Windscreen woes for the 406 Coupé

In case you missed the news, the Peugeot 406 Coupé V6 bought as a donor car for the other 406 Coupé is now on the road. It passed an exploratory MOT with only minor advisories and has since been treated to light recommissioning. New fluids, filters and belts, etc, plus a new rear hub and a set of period correct number plates. The paintwork needs attention, but I was quite content with enjoying a 406 Coupé with a V6 engine, heated seats and a manual gearbox. After the struggles with the silver 406 Coupé, it felt too good to be true...

How right I was, because I'm now faced with the hunt for a new windscreen after a chip quickly turned into several cracks that spread across the top half of the screen. Annoying, especially given the fact that it's an original Peugeot windscreen.

I guess I should have realised that replacing a windscreen on a French car built in the 1990s is going to be tricky; it took months to source one for the black Renault Safrane, with a pattern part having to be shipped over from France.

Still, I put a call into Auto Windscreens (via Lancaster Insurance), paid the £100 excess, and booked an appointment for the following week. Again, it felt too good to be true...

A couple of days before the appointment, I received a call from someone at Auto Windscreens in Plymouth to say that they're struggling to find a replacement windscreen, both via their preferred suppliers and the Peugeot dealer network. It was suggested that I would be referred back to Lancaster Insurance and left to find a used windscreen, the fitting of which wouldn't be covered by my insurance. Not good. On the plus side, everyone I have spoken to at the Plymouth branch has been incredibly helpful, including the lady I chatted with before Easter, who said something along the lines of not seeing many cars of this age on the road. I guess 25 years is old, but to me it's still a relatively new car!

There is a chance that Pilkington might been able to supply a windscreen, but if not the 406 Coupé faces an extended period off the road. What is it with me and 406 Coupés?!

I guess the lesson here is that if you own a French car from the 1990s, you should be stockpiling parts and accessories. You'll almost certainly need them in the future...