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As a follow up to an earlier question I posted to
this group, I thought I would pass along my experience of buffing out my
windshield.
The windshield on my '59 Dodge had a virtual haze
covering it due to tiny, unfelt scratches. Its was as if someone thought it
would be a good idea to buff it out with 400 grit sandpaper. Doing some research
on buffing glass, I found that if your fingernails do not catch on the
scratches, they could be buffed out. In that my fingernails could slide freely
across the glass, I thought I should take a chance. A new, correct windshield is
running close to $800 so I felt I had nothing to lose. I ordered the Cerium
and buffing wheel from Gary Goers and got ready to do the
deed.
Overcoming some hesitation, I set about buffing. I
started with the passengers side first, figuring that if I messed something up,
I could still drive the car. It took me about 20min to cover that side of the
windshield. Next, I cleaned the glass and the scratches were gone! My joy at the
success of the project is measured alongside the degree of improvement I
noticed. It was so bad before, it was annoying to drive, especially into any
sort of light. Now, it is as good as new. Truly night and day. I went over and
did the drivers side with the same results.
All in all, I did about 2 passes. I would guess
that the whole project from start to finish took about 2 hours. It does make a
mess all over your car. I would recommend covering the hood/top fender area, as
well and the roof to minimize the amount of material on your car. In my case,
the paint is not that great so I did not have a big worry about cleaning it off.
If I had nice paint, I would use extra caution in wiping it off. Use plenty of
water and just wash it off. I would guess that most of it would come off with
minimal wiping.
Moral of the story? If you need to buff your
windshield and it is like the one I described, give it a shot. It does make a
mess, but that can be made easier to clean up with some prep work. The end
results can be fantastic!
James
1959 Dodge
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