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    oops: windshield "clearcoat"?

    Snowed heavily (by our admittedly wimpy standards, anyway) yesterday, and I shoveled out my car.
    Too lazy to find the broom, I used the aluminum shovel to clear off the car. I thought I was being gentle and could get away with it, but I scratched the paint on the hood nonetheless: that's OK, I'm repainting her in the spring anyway, the hood already has a large sunspot.

    Anyway. Today I noticed some marks on my windshield, short white horizontal streaks that weren't there 2 days ago, anyway: probably the shovel again. They didn't wipe off with my finger.

    Now, while paint is softer, I KNOW tempered glass is much harder than a cheapy aluminum snow shovel, so I was sure I was safe there.
    Is it just a question of getting some respectable solvent and a modicum of elbow grease, it's just aluminum streaked on the surface of the glass and nothing to fear?

    Or, I'm afraid (but I just don't know how windshields are done), is there some sort of much softer coating on top of the glass that I may have scratched, and will need to touch up to fix?


    thanks!
    -Bernard

    #2
    sounds like you scratched the glass. the winsheild is made up of glass and clear plastic to keep the glass from hurting you when it gets smashed. but, the clear film is on the inside of the windsheild. you could contact an auto glass place and see if its repairable.

    1981 Mercury Marquis Brougham 2-Door 302/ 5-speed -special blend (GMGT)
    1987 Lincoln Mark VII 5-speed (Errand runner)
    1989 Mercury Grand Marquis (Base Runner)
    2007 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited (Hustlyn)
    2011 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (Down with O.P.P)

    Comment


      #3
      There are polishing kits available. http://www.deltakits.com/products/11/51

      85 4 door 351 Civi Crown Victoria - Summer daily driver, sleeper in the making, and wildly inappropriate autocross machine
      160KMs 600cfm holley, shorty headers, 2.5" catted exhaust, 255/295 tires, cop shocks, cop swaybars, underdrive pulley, 2.73L gears.
      waiting for install: 3.27's, Poly bushings, boxed rear arms, 2500 stall converter, ported e7's, etc

      06 Mazda 3 hatch 2.3L 5AT (winter beater that cost more than my summer car)

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by johnunit View Post
        There are polishing kits available. http://www.deltakits.com/products/11/51
        my mustangs rear window needs polishing...along with pretty much everything else. why cant any of my cars just be perfect??

        ohh yeahh, thats what my lincolns for
        1988 MGM GS - Preferred Equipment Package 172A; InstaClear

        1980 Lincoln Continental Coupe
        1994 MGM GS Montigua
        2005 F150 Lariat Scab 4x4 3.73 LS
        2002 Mustang GT Coupe

        Comment


          #5
          glass is actually easier to scratch than you might expect. If you hit it with the edge of the shovel, you probably scratched it. Tip for the future, use a push broom to clear the car.
          86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
          5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

          91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

          1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

          Originally posted by phayzer5
          I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
            glass is actually easier to scratch than you might expect. If you hit it with the edge of the shovel, you probably scratched it. Tip for the future, use a push broom to clear the car.
            i have one with synthetic brissles just for that.
            1988 MGM GS - Preferred Equipment Package 172A; InstaClear

            1980 Lincoln Continental Coupe
            1994 MGM GS Montigua
            2005 F150 Lariat Scab 4x4 3.73 LS
            2002 Mustang GT Coupe

            Comment


              #7
              Damn :-/

              I know on an other car, I scraped off an obsolete inspection sticker on the inside window with a steel razor blade, no damage whatsoever, I didn't imagine soft aluminum scratching it.

              Well, just holding out hope: while there's plastic on the inside, it IS just pure glass on the outside right?
              Maybe I'll use some acetone: or probably a light acid like oxalic acid (dish cleaner) or even lemon juice can get it off if it's aluminum rubbed onto the glass: no risk of damage TO the glass?

              Comment


                #8
                razor blades can scratch the hell out of glass if you hit it the wrong way. Ever see a car with really bad rubber dew wipes that also has nasty vertical scratches in the glass? My original driver's side window had that problem, and it was caused purely by dirt stuck in the dew wipes.
                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                  razor blades can scratch the hell out of glass if you hit it the wrong way. Ever see a car with really bad rubber dew wipes that also has nasty vertical scratches in the glass? My original driver's side window had that problem, and it was caused purely by dirt stuck in the dew wipes.
                  AH! my LTD has those vertical scratches.... i wonder if the polishing compound would get rid of those...it seems it would
                  -Phil

                  sigpic

                  +1982 Ford LTD-S Police Car. Built 351w, Trickflow 11R 190 Heads, Holley Sniper EFI, RPM Intake+ Hyperspark dizzy, WR-AOD, Full exhaust headers to tails. 3.27 Trac-Lok Rear. Aluminum Police Driveshaft. Speedway Springs+Bilstein Shocks, Intermediate Brakes, HPP Steering Box.

                  +2003 Acura CL Type S 6-speed

                  Comment


                    #10
                    probably not. If you can feel the groove with your fingernail it likely won't polish out. I found better glass for mine, but the replacement door had a broken window anyway so I was forced to replace the glass anyway. By some bizzare chance, Scott found the window glass sitting against a tire at Harry's, already pulled for me. Good thing too, because that glass is a motherfucker to pull and install on a Towncar. At least I only had to do half the job.
                    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                    Originally posted by phayzer5
                    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Luckily mine, I cannot feel-- hope I can polish 'em!
                      I don't know if there are compounds that can fill scratches --the important thing is to match the index of refraction, and then it'll blend right in!-- but it might be just getting such a compound into fine scratches would require vacuum bagged pressure (more trouble than a new windshield).

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Compounds/polishes aren't meant to fill the scratch, at least in the case of glass. What most glass polishing kits are trying to do is remove the glass around the scratch, bringing it in line with the lowest point in the scratch.

                        85 4 door 351 Civi Crown Victoria - Summer daily driver, sleeper in the making, and wildly inappropriate autocross machine
                        160KMs 600cfm holley, shorty headers, 2.5" catted exhaust, 255/295 tires, cop shocks, cop swaybars, underdrive pulley, 2.73L gears.
                        waiting for install: 3.27's, Poly bushings, boxed rear arms, 2500 stall converter, ported e7's, etc

                        06 Mazda 3 hatch 2.3L 5AT (winter beater that cost more than my summer car)

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                          Ever see a car with really bad rubber dew wipes that also has nasty vertical scratches in the glass? My original driver's side window had that problem, and it was caused purely by dirt stuck in the dew wipes.
                          yeah... my 88... and it's not the top of the dew wipe that did it... it's the bottom part inside the door

                          Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                          rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)

                          Originally posted by gadget73
                          ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.

                          Originally posted by dmccaig
                          Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            crazy ladyfriend who you met at work and now wants to have your kids...for lunch?lol

                            1981 Mercury Marquis Brougham 2-Door 302/ 5-speed -special blend (GMGT)
                            1987 Lincoln Mark VII 5-speed (Errand runner)
                            1989 Mercury Grand Marquis (Base Runner)
                            2007 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited (Hustlyn)
                            2011 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (Down with O.P.P)

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by marquisman View Post
                              crazy ladyfriend who you met at work and now wants to have your kids...for lunch?lol
                              ......huh?
                              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                              Originally posted by phayzer5
                              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                              Comment

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