The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Removing film from old windows?

Hey guys, my 51' has the original windows, the front windshield has a dirt film that just won't come off. I've tried steel wool and baking soda but it hasn't phased it. Any suggestions?

Without being there to actually see it I suspect your problem is either the clear lamination between the glass layers is discoloring, you have years worth of micro-pitting that can give glass a "dirty" look or a combination of both. Try Bon-Ami to clean the glass. That's what is used by professional labs to get glass absolutely clean prior to testing. If it's still "dirty" you'll likely have to replace it.

Cleaning Glass.

Bon Ami is now reproducing their original 1886 Formula which is THE solution for polishing glass. It uses on 2 ingredients - tallow soap and feldspar. That's it.
I used it clean up the original glass on my '51 and, except for some edge chips and laminate discolouration, they would pass for new. I found mine on eBay.

I'm with Tiny on this one,there's a good to strong chance it is just decades of wear and tear.

I had an o/t and much younger car imported from So-Cal with the same problem,the glass almost looked media blasted it was so bad.
It was a scary drive in the dark and rain I can tell you and that was with 'proper' windshield wipers!
For me it was a no brainer,originality wasn't high on the cards plus I fit glass...

To be honest I've not heard of Bon Ami but from what Tiny and Peter H are saying it might be worth a try,you've nothing to lose.

If that doesn't work and unless you can live with it the short and easy answer is replace the glass.

Speaking of window cleaners. When I was just a sprout with my
first car, a '41 Caddy model 63 4dr, there was a product called
"GlassWax", I think Johnson & Johnson used to make it. It was
pink and dried to a white film when you applied it. It must have
had an abrasive in it cuz when you wiped off the film the glass
looked like new.
I haven't been able to find any information what so ever on the
net, not even a mention of it in the antique auction sites.

DG

Good to see you still alive and kicking Jock! Bon-Ami is sold as an oven cleaner but earned a reputation long ago as a first rate glass cleaner.

DG, that pink stuff would be the stuff we used with stencils to decorate our windows for Xmas!

Might have been, you could cloud over the car windows with it
when applying it.
I always threw Bon-Ami into the same category with Bartenders
Friend, Ajax and Commet. Thought those were to abrasive for
glass or porcelain.

dg

You had to have had a black and white TV to have heard of Bon Ami, my boy.

http://www.bonami.com/index.php/products/powder_cleanser/

It refers to using Bon Ami (original and modern) on glass.

It hasn't scratched, yet (1982 commercial - at about the 1 minute mark).

These ladies tell us that the modern product has no silica and it is all natural.

I know that Denny is a Mr. Natural, keep on truckin' kind of guy.

This is a timely thread. For some time now I've noticed how hard the windows are to clean, and like the write up says, get at an angle and you can see all kinds of streaks. Back in the 60's when I worked at a gas station we'd use gasoline rags to clean the worst cigarette stained glass on cars and trucks. I've thought about doing it on my vehicles sometimes.
One problem I figured out is my truck and panel both sit in my shop and I found that the "air" is full of oil and stuff from the air compressor. The film is a pain to get off. Of course the answer is to keep the dang covers over them!

.....and what about the coffee filters instead of paper towels? Is that myth of old wives tales! At least they are cheap.

If it is indeed on the outside and not etched in, use a NEW razor blade, and lots and lots of glass cleaner.