My C8 is getting some pitting in the windshield partly from just driving around but mostly from track days. Can small pits be polished out or filled? Is there a good exterior film like PPF that you can put on a front windshield to prevent these pits? Thanks.

 

There is a company somewhere on here that did a PPF type film, can't remember the name. I think depending on state there might be some legal problems with anything but clear. You can use a white wool pad and compound and polish them out depending on depth, but if not done properly you may end up with a wavy glass look. There are shops that can give you a better idea on repairing.

 

As mentioned, polishing glass can be a bit of a process and not always a viable solution. With an eye towards "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", some information on windshield protection: Windshield Protective Film

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks so much! I went through the info on your website.

Couple questions for you if you don't mind - how comparable is this material to a high quality PPF you might put on a front bumper? For example, it's difficult but not impossible to penetrate, damage, or create a small, pinhole size tear in PPF if the right rock hits it. If you get a small hole in the windshield film. does it cause the wipers to skip? Does it get worse over time?

Separately, in the case of small, white divots in the existing glass, would they be less visible (I assume probably not gone, just less ugly) if you carefully fill them with the same clear material that is used for actual cracked/spider webbed damage?

I can't make the existing windshield perfect, obviously, but maybe I can improve it a little and then put some protection on.

 

Much like Paint Protection Film (PPF), Windshield Film is best viewed as a preventative measure and, much like PPF, can be seen as a possible wear item over the course of a vehicles lifetime. Like PPF, it can be breached by significant road debris and will incur the same type of wear over time as PPF. The impact that damage to Windshield Film has with respect to performance of wipers and such will be dependant on the extent of the damage. A small nick in the film should not be expected to cause significant issues with wipers, a larger one certainly could. Much like friction on any surface, exposure to prolonged wiper use over a breach in the film could extend the defect; that said, the film is a pretty tough customer overall and many impact flaws can remain relatively insignificant over time. It's worthwhile to note that one looks through the windshield far more than than a similar flaw in PPF so it will be more noticeable in a Windshield Film scenario that it would likely be with PPF.

Having never experienced such a scenario, we could not comment on the viability of this approach. A glass repair expert would be able to comment with more expertise on the clarity of a given piece of glass once repaired via this approach. The Windshield Film will not hide any flaws, rather it is designed to prevent structural damage to the underlying surface. It's best to think of Windshield Film as a preventative measure as opposed to a restorative one.

Thanks for the questions!

 

Thanks. I took the car to a glass specialist who basically told me to drive it until it gets bad enough that I can't stand it (which for me would mean a crack that can't be filled) and then just replace it. He didn't recommend putting film over the existing defects, nor did he recommend filling any of them. Thanks again for all the tech.

 

It's part of sports car ownership.
The lower you are to the road, the greater the chance of windshield chips...

 

I would add if you really were going to do the film... wait until you get brand new windshield and put it on a new one. My mindset is it may help with minor pitting, but a rock will not be stopped by film. Could film get pitted as well and cause issues?

 

Pitted windshields are virtually imposable to correct even for an automotive glass shop, Go with the film. I have personal knowledge if this situation over the years.

 

You’re not going to get pitting out of glass. Polishing glass is also risky unless you know what you’re doing, windshields aren’t cheap either.