Ok, I am finally going to ask the expert something!!! Hope you can help Mike (or anyone else who has any input)

[dcjredline]

You seem to always have some GREAT insight on the questions you are asked no matter what they may be.

I sponsor 2 local race drivers with some extra money I make detailing. I love going and watching them.

The one car is a 4cylinder racer. She has a replacement for her windshield made out of either polycarbonate or Lexan. It is BADLY scratched up. I did not try to feel them with my fingernail but after seeing it I would assume at least some of them are deep enough to feel.

My question to you is what product do you think would be the best chance I have to remove as much as I can? I don't want to "try" something and ruin the windshield of her car (even though they are replacing it next year if I cant fix it) I want to go there with a solid plan and some smart products.

I have plenty of regular polishes and compounds. Ultimate twins, FG400/SF4000, Speed, D151, XMT360, 105/205, Mothers Heavy duty rubbing compound, Duragloss TPP 105, and probably a couple others I cant think of.
I also have McKees AIO headlight polish, Mothers plastic polish, and some Duragloss for plastic.


THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU in advance if you would give me a Mike Phillips answer/insight/tips for this project!!!

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Start off by performing a test spot in the passenger side corner of the plastic windshield with the McKee's 37 Headlight Restoring Polish and see what kind of results you get with it.

If you have some time with it and wanting to really clear it up I would damp sand the plastic first. However being that it is a windshield and she will be looking through it I would take my time and thoroughly sand it with 3K grit rather than say 1K. That way it makes it much easier to polish. I would also seal with the McKee's Headlight Protectant Spray or something suitable for plastic.

Just think of it as one big plastic headlight.

[Mike Phillips]

You seem to always have some GREAT insight on the questions you are asked no matter what they may be.

I sponsor 2 local race drivers with some extra money I make detailing. I love going and watching them.

The one car is a 4cylinder racer. She has a replacement for her windshield made out of either polycarbonate or Lexan.

It is BADLY scratched up.




So I BOLDED the important words in your post.

Lexan and BADLY scratched up.





My question to you is what product do you think would be the best chance I have to remove as much as I can?

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU in advance if you would give me a Mike Phillips answer/insight/tips for this project!!!




I did a quick Google search with these terms


polishing lexan plastic Mike Phillips autogeek



Lots of good info in the below threads, I'd recommend reading through a few.


Overspray - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion (http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/car-care-discussion/2466838-overspray.html)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions/59027-help-c5-c6-corvette-glass-top.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions/73891-corvette-glass-top-scratches-2.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/75918-polishing-plexiglass.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions/84833-corvette-lexan-top-cleaning.html

aircraft window screen (http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?13942-aircraft-window-screen)




Lexan, like the clearcoat on your car, is very hard yet it scratches very easily. I have never seen anyone including myself, remove a scratch or scratches out of Lexan 100%. That is, after removing scratches the Lexan looks perfectly clear and original. (most people's expectations).


I'd say your best bet to try the FG400 that you already have with a foam polishing pad or by hand. Definitely do a test spot first.


Here's the deal....


Since you say the windshield is already badly scratched, my guess is you will NOT be able to do anything that will improve it enough that anyone would say...

That's better



The real fix will be,

Buy and install a new window
In the future, educate these people on how to "touch" Lexan.


Great question, thanks for asking it.


:)

[Mike Phillips]

If you have some time with it and wanting to really clear it up I would damp sand the plastic first.





I'd be very cautious about doing any type of sanding on Lexan.


Sanding is easy... that's putting scratches into a material or coating... the tricky part is getting them 100% out.



:)

[FUNX650]

Lots of good info in the below threads,
I'd recommend reading through a few.

The real fix will be,

Buy and install a new window
In the future, educate these people
on how to "touch" Lexan.

:)
^^^ :iagree: ^^^

:idea:
After the new window is installed:
suggest they purchase "Tear Offs".

IMO: that'll be one of the best ways to
keep the new window looking its best
during each and every racing session.



Bob

[GSKR]

Maybe off topic a little.I was hired from a owner that owned 4 bp gas stations that had bullet proof glass with scratches and initials from people and names on it.They were so bad the attendant could not see the pump numbers from inside the store.I wetsanded the crap out of it,with orange cutting rocks in a bottle compound.what a pita to do but came out nice.Till this day after several owners since then the glass is beautiful.This is not advice for the op,but rather a unique job that I was hired to do.

[dcjredline]

THANK YOU Mike, Mike, and Bob!!!!!!!! Ive got some reading to go do.

I wanted to hear that others think product X, Y, and Z would be the ones to bring, that way I have an arsenal with me that has the best chance to make an improvement.

I will FOR SURE be doing a test spot. I will bring some 3000 paper with me and try that in the corner away from the driver, the McKees and the FG400 along with my 3401.

The windshield is bad. Some of the scratching could very well be inside, before they met me they were pretty normal with the cleaning chemicals and paper towels. I saw the car in the sunlight for the first time Saturday and almost threw up thinking I sponsor a car with the windshield so beat up. Shame on me for her having to look through that disaster!!!!!!!

I will suggest the tear-offs for them next year and give her some tips/products to clean the inside more gently too.

[dcjredline]

OK here it is.

I first tried the McKees headlight polish on an orange pad...it did minimal correction but we sort of expected that.

Then I went right to Mike P's suggestion and did FG400 on a yellow 5.5 pad with my 3401.

Here is the test spot. Medium pressure I think I did about 6 passes very slowly.
http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/Virts_Racing16.jpg

Here is a before from inside the drivers side (I cant fit in there, the driver is a 15 yo girl and Im a fat 44 yo man. LOL
http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/Virts_Racing5.jpg
That is what she must have seen whenever she was driving into the sun!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH

Here is the after FG400 and a coat of Collinite 476
http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/Virts_Racing6.jpg
I think she will be able to see much better now.

Just for good measure, here is a photo of her newest sticker. I had to remove 2 that shall we say, had been mostly rubbed off by a tire! lol
She now represents AG!
October 8th she will be racing her next and final race at Wyoming County Raceway to defend her points lead and hopefully bring home the track championship!!!!!!!!! Yer in good hands AG

http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/Virts_Racing28.jpg

Full car pic after the top half was polished with Meguiar's D151 and a green pad. (The paint is Tractor Supply Red that I am pretty sure was rolled on, may have been sprayed not sure) dont expect much.
http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/Virts_Racing25.jpg


THANKS AGAIN MIKE, MIKE and BOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really appreciate your responses. I hope this makes it better on her trying to see.