Originally Posted by TheRealTegger
I don't know why you guys are so concerned about who made the glass. That is the LEAST important part of any glass replacement; they're ALL acceptable quality.

The important parts of a glass replacement are these:
1) that all scrapes in the paint around the frame be patched with special glass primer prior to the new glass going in;
2) that the glass be ripple-free in your direct line of vision.

The first point has to do with rust. Unpatched scrapes will rust and will doom your car. If the glass place will not allow you to inspect the bare frame prior to new-glass install, then they are not trustworthy. Find somebody else.

As for the second point: ALL windshield glass (even the OE-branded stuff) is optically-defective somewhere. You want the optical defects to be off to the passenger side, and far away enough that you don't too-easily notice them while driving.

In order to detect the optical defects BEFORE the glass is bonded in place, you need to have the installer hold the glass by hand (while it's still on the glass-stand) at the exact installed angle, while you crouch down so that you are looking through the glass exactly as you will be once the glass is installed. Then you slowly bob-and-weave while looking in all directions in order to detect any ripples. If you're observant and careful enough, you should be able to detect any defects and be able to determine whether or not the glass will be annoying in daily use. If the defects are too close to your line of vision, reject that glass and ask for a new one to be delivered. A reputable shop will have no problem with this.

And, please, do not try and install a bonded windshield yourself. That is a really dumb idea.