The Windshield Diaries - Don’t Chip The Paint!

[BertBert2019GT]

Maybe someone here will learn from my experience. Here we go

Chapter One: Rock meets windshield. and roof

Call Geico. Call Safelite.

One field service from Safelite, four shop services at two different locations, two windshields, one new cowl cover (installed) and one new cowl cover (sitting in my parts closet) later...

IMO Don’t use Safelite unless there’s a stinger-experienced tech on hand. I can’t stress this enough. Replacing the windshield on this car is not for the inexperienced. The cowl was broken, the first replacement windshield leaked and the final result I settled with is leak-free but the top rubber windshield seal between the roof and the windshield is not straight, it’s wavy and looks awfully unprofessional.

I want to fix the seal but I need to fix the chips in the roof: the initial damage (filled with paint touch-up primer, paint and clear coat) and the damage caused by safelite that was colored in with a sharpie marker! These include small chips on the a-pillar as well as the roof.

There’s no continuing any fight with Safelite and the peace of mind is worth paying for out of pocket. The chip was buffed and the roof re-ceramic coated by my detail guy but it’s an eye sore that is the first and last thing I look at when getting in and out of my car.

Most body shop’s email response is positive but in person after visual assessment I’ve only gotten:
- the touch up is good enough
- this would be a waste of money to fix
- the windshield needs to be removed to repaint the roof and we agree the weather seal looks like trash but if safelite did that we couldn’t guarantee a better job only try and we’re uncomfortable trying

So instead I call a high-dollar mobile windshield replacement company that isn’t Safelite and the guy levels with me and gives me the best advice I’ve gotten since rock met windshield:

“thats a tough spot. I can’t help because I haven’t done a stinger. I can’t recommend anyone because with modern cars both of your problems are related. You need to remove the windshield to repaint the roof period let alone to replace the weather seal, repaint the roof and a-pillars, then reinstall the windshield correctly. You need to call a KIA dealer, get their go-to body shop then call those guys, if they sub-contract with safelite hang up and repeat with another dealer until the body shop says they do glass in-house. Go there”

So thats what I did and found a dealer body shop familiar with the stinger who do the windshields in-house. I have an appointment there tomorrow.

 

[MerlintheMad]

That is a dreadful tale of woe. May your appointment work everything out to your satisfaction: after all that crap and run around you deserve it!

 

[BertBert2019GT]

Chapter Two: Find the guy who fixes all the Sunset Yellows

I met with the KIA body repair specialist.

His assessment was that if the windshield isn’t leaking wait to fix the seal until I need to replace the windshield because there’s no reusing the windshield AND fixing the seal without creating some new imperfection. A new windshield is needed to do it perfect and right now they just cost too much. He can repaint the roof no problem without removing the windshield.

When I asked about needing the remove the windshield to paint the roof his response was “it’s not Sunset Yellow, I can do anything if it isn’t Sunset Yellow”

Then when I said my plan was to allow the paint to cure and have it wrapped/PPF he scoffed and said “not with the amount of clear coat I use”

Hopefully I’m in good hands. The vinyl wrap shop was HIGH-end, wow. I chose satin PPF whenever the roof is ready depending if the paint is being baked or dried/cured over time. The roof gets repainted Friday.

 

[Gtecko]

Chapter Two: Find the guy who fixes all the Sunset Yellows

I met with the KIA body repair specialist.

His assessment was that if the windshield isn’t leaking wait to fix the seal until I need to replace the windshield because there’s no reusing the windshield AND fixing the seal without creating some new imperfection. A new windshield is needed to do it perfect and right now they just cost too much. He can repaint the roof no problem without removing the windshield.

When I asked about needing the remove the windshield to paint the roof his response was “it’s not Sunset Yellow, I can do anything if it isn’t Sunset Yellow”

Then when I said my plan was to allow the paint to cure and have it wrapped/PPF he scoffed and said “not with the amount of clear coat I use”

Hopefully I’m in good hands. The vinyl wrap shop was HIGH-end, wow. I chose satin PPF whenever the roof is ready depending if the paint is being baked or dried/cured over time. The roof gets repainted Friday.

should ask how many coat he applies for the clear coats

 

[BertBert2019GT]

should ask how many coat he applies for the clear coats

I can do that. I drop the car off on Friday 8am

 

[BertBert2019GT]

should ask how many coat he applies for the clear coats

He said KIA standard is three coats of clear coat on hoods and roofs for repaint

 

[Gtecko]

He said KIA standard is three coats of clear coat on hoods and roofs for repaint

definitly not from factory lol finger nail would not go through 3 coats of clear coats.

are you happy with the finishes?

 

[BertBert2019GT]

definitly not from factory lol finger nail would not go through 3 coats of clear coats.

are you happy with the finishes?

Paint from the factory is still wet lol

I just dropped the car off this morning it won’t be ready until next week but I will post pictures of the new paint soon as I get it back

 

[Gtecko]

Paint from the factory is still wet lol

I just dropped the car off this morning it won’t be ready until next week but I will post pictures of the new paint soon as I get it back

I just had my front bumper repainted so I will ask how many coats were done and see how good (iam trying to be positive here) of a job they did

 

[BertBert2019GT]

Chapter Three: Like New

So after driving my fiance’s brand new Subaru forester for a week, wow. The stinger has ruined driving in anything except a stinger. It has really put into perspective how great this car is and getting back into my stinger this afternoon felt like climbing into and flying away in a fighter jet.

The car looks amazing. I had them buff out some other problem areas, replace a few push pins that I had broken and do an alignment for my new tires. It looks new and the roof is double baked and I have an appointment at the wrap shop July 8th. Satin PPF will matte the color and help prevent me from having to do this twice.

Lesson learned: Find the KIA oriented body shop that works for your local KIA dealer that does everything in-house. If possible, the shop that was responsible for re-painting all of the yellow stingers. Because the yellow stingers were near-impossible to color match they were worked on over and over so someone at that shop will be intimately familiar with the ins-and-outs of disassembling everything without breaking anything. This experience was priceless. The stinger is like an xzibit meme for clips.