Windshield 101
Originally written by John Gambill (JAG) 

As some of you may know, I purchased this winters project a couple of months ago but told Julia I wouldn't get started on it till first snow. But, I have been prepping things a bit and since the windshield on my 59 Cutter JetDeville has two pretty good cracks in it have been on the hunt for a replacement. 

Well, last summer I remembered spotting this boat out in a field over by my office in Elkhart In. So a couple of weeks ago stopped to see what it was. Guess what, Yep it was an old rotted junk Cutter but, the windshield looked pretty good so I made a deal last week for the windshield and all the deck hardware and drove over Saturday and pulled everything.

I was able to find an original NOS Taylor Made Windshield instillation kit with all hard wear as well as the new Taylormade windshield logo that inserts through the glass on the port corner. Now keep in mind that kit was totally complete and all together, New! I have one more of these kits if someone needs it. E me direct on that.

In the picture you will see the five products that were used to do this restoration. I did this last year on the Elgin and posted the pics and process but just so those of you who may have missed it here it is again on the Cutter windshield.

Remember, Do only a small area at a time, 8 to 10 inches square. Use clean soft cloths such as old T Shirts Etc. and keep them clean.

Do the deepest scratches first and start with the Red Turtle wax compound which is most aggressive, its the one with the red label sitting below the Green labeled product. Then go to the Green labeled Turtle Wax Product which is less aggressive. Then go to the Novus green labeled product in the bottle and finish with the Red Labeled Novus product which is a fine scratch remover and polish. Then I hit it with common liquid Turtle wax and it was done. I go over it and over it in the last two stages and put three clamp on lights with the big aluminum shades that you buy at a hardware store for a $1.99 clamped to a shelf above my work bench with 100 watt bulbs shining down on the windshield so I can see the progress of the compounds I'm using. There are no short cuts to this process, follow my directions. You can buy the Novus product from West Marine, If you don't have a West Marine store close to you ,go on line to West Marine.com and you will find it.

The frame was polished out with "Never Dull" which is in the silver can. This windshield was bad but as you can see. The process works.

Where to get the products:"Never Dull”, at most Auto Supplies I.E. AutoZone Etc. about$3.50 a can, The Turtle Wax Rubbing Compounds, WalMart,$1.90 a can, The "Novus" products are from West Marine. Time to complete this project, is four to six hours. You might print and save this for down the road reference. Hope this is of help to some of you.

Good Luck, JAG