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Coating on Vicki B's replacement windshield

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bluemg

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My Dear wife 4 or five years ago purchased a replacement windshield from Vicki B for my MGA. As a Christmas present. It has sat in the garage wrapped in the original plastic wrapping, taped closed, since then due to my procrastination.
With some extra time off this month, the replacement windshield was installed. However it has a blotchy film or coating on one side (inside of car) which I can not remove. I can make a hole in it by scraping with razor blade but it is a lot of work to get there. I have tried lacquer thinner, simple green, glass cleaner and vinegar so far.
The film is in the middle of the windshield not around the edges, and can be felt on the glass.
The windshield is a "SWISSLAMEX"
Has anyone come across this problem in the past and what will take this stuff off ?????
 
I would think, if the company is still in business, they would be the one to contact for a solution to the problem. Evidentially the material has bonded it's self to the glass. It's a shame that this happened. I don't know if it will work for you in this situation, but I've found that Goo-Be-Gone, the label removing liquid or some other type of glue remover, would remove stuff that lacquer thinner or some other paint thinners wouldn't touch. It might soak in around the edges. Just a thought. PJ
 
careful use of a heat gun?
 
JP, Being he's in Florida, where it's supposed to be sunny and I say that with reservations, setting the glass in the sun to get it hot evenly, might soften up the material. I'd use a lot of caution with a heat gun, which could possibly cause stress in one area. (Crack)! JMHO. PJ
 
Unfortunately it isn't that hot in Florida right now. I did try the heat gun, but no help. I consulted a local custom glass guy. He said being it wrapped in plastic from Vicki B, the plastic broke down over the years and emitted toxin's that were absorbed into the glass. The plastic never melted into the glass, it was just absorbed making this film.(?)
After scratching the windshield all up with a razor blade and trying every different chemical I could think of I got out the Dewalt car buffer and a wool disk.
I started with cheap wax, to white tooth paste, and ended up buffing the windshield (for several hours) with Mothers Aluminum polish. Keeping it a little wet and a lot of buffing took out the coating, and most of the scratches that turned out to be in the coating not the windshield.
I was surprised that the Mothers Aluminum Polish did not mar the windshield in a circular patterns, with all the buffing.
So if you get a new windshield and don't install it for awhile,take it out of the plastic wrapper and wrap it in paper.
 
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