Different Windshields

[5bird7]

Same with my 2002, Quickdraw. No one ever said anything different back in the day. However, when some had windshields replaced, they noted the change from the retro wings to the old style wings and that Carlite was now on the replacement windows. btw, windshields were being changed in 2001 due to rock damage. Ron, are you sure yours hadn't been replaced by the previous owner?

Here's an original post on the windshields:

http://www.thunderbirdnest.com/forum...cement-problem

and even an earlier post about the logos, from Sept 2002

http://www.thunderbirdnest.com/forum...dows-portholes

btw, NCBlueBird was a very early owner of an 02 blue.

[wcoates]

Dot read only the first post of one of the threads you posted. Comment was about decreased collector value. I really think that ship has sailed long ago. Maybe that has to due to my getting into Birds only 8 years ago as opposed folks like you who have been there since the beginning.

Just never understood the aversion to a replacement without a Bird emblem. I know many don’t agree with that.

[5bird7]

Dot read only the first post of one of the threads you posted. Comment was about decreased collector value. I really think that ship has sailed long ago. Maybe that has to due to my getting into Birds only 8 years ago as opposed folks like you who have been there since the beginning.

Just never understood the aversion to a replacement without a Bird emblem. I know many don’t agree with that.

You need to continue reading both of those threads. The rest of that thread is about changes made on the windshield logos.

btw, I was not thrilled with having an "old" style logo used on the replacement windows - just not right.

[Quickdraw]

How do we explain the "DOT 18" on both the PPG and CarLite glass? DOT 18 is PPG http://www.carwindshields.info/dot_db
Perhaps Ford used to have different glass manufacturers "private label" the Carlite name on their glass?

[BillyL]

Okay, Ya'll made me go look. My '04 has the original windshield ( knock on wood) with the PPG label and modern bird logo. It also has the ford Wixom plant decal in the corner.

[5bird7]

Okay, Ya'll made me go look. My '04 has the original windshield ( knock on wood) with the PPG label and modern bird logo. It also has the ford Wixom plant decal in the corner.

Glad you mentioned the plant label. Good Find.
It started appearing on 04s in the 2nd half of the 04 production year (Late January 04 to end of production) as reported by others on TBN back then. At that time, Ford had moved the dedicated Thunderbird production line to the Lincoln Continental and LS lines and closed the dedicated T-bird line. We just assume that the workers on the Lincoln lines were used to putting those labels on all the Lincolns back then and just started putting them on the Thunderbirds in the same lines. I don't recall that any of the Wixom labels ended up on 2005s.

[mdbluebrd]

A timely discussion since I'm scheduled to have my first windshield replacement next week. Does anyone happen to have pics of the locations of the infamous little nuts that are prone to being dropped in hard to recover places? There are a few threads that date back to many years ago, but unfortunately the pics were hosted off-site and are not longer available. I'm having the work done by Safelite but am fearful that the tech will whip out his 5-in-1 tool to pry off the chrome trim.