Post Car Flip out Window - Hands up if your Passenger side doesn't latch

[dadsbee]

Something I've always hated, the passenger side latch has never gone over center to lock on my '69 Bee (from the day it was bought in '69). So I bought a spare set of latches for parts and guess what, they're EXACTLY the same ! I wonder how many thousand were done wrong before anyone noticed.. or if they ever did.

Knocked the pivot pin out on both spare latches to see how far off they have the pivot pin hole.

Yah.. that might do it. NFG location on the left.. good on the right.

Cut a piece of 1/8" drill bit shank to fill the hole.

Put the filler pin in place and drilled a new 1/8" hole beside it to move the pivot point.

Worked good on the spare, time to do it on something expensive in fresh chrome.

Success, other than some dumb *** with a grinder just had to lick the filler pin.

Didn't want to pound on the good one, pin pressed into place with channel locks.

Now both Preying Mantis' sit the same height and will actually lock the window.

 

[dadsbee]

So nobody else has this "disease" in their 68/69/70 coupe / post car?

I find this VERY hard to believe considering that I bought spare latches out of the blue from a guy in the middle of the USA and they had the EXACT same incorrect pivot location that make the latch assembly bottom out on the casting before it can go over center.

 

[SublimeSixpack]

No issue here with my '68.

 

[dadsbee]

No issue here with my '68.

Coronet/Bee or Roadrunner?

 

[SublimeSixpack]

Coronet Deluxe.

 

[dadsbee]

Coronet Deluxe.

Lynch Road or Los Angeles built car?

 

[SublimeSixpack]

Not sure. Is there a way to tell on a '68 without a Build sheet?

Edit: If decoding a '68 Coronet is the same system as a '69, then my Coronet was built in Los Angeles.

 

[dadsbee]

VIN number WM21?8Axxxxxx is Lynch Road Exxxxxx is Los Angeles. Think they were also built in St Louis with is a G

Thinking maybe they had different suppliers...

 

[SublimeSixpack]

I must have been editing my post (#7) when you replied. Seventh digit is E, Los Angeles.

 

[dadsbee]

I guess there was only ever two incorrect passenger side latches made during the production run and I got them both. Guess I'd better go buy a lottery ticket....

 

[6PKRTSE]

Not sure on mine. It been so many years since they have been opened that I would be afraid to open them now.

 

[dadsbee]

Not sure on mine. It been so many years since they have been opened that I would be afraid to open them now.

No need to open them, how do the latches sit?? Is the drivers side down and latched and the passenger up (yet still bottomed out) as I show in picture #1 ??

 

[6PKRTSE]

It's in storage with a car cover on it. I will have to look next time I think about it.