Recently I had need of a windshield. Long story.... The small crack I had in the screen had extended to the base of the screen so it was time to get one. Knowing that there is a difference between makes of GT 40s I set out to live with the differences. The differences are the final curvature of the glass. Some have a flatter curve than others. Knowing this difference I was willing to use any manufacturer of GT40s windscreen. I inquired to most if not all of them. Some were polite in their offers and quotes, and some were almost rude over the idea of having to measure their screens to see how close they came to my measurements. When it came to price I measured all on the benchmark of what it would cost me to get one from my now defunct maker DRB(transformed into GT 40 Australia). Seems the manufacturer of the screens is still in business in Australia. To get one from them would cost a mere $300 or so. Shipping would run the cost to just over $1000.
Prices I got from most were about double the initial cost($300), but I would have to drive and pick it up, as potage is not cheap for something that big. The location might not be at their plant. It might be at the other end of the country at the buyer of their 40s house. This raised the price from about the price of the Australia unit to well above their price. Getting it from Australia to my house in Snellville Ga. might also result in it arriving in several pieces delaying the whole process even more. I even considered using Lexan in place of the glass. Found out that process would be more than most of the quotes I had for real glass screens.
Enter my son who worked, at the time of this quest, at a fortune 500 chemical company as a Financial analyst and salesman. He turned me on to one of his clients that specializes in curved and bent glass. The interesting point is that they are based just over the South Carolina border in Anderson S. C. The name of the company is Desman Corp. They make glass cases, any form of bent glass and Marine windscreens. They don't advertise it much but they do automobile glass as well. Mostly rare and/or old exotics or high end cars and trucks. They did one for I believe a 52 Mercedes truck. In talking to Ron Lubsen(president) he told me he had a mold for a GT 40. After talking several times to him, I told him he must have one for a Ford GT(more logical....right?). In any event he assured me that he could "tweak" the mold to fit my car. He quoted me a price that was in the middle of all the bids, and he assured me that his quote was a final quote and no other charges would be incurred. So I agreed and took the car over to them along with my fractured windscreen even though it was for another model of GT 40 and had a slightly different curvature.
When we got over there they produced a template that believe it or not said GT 40. They had made one for an original, and the template fit into my windshield frame perfectly.
Ron told me that it would take a day or two to bend a sample sheet of glass and see how it fit in my car. If it needed it, they would tweak the mold accordingly, bend another sample if needed and trial fit it again. Then they would laminate the windshield which would take two days and 24 hours to cool down in the furnace. Then fit it to the car and if no problems, paint the black border which would take another 24 hours to dry. So we are talking about a week to get it done. I picked the car up a little more than a month later. They ran into every problem possible but finally got it done to their satisfaction and standards. The price remained at the price quoted. no quibbling or complaining. Just quality work.
I can't say enough about these guys. I offered them use my car in their advertising brochures. The least I could do.
So file this name and number away for future reference should the need arise.
Bill
Desman Corporation
5575 Dobbins Bridge Road
Anderson S.C.29626
www.desmanglass.com
Email: [email protected]
Ronald A. Lubsen President
Phone: 864-225-2580
Fax: 864-225-2526
Mobile: 864-934-0075
Prices I got from most were about double the initial cost($300), but I would have to drive and pick it up, as potage is not cheap for something that big. The location might not be at their plant. It might be at the other end of the country at the buyer of their 40s house. This raised the price from about the price of the Australia unit to well above their price. Getting it from Australia to my house in Snellville Ga. might also result in it arriving in several pieces delaying the whole process even more. I even considered using Lexan in place of the glass. Found out that process would be more than most of the quotes I had for real glass screens.
Enter my son who worked, at the time of this quest, at a fortune 500 chemical company as a Financial analyst and salesman. He turned me on to one of his clients that specializes in curved and bent glass. The interesting point is that they are based just over the South Carolina border in Anderson S. C. The name of the company is Desman Corp. They make glass cases, any form of bent glass and Marine windscreens. They don't advertise it much but they do automobile glass as well. Mostly rare and/or old exotics or high end cars and trucks. They did one for I believe a 52 Mercedes truck. In talking to Ron Lubsen(president) he told me he had a mold for a GT 40. After talking several times to him, I told him he must have one for a Ford GT(more logical....right?). In any event he assured me that he could "tweak" the mold to fit my car. He quoted me a price that was in the middle of all the bids, and he assured me that his quote was a final quote and no other charges would be incurred. So I agreed and took the car over to them along with my fractured windscreen even though it was for another model of GT 40 and had a slightly different curvature.
When we got over there they produced a template that believe it or not said GT 40. They had made one for an original, and the template fit into my windshield frame perfectly.
Ron told me that it would take a day or two to bend a sample sheet of glass and see how it fit in my car. If it needed it, they would tweak the mold accordingly, bend another sample if needed and trial fit it again. Then they would laminate the windshield which would take two days and 24 hours to cool down in the furnace. Then fit it to the car and if no problems, paint the black border which would take another 24 hours to dry. So we are talking about a week to get it done. I picked the car up a little more than a month later. They ran into every problem possible but finally got it done to their satisfaction and standards. The price remained at the price quoted. no quibbling or complaining. Just quality work.
I can't say enough about these guys. I offered them use my car in their advertising brochures. The least I could do.
So file this name and number away for future reference should the need arise.
Bill
Desman Corporation
5575 Dobbins Bridge Road
Anderson S.C.29626
www.desmanglass.com
Email: [email protected]
Ronald A. Lubsen President
Phone: 864-225-2580
Fax: 864-225-2526
Mobile: 864-934-0075