32 Cabriolet Window Guide Channels

[John Helm]

I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July weekend. The window guide channels for my 32 Cabriolet that mount vertically inside the doors have been impossible to find. Does anyone know if these channels from other years are compatible with the 32 Cabriolet? I found the following item on Mike's Affordable site and it says its for 32 closed cars except 3 Window Coupe. I wrote to them to see if they knew if it was compatible, and they responded saying that the manufacturer can't offer any other info in the item. If anyone has any photos and/or measurements that could help me out with this I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks. John
https://www.mikes-afordable.com/product/B20017.html

 

[David J]

Dunno the answer to your question . That said 33-34 Cabriolet tracks have a spring loaded felt covered bar in them . The window frames have rollers and the spring loaded bars keep them from rattling . Do your window frames have multiple rollers ?

 

[John Helm]

Thanks for the info. The window frames do have rollers but no spring loaded side rollers. Here's a photo for reference. Since I have this one I can have a fabricator make a second one. The problem is that he needs some type of reference to make the guide tracks.

 

[David J]

The tracks are where the spring loaded strips are .

Your window frame has the multiple rollers like 33-34 so I would assume you need the spring loaded tracks also .

Just reached my stupid level so others can pick this ball up

 

[John Helm]

No way, not stupid at all!! Your information helped a lot. Thanks.

 

[DavidG]

John,


None of the closed car door window channels are even remotely close as they are designed for unframed glass.


As David J suggests, the '32 cabriolet door window channels are spring loaded like those at least through the '37 versions and likely beyond '37.


I'll take some photos of them and send them to you.

 

[TerryOH]

No rollers in the tracks. The springs in the tracks hold some pressure on the rollers in the window frame.

 

[John Helm]

Great, thank you. Any measurements of the tracks along with photos would help tremendously in fabricating the parts.

 

[Karl Wescott]

John,


None of the closed car door window channels are even remotely close as they are designed for unframed glass.


As David J suggests, the '32 cabriolet door window channels are spring loaded like those at least through the '37 versions and likely beyond '37.


I'll take some photos of them and send them to you.

Not to veer off track too far, the Ford parts books show the spring loaded suspension used to 1935, a different "track" version used 1936-39. In practice, as David noted, the spring loaded version was used into at least 1937 though I have seen 1936's with the later version.


Karl

 

[DavidG]

Here are photos of the four '32 cabriolet door window channels with the left side pair in the top of all four photos. They are very similar to those of the '33+ cabriolets with spring-loaded side sections of the channels. The protruding bracket at the lower end of each one is where a rubber stop bumper is attached (originally riveted).