Published on Jun 20, 2026
Welcome to another Q&A session where I answer questions from y'all on the internet.
Today's question is:
Jake estimates that about ninety-five percent of Magnatech's installs use aftermarket glass, and he explains the reasoning: it's more cost-effective and readily available, with parts delivered to him twice a day, whereas OEM glass ships from manufacturer warehouses and can take five to seven days at a higher price. The right choice depends on the customer and the vehicle. Someone with a brand-new Corvette may want OEM, but for common cars like a Toyota Corolla there's no real difference in clarity, and the OEM premium mostly buys a logo. Jake adds that quality does vary by brand; there are a few aftermarket makers he avoids, while most of the OEE glass he carries is his standard stock.
Probably ninety-five percent of all the glass we install is aftermarket, and you have to understand why. It's more cost-effective than OEM, and it's readily available. Any given day, I get two runs delivered to my house; I can have a part on the nine-thirty run or the one-thirty run. OEM, on the other hand, is coming from manufacturer warehouses, and sometimes that's five to seven days as standard, and it's generally going to cost you more. So it really depends on what the customer is looking for. If they're bringing me a brand-new 2025 Corvette Stingray, they're probably going to want OEM on that. But for your standard Toyota Corollas and things like that, there's really no difference in clarity or anything; basically you're just paying for a logo. Now, I have seen some brands with lesser-quality glass, and there are a few aftermarket brands we won't order. I'm not going to name them, but I'll tell you that most of the OEE glass you can buy is what we carry as our standard stock.
