Windscreen insurance replacement/removing rust from pillar

Em3bbs

Em3bbs

Em3bbs

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I've got an E36 M3 convertible, and it's having a few bits of paintwork done next week. Now part of this is a small patch of bubbling paint in the top corner of the windscreen pillar (this is the only rust on the whole car). To fix this properly the screen will have to come out and it has a stonechip that has turned into a crack in the cold weather so I should be able to get this replaced under my insurance.

My question is what is the best way of going about this? I was thinking of taking photos of the screen/pillar and cutting out the top corner of the screen but it also seems like a good opportunity to get any other potential rust out when I have someone remove the screen. I'm going to call my classic car insurers on Monday and see what they suggest but maybe someone else here has been in the same situation. I wonder if they would be open to two visits, one to remove and one to replace?
 
I'm in a similar situation actually. I suspect I'll just have to talk to my insurance to get a definitive answer but once the weather improves I'd love to pop out the (cracked) screen myself, fix the rusty A pillar then get the insurance to fit a new one.
 
Can't see this going how you want at all. When I had a screen replaced under insurance on my e36 they sent out Auotwinscreens or someone who did the remove and replace in an hour all charged to the insurance co.

Given the way the insurance replacement screens work, by them calling someone in to swap them over, this is very unlikely to work. You'll probably have to just buy a replacement screen yourself, I recall the E36 (coupe) one was something like £300+ when I checked around before calling insurance.
 
You can explain the situation to the windscreen guy, the work is carried out and then they charge the insurance company (used to design IT systems for windscreen companies).

It's less work for them, they won't care as they get paid either way.

*Edit* Don't bother calling your insurance, call the windscreen company and say who your insurers are.
 
Give autoglass a call, they'll happily send a guy to the body shop to remove it, then go back once the work is done to refit the glass on your insurance.

acemastr, not remedy you worked with is it?
 
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I would visit the local branch - calling the call centre sometimes means talking to someone who is working to a booking you in script.

Hopefully you can book in for after the bodywork and remove the screen yourself just before it gets the body work done.
 
when I worked for Autoglass we did quite a lot of "return after repairs" jobs, more than you would think.

As long as your not a million miles from a branch there should be no problem. Go have a chat with your nearest screen place
 
I've looked and unfortunately the nearest Autoglass is 8 miles away, so pretty far but I will still try them. Auto Windscreens and National Windscreens are both around a mile away, anyone have any experience of them?
 
Autoglass not having a local branch is a non issue.


They'll go to your house/bodyshop and do the work

AFAIK, although National or AW have a "branch" local to you I don't think they use them as work shops they're just drop boxes to collect glass etc from.

Ive done a lot of work that's either remove or refit a screen that had been removed for body work
 
Well it's looking promising with National Windscreens, I spoke to their (actually helpful) call centre and they said the local branch have a procedure for this type of repair and that they wouldn't refit it anyway if there was rust. I'm going to pop down to the local branch on Monday morning.
 
Just as an update to this in case anyone searches in the future, I called Autoglass who are the approved repairer for my insurer and they said it's fine, the guy in the bodyshop can take the screen out and they don't need to see the old one or anything (I have taken a pic in case). They will just come next week and fit a new screen for my excess of £70 which I have paid to the insurer now. Happy days :D

Thanks to those that replied.
 
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Get the screen out, any decent screen fitter will have some black anti rust stuff, rub it back as much as you can (I used a wirewheel) and cover it in the anti rust stuff.
Make sure you are in a warm dry environment as well as any moisture in the window seal will end up with bubbling paint and rust if not done properly.
 
That black anti rust stuff is an etch primer, it's primary purpose is so the glue adheres to the glass and the bodywork, although it is anti corrosion as well.

As it's autoglass doing the job then it will have primer used.
 
Frozennova said:
That black anti rust stuff is an etch primer, it's primary purpose is so the glue adheres to the glass and the bodywork, although it is anti corrosion as well.

As it's autoglass doing the job then it will have primer used.
Click to expand...

He's having it replaced by Autoglass at a bodyshop after they (the bodyshop) have repaired the rust properly. I'd be very annoyed and worried if the glass company then slapped etch primer or indeed any type of primer on top of the repaired patch which will have been painted.

Also, etch is to help paint adhere to bare metal, not to protect it from rust (it will still rust unless correctly protected following the use of etch) and it shouldn't be slapped on, it should be applied in a thin mist.
 
You can't fit a windscreen to British standards without the primer the polyurethane adhesive will not stick to paint.

I've been to replace windscreens in the past that have been fitted without primer on the glass of the body work and quote literally pushed the windscreen out of the car with nothing more than light pressure with the palm of my hand
 
The bodyshop are fixing the rust bubbles in the pillar and repainting the whole car, I guess Autoglass use what they want after that. :)
 
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