73-87 WINDSHEILD SEAL - DELUXE, Cheap or expensive? does it matter

[rgunlock]

I bought a recommended name brand windshield gasket. I laid it out in the driveway in the sun for hours prior to the glass guy showing up, but he still had a heck of a time getting the windshield installed with the locking strip. He claimed that the new rubber was just too stiff. A few weeks later I noticed I had a crack in a lower corner of the glass. Same guy came back out with a new windshield and a couple of OEM gaskets from the salvage yard so I could choose one. Cleaned it up, glass went in with no problem and I've had no problem since. He flat out said that if your original isn't torn up, never get rid of it. Clean it up and re-use it.