Where to find a new windshield for ‘97 (1 Viewer)

[Mrtwooooo]

I highly suggest when you find an installed you go ahead and get a new OEM windshield gasket. The installer will either show up and try to somehow reuse the old one or maybe show up with some aftermarket gasket. Either way the installer will probably be a pain when you give them some instructions on how to do thing correctly.
Either they won't glue the new gasket to the windshield or they won't glue the gasket to the body, I can't remember which one it is but one of the steps is not typical for installing glass but both sides of the gasket need to be glued and that's where the installers get all bend out of shape about things.

 

[HardyDanger]

Anyway to check alter instal if they used glue?
They said yes, but I’m not so sure.

 

[rebelcruiser]

You should be able to check for and see signs of glue under the edges of the gasket on the body and glass edges on outside of vehicle.

 

[TheRealDeal124]

Good time to check for rust around the windscreen opening too.

Mine has appears to either be bugs that have pitted into the windshield or rust under the windshield. Once the windshield is removed, how much of a pain is it to fix the rust along the windshield frame? Can a competent body shop do this job in an afternoon? And I'd have to drive it without a windshield. There doesn't seem to be a convenient way to have this done.

 

[Kernal]

Not difficult. First find competent independent glass shop (call around to a few dealerships to ask who they use), then set up an appt. At the same time set up an appt with a body shop nearby.

So first take the vehicle to the glass shop, they pull the windshield, then drive to the body shop without the windshield. Try to do this on a day when it's not raining (check the weather forecast ahead of time). When it's done drive the repaired vehicle back to the glass shop where they reinstall the glass with a new gasket.

No way to know for sure how bad the rust is until you pull the windshield. In my case there were some rust "bubbles" starting to appear on the roof next to the gasket but no holes yet. The body shop should know all this, but very important to not only sand the rusty areas but also to use a product to "kill" or stop the rust in any tiny pits that the sanding doesn't remove. Then prime with something like a 2k (catalyzed) epoxy primer and paint using a high quality autobody 2k paint (not rattle can kerapp).

When the glass shop reinstalls the glass they should use a specific "primer" designed for windshield installations (to help the windshield specific adhesive-sealant to stick), it's not a replacement for paint primer.