Windscreen Scratch

[Brian]

Hello Chaps

I've just refitted the windscreen into the Amazon and after a polish with Tcut glass restorer a number of issues have revealed themselves. I have the obligitory wiper arc which I reckon will polish out with the Tcut/elbow grease OK but more annoying is quite a deep scratch about three inches long despite my best storage efforts! Has anyone had any expirence removing or possibly filling such a thing successfully? If so with what?

Also while I here whats best for cleaning the headliner of general grime?

Many Thanks
Brian

[mike gilbert]

If its only lightly soiled you can get vinyl cleaner, but its not so effective on heavy stains. If so you can use cellulose thinners, provided a) you change the cloth frequently and b) you use it quite sparingly.
However the best tip I was ever given was to clean the headlining with thinners (to remove all the grease etc) and then to paint it in white vinyl silk emulsion. It sounds horrendous and after the first coat looked as bad it sounds. But two or three subsequent light coats brought it up like new and the brush marks were nearly invisible.
I've used this on several headliners now and it works. Unfortunately on the pepperpot type it would block up all the little holes (I imagine).
Mike

[Brian]

'white vinyl silk emulsion' !! that wouldn't compliment the Burgundy black vein upholstery Mike. Surely a nice Sandstone Sunrise or Creme Caramel would be more in keeping?

But seriously it does sound dodgy and I bow to your expertise but I think I'll try the cellulose method if only because I do have the pepperpot type.

Thanks again for the advice.

Brian

[mike gilbert]

I thought all the headliners were white (well they are on 1800's anyway). I agree it sounds scary, thats why I only did it on a completely filthy and torn headliner to start with, as it couldn't have looked any worse. Wouldn't hesitate now though.
Anyway if yours has the little holes in it you can't really paint it with a brush, however you can get vinyl spray paint from Halfords at £10 a can. That should be OK if applied in mist coats.
Mike

[Andrew (UK)]

Hi, You had best get advice from an MOT tester on that scratch.
It looks like it may fail the MOT. See http://www.autoglass.co.uk/repair/mot.html
What is not spelled out is the fact that it is illegal to repair damage that would fail the MOT.
Halfords do a glass repair kit but I have no experience of it. I believe glass repair is done with a special epoxy that has the same refractive index as the surrounding glass. For chips they cover over the damage with a vacuum suction pad to avoid air bubbles and then inject the epoxy, I don't know about scratches though.

Best of luck,
Andrew

[druid]

for the headliner i would use washing powder in warm water (bold - persil etc) . I used powder on a beetle a few years ago and it was great.

Also the job it did on my seatbelts was realy something to see, i just put them in the bath for 2 hours then scrubbed them with a nail brush and now they are now airforce blue again not grey

for your glass phone any autowindscreen place - leave it to the pros'