Highway 24 up Ute Pass is basically a rock chute with a road at the bottom. The canyon walls drop stuff all the time, CDOT sands the pass hard all winter because the shady curves stay icy, and whatever lands on the road gets thrown by the next set of tires. If you drive up to Woodland Park, or even just into town on 24, you're on one of the worst stretches in the county for chips.
Damage while the car's just sitting there
A lot of Manitou parking is on a hill with a rock face above it. Cars parked along Ruxton below the Incline, or on the side streets off Manitou Avenue, get hit by stuff coming down the slope. We see plenty of chips that happened while nobody was even driving.
Tight streets are why we're mobile
Getting a car out of Manitou to a shop across town is a hassle, especially in the summer when the streets are packed with people headed to the Cog Railway and Garden of the Gods. A windshield needs a parking spot and a tech, not a garage bay.
We'll be upfront about access, though. Some Manitou driveways don't have much room, and a few are too steep to set glass safely. When that's the case, we'll meet the car somewhere flatter nearby, or at your work in the Springs.
Older cars, sometimes rusty frames
A lot of what's parked in Manitou is on the older side, which is good news on price. Plain glass on an older sedan is usually $250 to $400. The catch is that we find rust under the old windshield more often here. If it's there, we treat it before the new glass goes in. Gluing new urethane over rust is how you end up with water in the headliner a couple of winters later.
Questions from Manitou Springs
Can you replace a windshield on a steep driveway?
Sometimes. Glass is heavy and has to go in straight, so it depends on the slope. Give us the address when you call and we'll tell you.
A rock fell on my parked car. Does that change anything?
Not for the repair. It might matter for your insurance claim, so mention it when you file. Falling rocks tend to leave bigger, deeper chips, so it's often a replacement.
More on what we do and how we do it, or just call (719) 467-3190.