Serious help this time!!!

any one with any imput please chime in:

I have a 1959 vista hardtop that i took in to have a new windshiels installed last week, glass company had new windsheild on order and ready in their shop. glass shop removed my cracked windsheild , cleaned and preped everything, when it can time to install new windsheild he found that the windsheild was 65" accross and the one that came out of my car was a hair less than 64" accross. evrybody he has called says that that the new windsheild he has should work, I saw it and I dont see how it will work, matter fact there is no way it will go in it sticks out past where the drip edge belongs. so he called around the country and had afew different people with this class measure them....they all measure 65" except for 1 guy that had new old stock and his 1 windsheild measured 64".......... doese anyone had this problem???? does any one know where i can find a new windsheild that is specificly for a 1959 pontiac?

I am freaking out about this
now my car sitts in the glass shop with no windsheild, and not a one on order, what do i do from here??


anyone thanks

Windshield Clear PONTIAC 1959 - 1960

1959 2111-19-35-45, 2411-19, 2735 ................................ 1 #4803750
1959-60 2137-39-67, 2337-39, 2439, 2837-39-67 ................. 1 #4803748
1960 2111-19-35-45, 2411-19, 2735 ................................ 1 #4803746

DELETED an MOVED......

Blue bomber??? what are you talking about?? did you post in wrong spot, I need some windshield help, all the vintage glass suppliers are telling me that the windshield that goes in my car are 65 inches accrossed which is impossible.

Whoa...Calm down. I didn't do this... I posted them in the proper place and they mysteriously were posted in the wrong topics.

I don't know what to say. My computer took a royal crap, taking all my files with it...no recovery of anything, including the MSRP Window stickers. I AM, however posting with an iPad..I have no idea if this has anything to with the post switching phenomenon or not.

The window info would then be in the ball joint post....I think!

Okay, apparently what I posted earlier is floating around in cyberspace somewhere.

This is what I know about the windows.

Your car, being a 4dr hardtop ( flat top ) is a 2139, which is the GM part # 4803748.

From what I understand there are TWO different windshields and TWO different rubber gaskets for these cars.

One window fits 2 and 4 DR sedans, wagons and El Camino ONLY.

The other fits 2 and 4 DR Hardtops and Convertible ONLY.

If ANYONE tells you there is only one window for ALL 59-60's, that are wrong!!!

Obviously, they have ordered the wrong window.

Bob's Classic Auto Glass, located in Blachly, Oregon. They can be reached at 1-800-624-2130. He will tell you exactly what I told you. He has BOTH windows listed on eBay right now, so there should be no question about you having the wrong window. They are pricey at $415 for the hardtop, $425. ANY shop worth their salt, will order this window at no extra charge or at least Bob's can steer them in the right direction with the proper number for this window.

Hope this helps and sorry for the confusion in the posts earlier.

Chad

P.S. I have a 4 DR Sedan and I measured my window (in the car) and it measured 64" on the INSIDE. That being said, with the thickness of the glass (5/16" for both sides) the total OUTSIDE width is roughly 64-5/8" +/- 1/8". There are minor differences between manufacturers, but they should be very close to the same tolerances.

Indeed, the server is disrupted.

I had time to read your answer to the front kit. Then he suddenly disappeared.

I hoped that everything will be in order

Thank You! I'm not losing my mind, after all. I knew something was fishy.....

Since I have one of these cars as well and a friend has a 59 Bel Air, I placed a call to Bob's to solve this mystery. Eventually both of us will need these windows, I would like to know the real truth. I'm still waiting for a return call. I will post what I find out, here!

Chad

bilue bomber, sorry i never ment my response to sound harsh, its no big deal, I reread it and i can see it sounded jerky, my bad.


MY glass installer and I have been on the phone with bobs vintage glass today and we are going to get to the bottom of this, guy from bobs is also coming up with measurements in the 64 inch range now we have to just all get on the same page with the OD or ID tape measurement placement for acurate measurements

I would like to know what measurements make the windsheilds for the sedans and wagons diff than the hardtops and converts???

are the sedans and wagon windshields longer,wider, more round at top??

Old Gold wrote:

I would like to know what measurements make the windsheilds for the sedans and wagons diff than the hardtops and converts???

are the sedans and wagon windshields longer,wider, more round at top??

Old Gold, don' t sweat the post, I'm not that easily offended. Anyway....

Yes, tape measure placement is key, obviously, but I don't know the differences exactly, since I don't own a convertible, nor do I know anyone who does. John (CATBIRD) does, hopefully he can weigh in on this. He would be more of an expert, than I. I don' t claim to know it all, just that I do know there are two different windshields, rubber and trim.

I also know Smurf's don't live under mushrooms and there are no elves in trees making cookies!

Chad

Old Gold…..for most cars, the windshields are higher on the sedans and wagon than on convertibles and hardtops, because the roof lines are taller. This should be true for our cars also. How are the dimensions at the base of the windshield? As the "A" pillars rise, they slant inward slightly. If your new windshield measurement is too big across the top, I would say that you have the sedan windshield, as the opening gets smaller as it goes up. Don't forget that the gasket takes some room also. I'll go measure mine tomorrow if you would like, but you need to let me know the exact points from which to measure.

