Progress, the continuing saga of a '36

[Mike Cullen]

I finally finished rebuilding my steering gear, got it adjusted, and re-installed. Fixed the column lock, fixed some minor electrical glitches while under the dash, replaced a couple bad zerk fittings in the front end and took a little road test. It's getting better and better. I may have to adjust it a little more, I have 0 lash in the center, but I think I may want a thousandth or two slop, it's not binding, but just feels a little funny + or- 1/8 a turn or so at center (0 lash dry maybe is too tight with the oil added?). Found an exhaust leak on the right side, (flange at manifold) and noticed that when I had a glass company "replace the rubber" on the rear windows a year or two ago, they just urethaned the glass in, and hid it with the garnish trim... grrrrrrrrr!. I guess I'll just re-do it myself, I've gotten quite a lot of experience with that style of glass mounting while replacing the windshield rubber and a cracked side window.

I have an extra set of vent window frames ® and would like to dis-assemble them have them chromed and put new glass in, (I've got some scratches in one)then switch them out for mine. Are those frames riveted or silver soldered to hold the glass in? Would I be better off just polishing the sctatches until they are barely noticible? (some of them can be felt by fingernail, they will never polish out totally)

[its a V-12]

What is the process in polishing glass to remove scratches?

[Mike Cullen]

A frind of mine who owns a bodyshop purchased a kit to do this. It is a special high speed polishing wheel you use with their abrasive creme and a squirt bottle of water, you keep the glass very wet and add enough of the compound to make it just slightly thicker than the water. It takes a long time but will remove wiper haze and "sand sparkle" if there are bad scratches, enough to feel with your fingernail, it won't remove them, but it will polish them well enough so they aren't opaque, that looks 100% better in the daytime, you still notice them a little at night. My wife and I worked together for about 2.5 hours taking wiper marks and sandblasting from Hurricane Charlie out of the windshield on her Sebring. There were a few bad scratches from a wiper frame that it couldn't remove totally, but for the most part it beats replacing the glass, fighting with leaks, etc. I was really surprised, I thought it was some kind of gimmick.

I'm going to stop at his shop today and I'll get the name of the kit and company and post it.

[its a V-12]

Thank you.....Regards

[Mike Cullen]

This is the company, they have a kit and products that will do almost anything as far as saving scratched, chipped or bullseyed glass.

http://www.glasweld.com/AutoGlass/Default.aspx