As I mentioned in another thread, some @#%^ used my windshield for target practice (vandalism), and did a fine job making a nickel sized jagged star in it. A chuck of glass was missing out of the center, it was a mess.

Took it in this morning to a chip repair place, and I have to say I'm not impressed. While the chip is now filled in with resin, it looks like, well, a chip filled in with resin. I was hoping for a bit better. Don't know if someone else could have done better - it was pretty ragged.

I figured I'd just go with the chip repair, and replace the windshield after it's had a bit more wear and tear (or get's taken out on the freeway.)

Any experience here happy with their chip repair? I'm tempted to take it someplace else just to get their take (poor job, or impossible job). The guy SAID it wouldn't be invisible, but he also didn't say it would look like crap.

I go in Friday for a CA inspection (brought the car here from VA) so I'm curious to see if they say anything. It isn't directly in the line of sight, but it's pretty close.

 

my repaired chips look the same. I don't know of a way to have it look good as new without getting a new windshield.

 

I have around half a dozen pits/chips filled on my windshield. The smaller ones are invisible, but the largest one, which had star cracks a bit wider than a dime is still noticeable.

One thing the repair guy said was it is important to keep the hole/crack clean and dry before it is repaired. As soon as you notice a hit (they are usually pretty loud when that rock hits!) you should cover it with tape as soon as possible to keep dirt and moisture out. Clear packing tape works OK. Any dirt in the chip/crack will make the fix less effective and the cracks more visible.

 

Yeah, the bigger chips won't come out invisible after filling them. But, I've generally been impressed with how well the chip-fillings I've gotten have held up and prevented further cracking. Definitely worth the $50 or so if it is a small chip and you don't want the hassle of a windshield replacement just yet.

 

Wow, I would check around for a better price if they are charging $50. I know of many places at least around my home town that only charge $10 if you go in to have it done. The process is very quick, so I usually stop off for about 20 minutes and just wait for them to complete the job.

 

Hmmm, maybe I did get taken for $50. I'll shop around next time. On the other hand, this repair was to my definitely not street legal SCCA ITB car so the guy came to my house to fix it. But, it did only take him a few minutes to do it! It came with a guarantee, though, that if the crack expanded then I would get my $50 back.