Several years ago, I helped my friend and next-door neighbor restore a 1955 Packard Carribean (convertible.) Since there were only about 500 made in total, finding a new windshield was virtually impossible. What he had to do, was purchase a sedan windshield, and have it ground down from the top. You don't have to do this, as there are, as 59 Blue Bomber said, correct ones available……John

Chad…..how are you doing? Haven't heard from you in awhile. I figured you didn't want to hang with us mire mortals anymore, now that you're a big star of the little screen……John

John- I am well, thank you. I'm hardly a star, but....Keeping very busy as my Wife and I are raising a very precocious, curious and smart 5 year old. As I mentioned a few posts back, my computer is nothing more than a paperweight now. The hard drive was wiped clean..nothing was recoverable...nothing! I have an early draft of the MSRP, so I must start over.

I don't want to hijack this topic, so I will send an email.

Thanks for asking, I hope all is well with you and yours.

Chad

I'm using an iPad, which I hate, by the way. I have a new laptop, but it may as well be a cardboard box with a keyboard... I haven't figured it out yet......

I went to the glass shop this morning again to pull a tape with the owner of the glass company, with the windshield removed we measured strait accross the car with the tape measure laying just above the stearing colum, that measurement is 63 1/4 " so with the steele rubber pruducts weather stripping the glass should measure 64" or 64 1/8"

now I know this is true because there is a guy in NC that has some new old stock of these windsheilds, and his windshields measure 64" to 64"1/8, outside to outside, problem is he wont sell them. also I have a 1960 bonneville in a junk yard with no glass in it and it also has the same measurements as my car. so I hate to say it but I beleive that these companies like ppg and auto city have the right part numbers on the wrong windshields since they are selling and shipping 65" glass which sticks out a full 1" (and then some) from both the bottom (by mirror) and the top, they are just to big! there is no (poping) it in place.

last bit: the guy from bobs vintage glass in oregon has been very helpful, his glass measure about 64 5/8" outside to outside which is getting closer.

I wonder since my car was made in september of 1958 if a older windshield from 1958 would work

nevermind about the 1958 comment theres no way

Old Gold wrote:

nevermind about the 1958 comment theres no way

A 1958 windshield. No no this is not possible. It is very diferent.

My 59 bonneville coupe hard top is the second week of September 1958. You want me to measure ?

The problem would be identical Chevy 59 or 59 Cady.

Care, my language is not perfect.

Very interesting! PPG putting the wrong numbers on a window? This is not the first time! That's a story for another time...With that being said, what, if any, is the solution? Can Bob's Auto Glass order the right one and have it sent to your shop?

There are only a handful a parts carried over from 1958 to 59 and they were the frame, engine block, transmission and a few other "hard" parts, the windows were not one of them.

I am very curious to see how this works out, since it has been established there are TWO different windows for 1959-60 GM cars, but no one seems to know which goes where (well, not the ones that should, anyway) or find the proper numbers coinciding to the proper window......

Hopefully this gets resolved soon...Old Gold needs a window!

SC- Your language is just fine...production for all these cars started in September of 1958. It makes no difference at all when or where the car was produced, they are all the same. It is obviously a supplier problem (PPG), not the cars themselves.

These and all GM cars for the model year 1959 were built from September 12, 1958 to mid July 1959, when the plants were idled for the 1960 model changeover. The tooling changeover was short, because it was only a minor facelift involving cosmetic updates to front and rear treatments (grilles, fins, bumpers, etc..but not the windows)

GM made NO CHANGES TO THE WINDOWS OR OPENINGS, whatsoever!

Old Gold's car did not shrink, nor has it been cut down. This falls on PPG. Period.

Getting them to listen, will be whole nother story. This is not over. By a long shot.

I have dealt with them before, regarding an issue with paint products, it did not go well at first, but I ultimately prevailed.

as a last resort i will be driving to muncie indiana to see steve at indiana pontiacs he has several windsheilds

Old gold, I hopest not have to live your problem!

Good luck for the future.

I read impatiently

Old Gold…..I just went outside and measured mine. The inside, at the bottom, right at the "A" pillar is 63 3/4 inches. Add 1/4 to5/16 on each side for the thickness of the glass and you get 64 1/4 to 64 3/16. At the top of the "A" pillar the dimension is 56 1/2 inside or 57 to 57 1/8 outside. This is for, probably the earliest 1959 convertible your likely to come across. I couldn't get a real accurate measurement on the height because of the gasket and trim, but it seems to be about 27 1/2 center of cowl to center of header on the outside. Hope you get this straightened out……John

catbird, thanks, thats just more proof im not crazy, your convert is the exact same measurements as my hardtop.? who do we contact to get the wheels turning to get the window manfactures to build the correct windshield??? everybody I have called catagorizes the 1959 pontiac with the windshield that fits the 59- 60 GM cars, and tyhose windshield are sold at 65" which is way too big.......they say they have sold tons of them! prolly just not for pontiacs??
someone out there has the ones that fit.

does anybody know anyone that has actually had there 59 windsheild replaced?

I dont even care about having a new windshield, I will settle for a good used one i just need some leads. steve from indiana pontiacs has them but he is a 15hr drive, call me spoiled I am just sure there is a windshield somewhere within a 500 mile radious.....heck 4 hrs north of me is the car and auto racing mecca of charlotte NC....there has got to be one in a scrap yard, heck if I drive to indiana i'll prolly past a dozen windshields sitting in scrap yards off the beatin path.......you know what I mean??