Re: Adventures with a 1955 Clipper

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2011/7/7 10:40:46

JW,

Thanks for all the tips on low-cost dress-up and detail work. I know how tobacco stains tend to accumulate along the headliner over the windows. Don't know why, but I imagine it's drawn toward the windows because of some kind of static charge, and on the way there stickes to the lowest part of the headliner.

Here's a hint if the windows have a tobacco film of it as well. They probably do, but it's not always obvious, because it's not necessarily brown, just a baked-on kind of almost clear film.

Try Formula 409 (the grease-cutter, not the window cleaner). Have a rag handy when you spray it on, because if there's tobacco staining, the stuff will run off in rivers!

I tried everything up to and including Brasso to clean the insides of my house windows after a heavy smoker moved out. Regular ammonia based window cleaner wouldn't touch it. Just for fun, I hit one with a squirt of 409 and, much to my surprise, the brown stuff began to stream off. I had to sop it up quick with newspaper (a really good "rag" for windows BTW) to prevent staining the window sills etc.

The windows immediately were clear all the way down to the squeaky clean glass, with virtually no rubbing needed. Didn't even have to rinse them with anything.