Cliff notes: For anyone who has an aftermarket windshield, I'd get it replaced with factory goods by a reputable/capable installer (esp if you live outside of Socal-like climates).
I wasn't as lucky or maybe I was.
I'm not the first owner of my 80. It came with an aftermarket windshield made by Fuyao. What prompted me to go and research windshield replacements was soaked carpeting on both driver and passenger sides. I live in LA, but a recent holiday trip to rainy Seattle revealed the problem.
Thanks to
@midfat's recommendation, I took a new OEM windshield and gasket to Alfredo's Auto Glass Repair in Corona, CA. We discovered a few things:
-Rust spots along the frame
-OEM gasket was used
-FSM procedure was not followed, thus leaks
-The latest green OEM windshield is made by the reputable AGC Automotive USA, but had a big sticker that said Made in Japan
I was lucky in that Alfredo was able to easily remove the rust spots by lightly grinding down to bare metal. He prepped them correctly. The last operator clearly did not and likely cut into the paint causing rust over time because they used a knife instead of a plastic contraption (more work for them) and neglectfully and with integrity failed to treat them appropriately. Furthermore, the idiot didn't even follow proper procedures. I asked Alfredo why Toyota would make this thing such a pain in the arse to replace and he said Toyota probably chose this design so one can safely kick open the windshield in the event of a roll-over. Ok, then. There had to be an intelligent reason!
Unlucky that I inherited someone else's sht work. Lucky in that I discovered the rust well before it spread. Thankfully, I live in Sunny Socal so I likely would've never noticed it, but glad I found out.
Alfredo's wall of achievements
