{"id":807,"date":"2017-06-23T18:54:02","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T22:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/?p=807"},"modified":"2024-04-03T21:18:43","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T01:18:43","slug":"oem-vs-aftermarket-glass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/oem-vs-aftermarket-glass\/","title":{"rendered":"OEM vs. Aftermarket Windshield Glass: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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When your windshield cracks and you need a replacement, there are two types of windshield glass<\/a> available to you\u2014OEM and aftermarket glass. Which of these options is best for you?<\/p>

This article is going to cause some controversy within the ranks of those who do auto glass manufacturing as well as those who do auto glass replacements. Indeed, in some circles, this is a very sensitive issue. So, I am going to start with a true story which I hope helps shape what I will ultimately say about this subject.<\/p>

In February of 2000 I bought a brand new Corvette\u2014what would be classified as a C-5 series. For 50 years I had dreamed of owning a Corvette, and when I finally had saved enough money to buy one, I did so. It was gorgeous. A triple black convertible with a six-speed manual transmission. Reportedly it would do 160 miles an hour\u2026I got it up to 130 and while it had the ability to go faster, I didn\u2019t. When I sold it in 2015, it had a little over 18,000 miles on it and had never been driven in the rain or snow and never came out of the garage except to be washed or driven. A tear trickled down my left cheek when I turned it over to its new owner. I have a \u201cthing\u201d for cars and I would have never thought of using anything but an original GM Corvette part for my Vette.<\/p>

One afternoon I was at a social gathering and one of the guys there said he had just bought a new Pontiac and that he really loved how quick it was. He went on to state that the quickness and speed it had was because it had a Corvette engine in it. I was a bit offended and quickly said that unless the engine is in an actual Corvette, it is not a Corvette engine. It is a Pontiac engine perhaps made in the same manner with maybe the same engine characteristics of a Corvette engine but unless it was in a Corvette, it was not a Corvette engine. Several of the people at this gathering were car enthusiasts and a debate soon broke out and I was amazed at how passionate some people were about this subject. By the way, I still think I was right but some others did not.<\/p>