Got a million tiny pits & scratches after 20 years of
driving on the ol' SE. At night, it's REALLY bad. Can this be helped by some sort of polish, or do I just need to get a new windshield?

 

i say new windshield

 

Is it really pitted and stuff? Wow, thats nasty. I find that a good foaming glass cleaner, then some steel wool, followed by a wipe down with a rag, then finally polished up with a clean 100% cotton towel works really well. That might at least improve your vision a bit until you can get a new windshield if thats what you end up needing.

~T.J.

 

I was wondering about this too. The windshield on the 85 S is pretty pitted too...

 

My new windshield just cost the $100 deductible for 'comprehensive'. Well worth it.

B

 

After cleaning it real well per RotorMotorDriver instructions, try using RainX on it. Just make sure you polish the h3ll out of it with a damp soft all-cotton cloth. My windshields come out awesome using RainX but they aren't pitted all that bad. But give it a shot and good luck!

 

I have a friend that uses a lite rubbing compound on his windsheild. I am not sure if it helps though

 

get a new windshield, there not that expensive and it makes a world of difference.

 

Steel wool will scratch glass.
Eastwood tools sells a little glass polishing kit, I haven't tried it, but it comes with a felt buffer and some cerium oxide, which is the proper polishing compound for glass.
Rain-X works well for filling in the little sand pits if you apply it fairly heavy.
An RX7 windshield is pretty easy to come by, though. Try finding an RX3 or RX4 windshield...

 

Yes, steel wool scratches the glass. When my car was vandalized (painted black) the thieves used something like steel wool to remove the black spray from the windows and the mirrors. This left deep scratches on some of the glass. At the time I decided to replace ALL the glass and I was able to find door glass but not the hatch or windshield. (at least not in my area)

I was told my ’85 GSL-SE glass was “bronze” and the windshield was no longer available. The bronze glass is one of the special things that sets the SE apart from other models.

I thought the glass shop was just trying to sell me new glass but after lengthy discussion on the First Gen list, it turned out the information I was given was correct.

I ended swapping out all bronze glass and replaced it with green tint.

Martin, trying to find a replacement windshield in good shape might be harder than you think. .

 

rain x works great

 

I clean my windshields with Clay Magic. Takes all the soot and exhaust yuk off the windshield and makes it smooth as silk. I've polished it with car wax to good effect.

The rainx deal works well in wintertime to make water bead on the windshield. Then the wipers can wipe it off easier.

 

If you use 4 O steel wool it won't scratch the glass... I was watching one of those auto restoration shows on speedvision, and the guy said it was a good way to clean off road tar. He used it on a viper on the show. Glass looked great.

As to the question of glass polish, I know there are glass companies that will come out and polish windshields, but I believe it's usually only done on classic cars that are hard to find windshields for. I've never looked into it, but aI assume it's expensive...

 

I've always used rubbing compound with pretty good results.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just got done breaking a sweat with rubbing compound. Made NO difference at all.
I was quoted close to $300 a few months ago for a new windshield, I think that's my only real answer.

 

Must be a pretty bad windshield. You should hold out on buying a new one until there is a sale. Get more quotes from different windshield guys, it's a competitive business.

 

As far as the windshield goes, check out Z-12™ Clear-View Glass Polish by Zaino. I've heard this stuff works great for restoring pitted Windshields.

 

Heymmasid ,

Please fee free to use this image as your sig.
You new one takes up wayyyy too much bandwidth.