I crushed my windshield - Now what?

A

ahannas

Cadet
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
7
I'm trolling for ideas. I crunched the windshield of my '99 FW Horizon 190. Glass, frame, pass-through window, all of it! I talked to a FW dealer who told me it would cost nearly $5k to replace it.

So I called the company that originally manufactured the windshield (Taylor Made). At first they said they could make one in 8 weeks for less than half the above price. Later they told me that they couldn't make it because they no longer had the CAD files. (that sounded strange - it's not like keeping drawers full of old blueprints.)

Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone out there has ever had a similar problem. I'm really fishing for any ideas on what to do. The boat is well maintained and only has about 250 hrs. Without a windshield however, it's practically worthless.

Alan
 
ezmobee

ezmobee

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Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

Craigslist, ebay, etc. Windshields are a royal pain to replace. Sorry to hear about your misfortune.
 
RotaryRacer

RotaryRacer

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Messages
1,361
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

Put a call into the Four Winns Factory.

It may not lead you anywhere but it is at least worth the time to see if they may have surplus on that windshield. Also, they may be willing to tell you what other years and models used the same windshield to broaden your search for a used one.

Someone with more ambition and space than I, should be able to make a fortune off of used windshields. It seems like there is a real lack of used parts suppliers for boats...with windshields being one high dollar item that is often overlooked.
 
H

haulnazz15

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Mar 9, 2009
Messages
3,720
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

I want to know how you did it. Low bridge? Tree branch fell? Garage too low?
 
H

Home Cookin'

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Messages
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Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

try the boat salvage yards and low end boats on craigslist.
 
45Auto

45Auto

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Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

I talked to a FW dealer who told me it would cost nearly $5k to replace it.
Click to expand...

Not much I can tell you to help you out, but it does make me feel much better about paying $100/year for my $250 deductible comprehensive insurance on my boat ......
 
A

ahannas

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Oct 26, 2009
Messages
7
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

haulnazz15 said:
I want to know how you did it. Low bridge? Tree branch fell? Garage too low?
Click to expand...

Oh Man! I was afraid someone would ask - this is embarrassing.:redface: I have a boatslip with an electric lift and a roof over the slip and . . . well you get the picture. The UP/DN switch stays in position until you turn it back to OFF. I've since replaced it with a spring-loaded switch that snaps back to OFF as soon as you let go.

I've had this slip for 7 years and always sort of knew this might happen someday. I don't know what caught my attention but I walked away from the lift while the boat was going up. About an hour later I was talking to a friend who sort of looked past me and said "why is your boat up so far in the lift?"

Actually, it could have been worse. The large V-belt pulley on the motor jambed against the bow of my boat and the circuit breaker snapped. I've heard of cases where the motor just runs until it burns up (about $400) and/or rips the hoist out of its mountings ($ lots more).
 
cribber

cribber

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1,338
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

Will your homeowner's policy cover the damage? Man... we've all had that what if moment!!! If not check with some of your local boat repair guys who may have something that can replace what ya got. If you're comfortable doing the repairs yourself, look for something thrashed with a decent windshield on Ebay and Craigslist. Someone is always flogging salvage there and you could come out with coin in your pocket by parting one out. Good luck and hey... shinola happens!!!
 
C

Campylobacter

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Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
503
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

ahannas said:
Oh Man! I was afraid someone would ask - this is embarrassing.:redface: I have a boatslip with an electric lift and a roof over the slip and . . . well you get the picture. The UP/DN switch stays in position until you turn it back to OFF. I've since replaced it with a spring-loaded switch that snaps back to OFF as soon as you let go.
Click to expand...

Wow, I have one of these and hopefully this cautionary tale will make me more carful. I left it in the down position one day and by the time I noticed, it had gone all the way down, started winding the other way, and was half way back up again! Never even thought about what would happen if it reached the roof.
 
Lou C

Lou C

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Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
13,032
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

I had to replace a couple of pieces of windshield glass (not the frame) on my '88 Horizon...when it was about 17 years old...the OE Supplier was Water Bonnet in Florida....they shipped me the glass with no problem....those curved windshields are a real problem....but I'd contact them to see if they ever made any of the windshields used on similar models...you might be able to replace the whole thing from them if they were a supplier for different years of the same model/same hull...
 
J

Jeep Man

Commander
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
2,803
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

Try UPD Plastics.com. They make replacement windshields.
 
T

TilliamWe

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Dec 21, 2004
Messages
6,579
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

ahannas said:
So I called the company that originally manufactured the windshield (Taylor Made). At first they said they could make one in 8 weeks for less than half the above price. Later they told me that they couldn't make it because they no longer had the CAD files. (that sounded strange - it's not like keeping drawers full of old blueprints.)
Click to expand...

Yep, I have dealt with them on an insurance claim and this is what they claimed on that one too. And the boat was a 1997 model boat, not nearly as old as yours. Taylor Made is a crappy company to deal with and borderline criminals. They wouldn't make it for you half price either. That $5000 is about what they wanted to make half a windshield on the boat I inspected! Terrible company. Wish I had real advice for you, but the best I can come up with is that Taylor Made is awful.
 
H

haulnazz15

Captain
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
3,720
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

Ouch. That's why I'm glad our lifts are simply filled by an air pump. When it gets to the top, it stops. I have watched a new pontoon boat owner rip the canopy off of his 2-month old boat by coming into his dock with the canopy up. He realized his mistake about a second before it hit, but it was too late. Nothing but mangled frame and canvas, lol.

Surely you can find another boat that is being sold with that same windshield. Can't imagine there are a lot of different windshields for that size of boat.
 
H

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

Budget Boats in Chesapeake, Va. They might even pull one and ship it to you.

I've heard that if a lift hits the bottom you can do extensive damage to the cables/winding system as they get loose.
A friend's son put his boat on the lift and walked away, counting on the auto stop. One side stopped and the other kept going, tipping the 22' Whaler on its side. One cable cut through the rub rail but didn't cut the hull. The boat was about on a 45, resting on the T top, when something shut down.
The dockmaster calls his cell phone: "Skipper, your whaler is upside down on its lift." He was in New York city going into a major presentation for a major company at the time. Got to love boats, and teenagers! Their timing for screw-ups is impeccable.
 
W

Wes6080

Recruit
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
5
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

Another place to try is The Boat Yard in New Orleans La. They have alot of salvage parts.
 
PolishPrince

PolishPrince

Seaman
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
68
Re: I crushed my windshield - Now what?

I just did a quick search on ebay for boat windshield and got 114 hits.
There were a few pictures in the list. Gotta catch a flight or I'd dig a little deeper.
Good Luck!
 
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