C3 Windshield Polishing

[Todd Robida]

I made the mistake of cleaning gunk off the windshield on my '74 with a bottle of "Fantastik" of questionable age. It left my windshield hazy and streaky. Fantastik appears to turn into varnish with age. It appears that all the tiny scratches and pits are filled in with this stuff.

I've tried all kinds of cleaners including gasoline with no luck. I tried rubbing with a cloth by hand with toothpaste.

Does anyone have any experience with the windshield polishing kits you can buy from Eastwood or Eckler's? I'm refering to the compound and buffing wheel that attaches to a power drill.

Todd Robida

[Jim T.]

Re: C3 Windshield Polishing

GM recommends using Bon-Ami to clean a windshield. This recommendation is listed in my 96 LT4's owners manual

[Mike G.]

Re: C3 Windshield Polishing

i use the zaino bros clear view glass polish on mine. it works well. www.zainobros.com

[Stephen L.]

Re: C3 Windshield Polishing

Obtain a pice of junk glass.... maybe a window on the back of your garage.

Apply the same Fantastik cleaner to it. If you get the same results then you have a test piece. Now try solvents such as Laquer Thinner and MEK to remove the Fantasik until you find a suitable solvent.
Now very carefully use that solvent on your windshield.......DO NOT get any of it on the paint surfaces.

You might also try buffing with a power buffer and some light compound material.

[Pat M.]

Re: C3 Windshield Polishing

I've tried the Eastwood product and was pretty pleased with it. But it is fairly abrasive, and the buffing wheel is pretty hard, so it must be used with care and lots of water.

I also tried Bon Ami and loved it. I used a very soft, cloth-like drill pad and lots of water, and the glass sparkles, with absolutely no scratches. This might work for you.

Good luck, Patrick Moresi #45581

[Louis T.]

Re: C3 Windshield Polishing

Todd,

If you are going to use Bon Ami, look for the 1886 Formula Cleaning Powder, not the Polishing Cleanser. They each have different formulas, as outlined on the Bon Ami website, and only the milder, original formula cleaning powder is specifically recommended for glass.

Bon Ami is a powdered feldspar based cleanser, as opposed to chlorine bleach based cleansers like Comet. Another mild, non-chlorine product is Bar Keeper’s Friend powdered Cleanser & Polish (oxalic acid based), whose claim to fame is metal cleaning, especially stainless steel, but has many other cleaning applications, including the cleaning of glass. (I wonder if the latter’s formula might help chemically remove what Fantastic left behind.)

Whatever you use, be gentile (no scouring pads, or use them very carefully), and use plenty of water.

Good luck!

Louis

www.bonami.com
www.barkeepersfriend.com

[Todd Robida]

Thanks To All Your Input

Thansk to all the suggestions! With some careful precautions, I hope I can fix this.

Todd Robida