Windshield Restoration

Can a vintage Ferrari windshield be polished or coated in some way to take out 40 + years of pitting and road rash ? I am not talking about 1 star crack that can be repaired with epoxy,but rather the whole windshield. What can be done to replace one if no spares are available God forbid !

 

If it comes to it these guys can make any windshield to DOT specs.

http://www.viracon.com/

They've made MK-IV windshields and P 3/4-412P windshields for me.

 

The problem with polishing, especially laminated safety glass, is that it is nearly impossible for the polisher to maintain optical flatness.

On a modern car I once had a well-regarded local polisher remove some relatively light scratches caused by an overenthusiastic gas station attendant working on bird poop with a squeegee. The waviness would have been intolerable had it not been confined to a lower corner of the windshield.

For replacement glass these people seem to have a good reputation: http://www.sicurvetro.com/

 

Not trying to make this sound too much like a sales pitch but as someone who's been producing laminated, curved (D.O.T. approved) automotive glass for custom applications as part of my restoration business for over 15 years, I've come to understand that one of the simplest way to determine if scratches (or nicks/chips) in the glass are too deep to polish out with a reasonable results (i.e. without distortion affects as ColdWater mentioned) is to run a fingernail over it/them to see if they can be felt.
And if I understand srslusso correctly, reason for his question is that the said windshield has decades worth of slight "road-rash" all over it and therefor only "satisfactory" solution is to have it replaced (?).
Timo

 

What is the easiest way of getting a quotation from you for a new windshield for my 365GT 2+2.

 

365 GT 2+2 windshields are allegedly $1437.00 at Ferrari Parts Exchange:

http://www.ferraripartsexchange.com/windshields.htm

 

Sorry for the delay, I've been away for few days. Thanks for Your inquiry, but with all due respect, if the windshield is readily available from any aforementioned (or other ?) sources and/or if you are able to accept "one-size-sort-of-fits-all (?)" approach, I can't compete price-wise, since my production methods are geared more toward creating coach-built type fit for a specific application (i.e. like Jim mentioned) and pricing usually starts around several thousands per job.
Over 15 years, my approach has allowed me to make custom-fit, curved glass so precise that no further body-work/-modifications/-painting has been required, which some of you might know is not always the case with these "one-size-fits-all" products. Also, my experience ranges from many "one-off"/coach-built/prototype Ferraris, Bentleys/Rolls', Maseratis, Talbot-Lagos, etc... to many hot rods/customs (Proofs and testimonials are available privately).
And yet, many wonder why they've never heard of my business nor seen me advertise in public. Well, it's a long story.
Timo

P.S. My business is located in Southern California and contact info is available on request
through PM. Thanks.

 

This is Very True regarding "One size fits all". This is the only way to go if you want a good result. I'm glad to learn of another source. It's also very helpfull to be close to the person building the windshields for you as there is a bit of back and forth until the tooling is perfect.

Making a complex windshield is a work of Art.
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FWIW, and taking the previous comments from Napolis and others into consideration- if you do go the replacement route, I remember a friend replacing a windshield on a 246 GTS in the 90's and going through Several NOS (I want to say 5 or 6) windshields before the correct fit was obtained. All of them were purchased through reputable dealers/suppliers. There was just enough variation in the parts and the car that it took that many tries to get it right.

Good luck with the project and I hope you're able to find a solution that meets your needs.

Dave

 

Is that for real? I tried to buy one a few years ago, and there were none available. Maybe they had some made?

 

Fortunately (?), of 100's of windshields and etc..., I haven't had but couple of small incidents regarding the fit after the initial pattern/mold fabrication and, although, in each case they were results of something other than what I had done, I did my best to correct them as rapidly as possible with no expenses spared (or shared with the client), as I do tend to have a disposition to behind my work 100+ %.
Timo

P.S. BTW, Mr. G., to perhaps help You to put a face on me, we briefly met at the Thursday evening party at the Sunset Center in Carmel last August, next to Your Dino Comp. and little later, toward the end of the evening, I was the character with toolbox (and the coveralls over my diner jacket) laying on the ground under the black Lusso in the parking lot trying to isolate and fix it's fuel leak.
Not my car nor restoration, though. Just trying to help a friend.

 

Of course! You got that puppy going. Hope to see you there this August.

Best