Shaded windshield?

So there I was, all alone on the freeway doing 65, and PING. Out of nowhere (I mean literally - I have NO clue where it could have come from!), a rock puts a big ol' star in my pristine windshield. Less than 1000 miles on the thing! OK... so I had my tinter put a shading strip of tint across the top of the windshield... and I'm wondering - doesn't Toyota make shaded windshields for these things? If not, I'll have to pay to have the strip put back on yet again (just had it done a month ago, sigh). Would LOVE to have factory shading up there instead of the film. You guys have any clue if that's available? Doubtful, or it would come with the vehicle as standard, I'd imagine!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Catskillguy @ Apr 21 2006, 04:16 AM) [snapback]243062[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for the commiseration, at least! If it wasn't a rock, it was some other small, hard, dense object. I never saw it coming or leaving, so it wasn't a bird or anything similar. Could have been a bolt dropped from an airplane over me???? Who knows. All I know is that smomething wacked the windshield hard enough to put a big start in it, and even though I was dutifully looking out the windshield, I never saw the thing that did it. I guess I'll call some glass places and see what's available.

 

Well, I now know that there is so shaded glass available for the Prius II. The glass place figures that shaded glass will be available from quality aftermarket venders eventually but not yet. I'm going to try and have the star repaired first since that costs me nothing.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nmrickie @ Apr 21 2006, 12:30 PM) [snapback]243287[/snapback]</div>

Aw. Sucks....

OK, so I do have a bit of good news - but you only get that after the bad news.

The guy came out today to repair the chip. When pressure was applied, ZIP went the webs. The cracks are huge now, so replacement is mandatory. My repair guy called around a bit and found that there's no shaded windshield for the 2006, but surprise! There is one for the 2004, so I'll be putting that in. Will I have the first 2006 with a shaded windshield!? Stand by for more exciting windshield news....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jbarnhart @ Apr 21 2006, 02:43 PM) [snapback]243355[/snapback]</div>

Just a little update here.

There exists shaded windshields for the 2004 and 2005. Nobody can figure out why they are not "confirmed" to also fit the 2006. They cost twice as much as the un-shaded ones, of course, so I'll have to pay the extra since my insurance will only pay to replace with what the car came with - regardless of the fact that I've paid to have the tint strip added to my windshield that is now broken.

So now I'm wavering... do I try the 2005 and be the pioneer in confirming that there are NO differences with the 2006 glass? Or do I take the easy/cheap way? Probably the risky/expensive tint way... if I know me.