VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Upholstery - Interiors & Glass Quarter Window Adjustment

I need to talk with someone who has adjusted the rear quarter windows in a 1949 to 1952 hardtop or convertible. The only printed help I can find is a Fisher Body Service Bulletin that explains the adjustment. It was not very helpful to me. The window is very hard to lower and raise. It seems to bind no matter which way it is adjusted. Before I elongate the holes to lower the entire assembly, what did you do?

I have found that on my windows it is the felt that is hanging up the window from rolling up and down. Carefully check the felt by inspecting the "U" channel. Look for felt that has come off from the "U" and is sliding with the window. I have even found the "U" channel got hit at one time and was crimping the glass.

Inspect the "C" channel under the glass that the slides run in. It is possible for this area to rust out. It is also possible to bend this channel when installing the glass. It is made out of light metal. Smooth operation in this area is most important.

I take a bright flash light and look at suspected areas that I think where it is hanging up. [Looking down into the door along the glass to watch the scissor slide or seeing the felt along the glass.] This helps you focus at finding the area that needs attention. It breaks your focus into smaller areas rather than the whole thing.

It is possible that your gears may need lube, but that is very rare. They will work fine, dry. I would not ever elongate the holes in the door. It will be some small area that is out of adjustment. I know this can be frustrating. Good luck.

My problem now is the window does not touch the "fuzzy" weather strip on the top of the rear quarter. If I adjust the window "out", it starts to bind. Even though the entire rear quarter was replaced with a NOS quarter, these so called NOS panels were not as good as what was used on the assembly line. I think the damaged or non perfect pieces ended up in the replacement parts department and since they were brand new, they were sold as replacement NOS parts. Just my opinion.

My body is older than yours and I am not sure when they stopped making the bodies by hand. I know that mine is not "true" due to it being made my hand. It could be it is out due to a wreck at sometime or just made that way at the factory. You may have to get your glass re-cut to fit that window. But before you do that double check the rubber along the bottom of the glass that holds out rain water. It could be binding along the door preventing the window from going all the way up. Double check the "stop" at the top of the channel to see if it is in alignment. From your photo the window appears to be to close toward the rear of the glass to the door itself. Look at that rubber on the door inside at where the window rolls up to it. There should be a notch in the window rubber allowing it to pass the felt in the "U" channel as it is rolled up tight. Was the rubber trimmed off or is it hanging up?

Terrill, thanks, but you lost me. The door is open in both photos so that is not an issue. The is no rubber along the bottom of the glass to keep the water out. The incoming water drains through quarter window assembly and out a drain hole at the bottom through the floor.


The stop at the top is formed by the stainless steel trim and is not adjustable.


The window travels up and down just fine now that I figured out how to adjust the glass "up or down" and "in or out". The rear quarter panel was a NOS one and was installed rather closely to the original. The roof was not touched so there is very little room to move the entire panel without affecting the door, rear glass and trunk lid.



There is some adjustment to the track, but that does not move the glass any closer to the "fuzzy" weather strip.



I am going to talk to my body guy and see if the rear quarter can be "persuaded" inward so the gap can be reduced.

1. Look at the area on the bottom of the glass where it makes contact with the door opening when in the up position. [the metal that holds the window]. It appears to be binding on the edge of the door preventing it from rolling all the way up. Use a flashlight if necessary to look down into that area. Look both at the inside and outside on the metal strip that holds the glass in place. Check to see if a screw holding another part is projecting inside preventing the window lifting.

2. Make sure the felt track is all the way back into the grove and not "high" in some place.

3. Check the "U" track on the bottom of the window to see if it prevents the travel of the scissor lifts due to a bend in the track.

4. It may be bent...a body man will tell you that....Good luck...