270 Coastal Windshield

[cptbill]

Well today I made repairs to the cabin door on my 2002 Wellcraft 270 Coastal, The door works great but in the prosses of finishing I somehow managed to break the port side curved windshield glass. I contacted Taylor Made and they would be very happy to sell my a new piece of glass if I can give them a part #. I looked under the screw cover(were they said it might be) but No # there so I contacted Wellcraft,gave them the Hull ID# by e-mail in hopes of getting a part # but no telling how long that will take so here's the question, anybody out there happen to know the part # or where else I might look to find it?

 

[Scott Danforth]

you will most likely need to wait for Wellcraft...... I would have called them

while at it, get a bit of rubber to make a bit for when you get the price..... so you dont bite off your tongue and swallow it.

 

[cptbill]

All I could find under contact us on there web page was an email address but Ill look again, If you have a # for them I could use it

 

[cptbill]

Update: Found a # for Wellcraft in Cadillac Mi, talked to someone there they said there stuff only goes back to thee merger(2008) Then Called Ocean Dynamics for a quote and almost had the big one, $1200.00 for polycast $4500.00 to 5500.00 for glass I need to find a old-time Wellcraft dealer that might still have that info

 

[Scott Danforth]

I told you to make a bit.... curved glass is really really really pricey.

 

[JimS123]

Finding parts for an 18 year old boat is going to be a problem.

 

[cptbill]

Yea It always is but most of the time I can find stuff that crosses over from other years or part # s that cross from different manufacturers but this windshield is different. Benetean marine Groupe bought the Wellcraft name only no molds,no manufacturing facilities, no parts and it's like any and all resources just dried up. I mean where did all the parts recourses' go who has the parts books or parts files

 

[Scott Danforth]

the glass from Taylor Made Systems has nothing to do with who owns wellcraft

some of the curved glass may be common with others, or you may find something you may need to have cut down.

boat manufacturers/dealer tend to keep records on stuff for a maximum of about 5 years. (length of warranty period) after that very few places will have records going back 20 years.

have you looked at places like Surplus Marine in Sarasota or Greatlakes Skipper in Racine? they buy end of run stock

 

[cptbill]

Got some measurements off great lakes and I'm heading down to don's & marine surplus today

 

[cptbill]

Ok I found a solution, While at Dons Marine Salvage they gave me a card for a guy in Tampa that does work with plastics and polycarbonate and such anyway they showed me some of his work on a Searay in there yard and you can't tell the one he made form the original on the other side so I called then stopped by his shop, $400.00 for parts and labor to make a poly, curved piece for the windshield installed in my frame. Seamed very reasonable to me and it will be ready before next weekend instead of $1200.00 in a month or two when I take the gaskets down to him I'll ask if he minds if I post his info for all and find out if he'll ship

 

[PartsVu]

Congrats on finding a good solution. Windshields can be really difficult -- both to source and to ship. I bet we see at least 25% of ours come in damaged in transit by the common carrier despite being placed in heavy wooden crates. You are super fortunate that he is able to use your frame too. Even a direct replacement windshield often will not fit exactly in the location as the previous frame, so gelcoat work is often required to cover existing screw holes. Good luck!

 

[cptbill]

OK here's the solution I found. The web site is www.customplasticfab.com, Phone # 813-884-5200 they are making the curved front port windshield out of a poly that is the same shade(slight green tint) same thickness as the Taylor Made Clear View and saving me Big $ One third the price!. Like I said I saw the work on an older Searay and could not tell them apart except for the markings that say Taylor Made

 

[cptbill]

I guess I should add, while I was there I say stuff that looked like it went on toons, bass boats and center consoles. He also said he can make just about any thing you may want out of poly, plexi or plastic

 

[Scott Danforth]

the problem with polycarbonate is that its not UV stable

both Polycarbonate and Acrylic tend to haze and stress crack after a while, not to mention if you have a wiper, it will scratch like crazy

 

[cptbill]

Good to know, maybe I'll be onto my next boat by then

 

[cptbill]

Ok started putting the windshield back together today, though I'd share a pic or two of what the polycarbonate that was made looks like

 

[Scott Danforth]

looks good.

another source down here in Pinellas County FL are these guys. http://www.americanplasticsupply.com/

I used them for the companion hatch on the Rogue.

 

[cptbill]

that's good. I'll add them to my file, Thanks