I've been struggling to find a windshield for our 79-85 cars that fits and has the proper frit band or black border around the whole windshield. I had a company try and install a windshield with a frit band. Part # FW00462GGN and it was too short from a pillar to a pillar. The windshield on my car now is a FW00380. It fits the car, but no frit band and clear. That's the problem. I want the frit band like original.

Anyone else had this issue? Looks like I'll be looking for a stock windshield.

 

Whats a frit band? Not visualizing it.

 

I'm about to have my windshield replaced by Safelite. It wasn't easy to find but PGW, an oem glass producer, has them available in isolated locations. The code is Foreign 380 superseded by Foreign 462. Are you saying that this windshield doesn't fit?

Herb

 

It is a black border around the outside edge of the windshield. Helps with the glue bonding on install and covers the very top of the dash and A pillar areas for a clean tidy look. I'll try and find a picture from google.

When are you having it replaced? I was looking for PGW glass and originally was told by the company I went through that the Foreign 462 glass they were going to install would be from PGW. Unfortunately it wasn't. They took off the Foreign 380 on my car and we went to install the 462. It did not fit my 83 rx7. I believe it was XYT glass? I'm not sure. Was too short from A pillar to A pillar. I hope your experience is different. I'm just after a windshield that fits and has that frit band like factory.

I'm talking with Safelite now also trying to see what they can find. I don't want to reinstall the Foreign 380 and feel like I wasted my time.

 

I'm scheduled to get the glass installed on Aug 11th. Let me know what you find out from Safelite. If they can't get one, someone in Ohio is advertising PGW glass for the 1st gen Rx7 on Ebay. They want $169 for the glass and $149 for the shipping. All in Safelite quoted me about $360. Herb

 

Wow please post up your experience afterwards. Safelite said they could get the FW00380 and the FW00462. They said $215 plus mobile fee here in Vegas. Then I got a call back yesterday saying they actually couldn't get the glass. I'll try and get ahold of PGW directly then.

I saw the eBay ad for the PGW glass. Just didn't want to spend that on freight shipping...

 

I saw that seller on ebay too. It'd be a 13 hour round trip but I'm almost tempted to drive out there and stock up on windshields while I still can lol

 

Lol, but the question is does it fit?

The part number on the description says FW00462.

We just tried to install a 462 windshield on my 83. Didn't fit...

It wasn't PGW glass though, but would the technical specs be different if the part # is the same? I don't think so...

Looks like a FW00380 is our only option wit no frit band. Too bad..

 

What about the one you tried was wrong? Too wide? Too tall?

 

The one we tried was too short on the length. If you lined up the driver side A pillar with the windsheild the passenger side A pillar would be 1-2 inches short. Windsheild needed to be longer inbetween the A pillars.

Also, safelite called me back and said they were unable to get a windsheild. Thought they could, but couldn't.

Spoke with Techna Glass and they can get the FW00380 which fits for our cars, but with no frit band.

 

Sheesh, 1-2" is way off. WTF did they use as a template for that one? Lol. Keep us posted.

 

I am in need of a windshield as well...

I found one in an SE donor, but when i pulled the trim off, there was a crack in the edge of the glass... it had the tinted glass which was nice if it was UV rated


I am in if there has to be a group buy put together.


***edit*** the rear quarter glass has a frit band for reference

 

Interesting, I just looked at my 80 SA windshield which is original and it doesn't appear to have
frit band around it. Can it be seen when the trim is on? I would think it would show a bit even
with the trim.

 

the windshield does not have a frit band on it, but the rear quarter windows do...

you can see the black outline around the window in this picture

 

Yeah, totally wrong. I sent a message to the eBay seller with the PGW glass and part number FW00462.

He said that he has had many people order that windshield and never heard complaints about it not fitting or sent back.

I'm thinking the different company screwed up then and the PGW is correct.

He's got it spot on!

 

I'm set to have my PGW windshield installed on Saturday by Safelite.

Herb

 

Truth; 80 original had no frit band. And the sunshade tint at the top was an option, IIRC - "Tinted Windshield".

 

Looking forward to hearing your experience. For some reason my local safelite can't get the PGW glass.

I ordered the eBay one. Freight can take a couple weeks.

Very interesting! Wonder if it started in 81.

 

I just looked at the windshield I removed from my 79. Tint. No band. Had to postpone the installation to next weekend.

 

I had one installed from Safelite a few months ago with a black border and blue tint at the top. The local windshield businesses couldn't source one.

If you search other threads for windshield installs, people will say the way they install now is with a thick seal so the glass sticks up a bit. This happened with me as well. I had the metal trim off the car being powder coated so Safelite didn't have to deal with it, but it was a really tight fit getting them back on and the bottom trim does not want to stay on.

 

I have a 79 and when I had the windshield replaced about 6 years ago the only one they could get had the band (or frit), I was disappointed they didn't tell me about it till after it was installed because it covers my vin number on the dash, bummer. Good to hear there may be fritless examples for my next one.

 

No way! Oh man.. was it PGW or did you take a look at the part #?

Well that sounds promising that you had one installed with the black border and it fit the car.

I did also forget to mention that. Thanks! The shop that tried to reinstall mine were going to use real thick adhesive(butyl) to install it. Put it on and I tested to see if the molding would fit. It wouldn't! Same problem you had. I pushed the windshield off slowly before it set and told them not to worry about it.

 

Wow. Opposite problems were having lol. Definitely can get the clear windshields if needed in future.

 

Yeah definitely be sure whoever is installing the windshield knows how to do one on these cars properly. Most new cars require a bead of glue twice the thickness of what we need. As mentioned above, if the glue is applied too thick, the trim won't fit correctly, or at all.

If I remember right it only takes a bead of glue about 3 or 4 mm thick for an FB - I was told that by a glass installer who had been in the business since the late 80's and had done dozens of FB's back in the day

Looking forward to seeing how you make out with that ebay seller

 

If the safelite windshield comes with the frit band can it be removed for my SA which isn't supposed to have one?