I have heard that NRMA and Shannons will supply and fit a new windscreen every year when you're insured with them (seems a little excessive to me). I'm about to be fitting the windows back up, so I'm considering taking out insurance first to capitalise on the new windscreen idea.

Can anyone shed any light on this? Are there any other companies that do this, or anyone else I should look at? I'll shop around once I've received some wisdom from here.

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Cheers, Matt

Don't be fooled, Gruhms is not my real name.

I don't know about every year, but I had a windscreen replaced under insurance earlier this year with NRMA Vintage and Veteran. Was a fairly painless exercise considering I sourced the windscreen and had it fitted by a second installer. Just sent the invoices in and NRMA sent the cheque.
I did have to pay an excess though, whereas I've heard Shannons' insured people do the same thing and claim it didn't cost them anything.

KB

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its not a "free" windscreen every year as such, you are able to claim one glass breakage a year with supposedly no excess or premium increases.

By posting on this thread id say youve already come to the attention of insruance companies and could possibly get done for fraud, so be very careful with how you proceed from this point

Thanks for the replies.

Can you explain more about how this would be fraud. I'm just trying to find out what other people's experiences have been. I'm not looking to get a new windscreen each year. I've just heard that if I get my insurance now, I can have a new one fitted, which would be better than refitting my old one. I'm not trying to do anything dodgy. Am I?

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Cheers, Matt

Don't be fooled, Gruhms is not my real name.

They don't send a new one out to you each year - it's insurance based on the screen breaking/cracking/shattering as it tends to be common for older cars with old glass that are driven on back roads in convoy and gravel is flicked up etc..

Other possibilities include someone smashing your windows to break in and steal stuff.

I've claimed a genuine crack and had it replaced on a couple of cars and it's a quite painless and easy process.

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

I have been thinking about windscreen cover on my daily driver, I have had my daily from new and it is 10 years old, I rang RACV and they said windscreen cover was an additional $66 a year, so it is debatable whether cost wise it is worth having. Another interesting bit of info, my daughter cracked the screen in her Mazda 3, rang around, Windscreens O'brien wanted just on $500 for a new screen, National Windsceens were $300, I was chatting with the guy doing the fitting and asked about the screen he was fitting and he said all companies were using after market screens including O'briens, the screens were made in China, the screen they used was as I said $300, priced a genuine Mazda screen and it was $900. So I wonder with insurance whether you would get genuine or after market screens fitted to a daily driver. The screen she had fitted looks the same as the old one except maybe a fraction more tint at the top.

I had the glass replaced in my subaru through insurance and could tell it wasn't genuine - would be nice - but i doubt many would use it as most people wouldn't know to check or care - so at such a big price difference of course they are going to use aftermarket suppliers.

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

We has O'Briens replace the screen in the AU Ford a few years back as it had a big star crack in the field of vision. Shannons picked up the tab.

Yes you guessed it, they fitted an aftermarket screen, made in China.
They did a mate's Commodore a few weeks ago, same story.
Is there any other sort sold these days?

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Hi Gruhms, my understanding is as per what Mini Mad said above, i.e. it's based on your windscreen having cracked already (i.e. by accident), the benefit being that you don't have to file a "normal" claim, which could see see your driver rating downgraded (= higher premium next year) + having it listed in your accident history. Yours is not broken so they would not be replacing a damaged item, which is the whole point of insurance.

I don't think they would be inclined to help you with your resto project, especially as the windscreen is not currently fitted to the car, although it would be nice! The complication would be when they ask how it happened, and you say: "Well, it was resting on my workbench and then the dog knocked over my beer and before I knew it...."

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You may find the fine print won't cover a non-registered car in the process of restoration. ""Laid-up Insurance" would be the only suitable insurance in that case and I'm guessing that wouldn't come with the same windscreen benefits you talk of.

I agree, you are unlikely to get a new windscreen installed where your car currently doesn't have one installed.

KB

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Righto. Thanks team. Looks like I might just stick with what I've got and if anything happens down the track, I'll hopefully be covered.

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Cheers, Matt

Don't be fooled, Gruhms is not my real name.