes.  The epoxy 
> fills
> the cracks (making them disappear) and actually restores the 
> windshield's
> structural integraty.
> 
> The trick to invisibility is to do it right away after you get the 
> star.
> Otherwise you will get dirt in the cracks (especially if you use the 
> wipers)
> and the dirt in the cracks will remain visible afterwards... even if 
> the
> cracks themselves aren't.
> 
> The best part is that it doesn't cost much (haven't needed it in a 
> while, so
> I don't remember what it cost)... certainly not enough that you 
> worry about
> filing an insurance claim.  I have seen do-it-yourself kits for this 
> a
> couple times over the years, but I'd rather just pay the expert a 
> few bucks
> to do it right for me.  Usually, they have mobile units, and will 
> come to you.
> 
> I've had windshields repaired this way several times, and the 
> results have
> always been very good.  Given the $$ that a Pantera windshield 
> fetches these
> days, this is definitely something to keep in mind if you're unlucky 
> enough
> to catch a stone...
> 
> -Andy
> #3822
> 
> 72 Pantera - Rocky              91 Miata - Steve                96 
> A4Q - Rudolf
> 87 E350XL - Andylance           84 RZ350 - Sting
> 
> 
> 

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