1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

[Bob J.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Last week I posted a picture of what I believed to be the original windshield molding clips for my 1963 coupe. See picture above, the one on the left is what I believed to be original. Can anyone verify this assumption.

John,

I'll try to help you on this.

I'm 100% positive the clips in the pic are real GM

The green one is for the narrow thickness and the gray one for the wide.
Bob Jorjorian

[Paul Y.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

John,

I'll try to help you on this.

I'm 100% positive the clips in the pic are real GM

The green one is for the narrow thickness and the gray one for the wide.
Bob Jorjorian

I agree with you Bob. Now that I see these my memory is jolted and these are genuine GM.

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Bob,

Are they windshield clips or rear window clips. My windshield clips look like the above pic in post # 12

[Bob J.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Bob,

Are they windshield clips or rear window clips. My windshield clips look like the above pic in post # 12

Timothy,
they're fronts for sure, which is the reason for two different clip widths.
As I remember, the metal frame has areas that are thicker on the sides making the clips with the wider opening necessary.
Bob Jorjorian

[Joe R.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Bob,

Here are some clips that I have. The top row is some repo's, Second are originals (I think) as they have "o" stamped on the top and the bottom two rows are from Paul Adams and are suppose to be NOS for the rear split window. Can you confirm? Thanks,

JR

[Bob J.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Hi Joe
My fronts all have P stamped ........I'm unsure on the O stamped clips????.
My thin ones are green and those go where the front WS frame is 2 layers of metal thick. Where it is 3 layers the gray ones with the wider opening go.
In your pic the lower ones (in the center) look like the rear clips to me.
I use to replace the front windshield gaskets in almost every 63 I owned. I'd buy new GM clips (1970s) everytime I did. It never seemed to make them waterproof but I'm stubborn and plugged away regardless.
I think in addition to the green and gray ones there was another clip for each side molding on the lower ends.......those were not as easy to get from Chevy but those 3 completed a 63 coupe front.
I had loads of rear clips and Greg Or****an (SP?) in MI ended up making them and that is where Dale Smith got them.
Hope it helps, Bob J


I guess the robot doesn't like Armenian names.....it zipped the middle

[John M.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Thanks guys. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the responses. I'm going to try the Paragon repos this weekend. Hopefully with better luck then I had 2 weeks ago. If they don't work, I'll be looking for some original clips. Anyone have some extras to spare??????

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Bob,

I have a picture of the front windshield clips off my 63 coupe I will post it tomorrow. The picture may be in the archives under a similar post I made a few months ago when installing a new windshield. The six clips have the wide opening for the three metal frame layers and the smaller opening for the two metal layers. All these clips look similar to the clips on the first row in post Joe Ray's post above.

[Larry M.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Thanks guys. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the responses. I'm going to try the Paragon repos this weekend. Hopefully with better luck then I had 2 weeks ago. If they don't work, I'll be looking for some original clips. Anyone have some extras to spare??????

John:

Based on what I have read, the Paragon ones should be okay............but if not, I would try the following three guys:

David Sokolowski (advertises heavily in the Driveline and has what most others don't)

David Crane (his website says he has a large supply of NOS/used original clips for mid-years. Pricey, and a bit unique, but he does have those "special parts". You either know him or know of him.

John Meissinger (Also an NCRS guy from up in the NW...........has an Ebay Store of used, small Corvette items. He may have what you seek. I have used John before on hard to find "little stuff" for our C2 cars like used original electrical harness straps, etc

Take care. Best of luck in your search.

Larry

[Bob J.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Timothy,
You got me thinking on those front windshield clips. This pic has some used front that are different than the ones I posted earlier.
I placed them next to a rear window clip just to show they very different.
I can only say that all the clips I post were used GM from 63s I owned in the 70s.
I have a 63 apart right now and when I get time I'll look for the clips that I removed from it.
Bob Jorjorian

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Bob,

Thanks for posting that picture, the center and left clips are exactly what's on my 63. It's interesting that the thin clip has what looks like a tab broke off and that is how all my thin clips are also. These are the correct clips for 63 along with the 4 clips that slide in to the vertical side mouldings, those clips are different top and bottom in that the bottom slide in clip has one leg longer because the vertical moulding widens.

I have the top slide in clips shown in a pic from a previous post but I don't have the lower slide in clips, most probably rusted away. I am not sure what to do here so if you have any for sale let me know.

John,

I hope this helps you determine what's correct for a 63 car, find my post below and take a look at the pictures I posted. I have not finished installing my trim but if you are installing a new windshield I can help with some of my experience if your interested. If you look in the AIM the 6 wide windshield clips go 4 lower 2 up top where the metal overlaps three thick.

[Bob J.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Timothy,
I can only guess there was a design change on clips since I'm positive both my pics are 63 front clips even though they're different.
The green one with one leg missing is how all the green ones are in that particular jar. I use to put whatever was removed in coffee jars to keep stuff seperate. At that time writing vin numbers on jars to ID which car I removed them from was not important.
Bob Jorjorian

[John M.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Boy do I want to kick myself in the ass. All of my thin clips look like the one above with the broken tab. Here I was thinking that they were damages, since the wide clips had both tabs. My rear window clips are identical to the one on the right above. I used them on the rear glass, and the molding fits perfectly. Regardless, I will be reinstalling my windshield tomorrow with the Paragon clips. I'll update you then.

[John M.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Well just finished installing my windshield using the Paragon clips, which by the way are identical looking as the clips I tried 2 weeks ago from Corvette Central. Lower molding is fitting nicely, but the upper molding is raised off the body on the outer corners, even with the side pieces in place, (especially without the side pieces). Just cannot get the clips to hold it down. Is this to be expected, or is there some trick I need to know about? Timothy, before you ask, yes the clips are installed on the side molding. HELP !

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Windshield Molding Clips

Hi John,

FWIW, if you used Paragon slide in clips on the vertical molding I believe these are advertised to fit 63-67 but the 1964-67 receiving clip that's on the windshield frame is screwed in higher because the molding flange is not as deep. As a result the slide in clip is not as deep as the 63 slide in clip because the 63 molding flange is deeper.

I know it's confusing but what I am suggesting is that I don't believe these slide in clips will work on a 63 unless the receiving clip on the windshield frame is the 64-67 style. Maybe someone else can explain it better, that may be your problem.