On my short drive to work this morning I took the scenic country route instead of the motorway. Unfortunately as I passed a lorry carrying a load of hardcore one of stones must have bounced out - a big one! Smashed right into my windshield with a combined speed of probably 80-100mph. Created a impact crater about 5" in diameter just right of center towards the base of the screen.

Such a pain! Is there anything special about a GM900 windshield? How much should I be paying to replace it? I am hoping my insurance will cover it, although my excess is quite high.

Only had the car just over a month! Pretty annoyed but what can you do! Moan over.

carefully check your policy for the windscreen. your excess is usually only around 60 quid for it.

doubt there is anything special about the screen unless you have a tint in the top bit

Had a stone hit mine last week just above r edge of the steering wheel - had it repired within a few days but the spider cracks are very obvious ( he didn't charge me). Only had the car a few weeks. May or may not pass the MOT in 11 months but I'll wait till then before thinking about a replacement. I inadvertantly used the screenwash and this contaminated the crack apparently - an expensive mistake.

A very special epoxy adhesive is used to adhere the windscreen to the car body. This has to be mixed carefully and applied within a short time-frame.

Assure that this is done properly.

Only use the very best company, this is no place to economize, here in the good ole USA , the insurance that is so expensive, does cover most of this (under comprehensive)...

This is an opportunity to buy a more deeply tinted windshield.. ..at extra cost

Is there anything special about a GM900 windshield?

There isn't anything really special about the windshield, so long as you get an OEM one. The factory OEM glass on the car has a slight greenish tint to it, like a UV or solar radiation sun screen built in, look at the corner of the glass on the car, it shows the name of the technology and has a little logo or picture with arrows and the glass. Its also the same glass that Volvo uses on their vehicles.

Aftermarket glass may not be solar tinted, and can sometimes be manufactured in a process that has less strict QA/QC over the process that could result in a glass surface that is not completely uniform throughout; observing the glass at certain angles may be distorted slightly. I've noticed this on one of my cars that I decided to replace the windshield with the cheapest one I could find. Not only was the glass surface not uniform, but the windshield broke not too long afterwards again.

If you can live with a used windshield, I get an original Saab windshield from your local wreckers or breakers, whatever you call it there, and find someone that will install it for you. Most of the glass installers in my area won't install glass that they don't provide, incase they break it during the install or damage it, they become liable for it, so they won't do it.

More claims=increase in insurance rates in the long run. Unless it's a couple grand, pay it out of pocket. Maybe it's different in the UK?

How odd, in the states if that happened you'd take the license plate of the truck down or ride along side of them to jot their business name down and call them. A check for the new windshield arrives a week or two later paid for by their liability insurance.

-zen

On my short drive to work this morning I took the scenic country route instead of the motorway. Unfortunately as I passed a lorry carrying a load of hardcore one of stones must have bounced out - a big one! Smashed right into my windshield with a combined speed of probably 80-100mph. Created a impact crater about 5" in diameter just right of center towards the base of the screen.

Such a pain! Is there anything special about a GM900 windshield? How much should I be paying to replace it? I am hoping my insurance will cover it, although my excess is quite high.

Only had the car just over a month! Pretty annoyed but what can you do! Moan over.

Hi guys. Yeah the shop has an original saab tinted screen ready for me, just waiting to confirm my insurance will cover it on monday morning. If not then it's something like a $1000 job (£480), which is pretty much what i paid for the car in the first place. It was an absolute bargain!

Zenbeer - the problem is I have no evidence or proof that it was caused by what i say it was caused by, so the company would just tell me to go to hell. Unfortunately i didn't get the vehicle reg or anything as it was passing me in the opposite direction when it happened, and i was more concerned with staying on the road! I know that it was a highway agency truck, but proving it would be impossible. So i'm left with the bill!

Figure i may have to bite the bullet and pay it out of my pocket. That's motoring huh?