After our truck got broken into, I made the mistake of taking it into the local Speedy Glass.
Speedy Glass Crowfoot and I have a pretty long history. And it’s been a postivie enough history. I’ve probably given them 2000$ in the past ten years… which I guess isn’t that notable, but aside from tire mounting, glass services are the only services I have ever paid for on a vehicle.
That’s because I’ve worked at a few shops, and I’ve seen what goes on. Not that I’ve worked at bad shops… probably the contrary. Still, my cars are special to me, and the thought of some overweight dude with greasy coveralls and oily boots getting in my drivers seat is more than enough to deter me away from repair shops.
On top of that… common mis-diagnosis which is apparently often caused by “modern” vehicles which are supposedly so over run by computers and electronics that the average grease monkey has no idea towards even how much air should go in our tires, means we often pay so much more than needed. The truth is… that even if technicians are intelligent, and well versed in logic and reason, we have gigantic advantages over them when it comes to diagnosing problems with our vehicles: we drive and work on them daily.
But glass is something else. Well… at least a windshield or a rear window glass is. The dillemma I faced was that the windshield on the ZJ was chipped and cracked and ready for replacement, along with the smashed door window. I had originally called Speedy just looking for a quote on the door glass because my awesome insurance agent had agreed to re-imburse me for the cost of a replacement window should I decide to replace the window myself… which seemed like the best idea at the time, and still does in hindsight. However, when I explained the entire situation to Speedy, and my desire for a new windshield as well they agreed to give me a rebate on my insurance deductable and I was sold on bringing the vehicle in for both the windshield and door glass replacement.
Bonk.
Prior to this time, the last time I used Speedy was when the rear window fell out of the ZJ. Yes FELL OUT! I dropped it off with them and they did whatever it is they do to set it back in (if I knew I would do it myself). The problem is… they didn’t get it quite right and a corner of the window still sits out a little bit and makes a good amount of wind noise. No huge deal right? How much can I ask of a 15 year old car?
This time though… complaints were made.
1. I picked the vehicle up and found greasy fingerprints all over the interior.
2. When I grabbed a rag to wipe said prints off… interior trim pieces fell off in my hands. Plastic tabs broken.
3. Cruise up to highway speed and… what? what? what are you saying? I can’t hear you. Weather stripping ripped and stretched and destroyed.
4. They vacuumed the vehicle out for me… but… left a gigantic pile of glass under the floormat. Glass that hadn’t been there when I dropped it off.
5. Why should any tech give a shit about the reading material stashed in the pocket behind the drivers seat? I had a small collection of Drift Tengoku stashed there for reading material when wife is taking way to long doing things that wives do. Stashed there… but stashed carefully. I love my JDM mags… but asshole must have got tempted by pink drifting cars and took them on loan to the shitter for his break. I get them back with crumpled pages and fingerprints.
For next time… I’ll have the tools to do it all myself. And I think I’ll have my eye’s open for a tire machine as well.