Wow!  They actually use SAND where you live!?  Here in the interior of BC
they use gravel - seriously - most of it is the size of a chick pea but it
can get up to grape size!  My Golf had a new windscreen installed in October
and I have six good size craters in my windscreen.

Is it worth getting them fixed - yes, I think so, especially if it is in
your field of view.  Now, can just any glass shop do it?  Yes and no - it
takes skill to do it right - I have the same shop do mine time after time
($10 a shot) and you can barley see the chip when they are finished - other
shops the job is a lot more noticeable.  In every event, well, 9 times out
of 10, it keeps the chip from going into a crack.  Just look for experience
if you are a finicky person about the quality of the repair.

David Marshall

Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada  V2J 6Z3

http://www.fastforward.ca    mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775        FAX: (250) 992 1160

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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Ed Carroll
Sent: April 19, 2002 7:57 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: windshield repairs

I'm getting the van ready for summer travels and noticed that there's a
perfect little gravel chip in the windshield from an oversized piece of
winter road sand. It's a little crater on the front, but the chip itself
extends in a little spherical impact zone through the first layer of glass.

So, my question: I've seen those ads and received those telemarketing calls
from outfits that claim they can come to your house and repair your
windshield. I have the impression that they sort of inject epoxy into the
damage, or something. Is this worth doing? Will it actually keep the damage
from spreading and return the cosmetic appearance? Is there anything I
should look out for?

Ed Carroll
87 Weekender