Sliding rear windows

[Pete Whitstone]

A buddy of mine knows I am looking for one, and saw this one for $20 and took a chance and brought it to me.



There are no markings on it, except for a small "Southco" embossed into the plastic latch. I assume this is an aftermarket piece, not a factory item, correct?

What about the aluminum extrusions that are present on the top and bottom, but not the sides? Are there pieces missing here, or is this how they mount in the gasket? And does anybody have any idea what gasket I need? LMC lists several different ones.

Any info appreciated!

[ArdWrknTrk]

LMC is known for their rubber not being right.
If it is a factory slider the frame will be the width of the track, and it takes a 'special' gasket.
If it's aftermarket the window will have a flange that fits a single glass gasket.

Change the troublesome plastic latch for a metal C.R.Laurence DVL-2
 They're about $10 on Amazon

[Pete Whitstone]

Thanks, I ordered the latch. The plastic "live hinge" one on there disintegrated the moment I touched it.

I don't understand "the frame will be the width of the track". By that, do you mean the aluminum extrusion at the top and bottom should go all the way around and I'm missing the side pieces?

[ArdWrknTrk]

On a factory slider the part that sits in the gasket is the full width of the track and fixed glass together.

An aftermarket slider has a 'fin' that fits the thinner groove of a gasket for a single lite rear window.

I hope I'm being clear?. .. 🤔
I know that my condition leaves me obtuse and bellicose sometimes.

[Pete Whitstone]

Words are not a great medium to discuss 3-dimensional objects, but I think I may be getting the gist of it. Here is what I am taking away.

1. A factory slider has a track that runs all the way around the window and is more than twice as wide as the glass. The sliding part of the window runs in this track (the aluminum extrusion). The gasket for this type of window is wide enough on the glass side to go over this entire track. The track runs all the way around the window, mine looks like a factory slider but is missing the side tracks.

2. An aftermarket slider has a gasket that is only as wide as the glass itself on the glass side. The sliding part of the window does not extend to the top and bottom, so the gasket can be the same as a non-slider gasket, since the gasket does not come in contact with the slider.

Am I close?

Thanks for your help btw.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I think you've got it now.  

Maybe some more neurotypical human can better explain the differences for you?

[Pete Whitstone]

No need. I think I just need to find some of the side tracks if they are out there.

Anybody have some of those in their parts pile?

Thanks!

[Rembrant]

My 1980 F150 had one of the original style aluminum framed sliding rear windows...these were pretty common back in the day. They had a flange that sat in the gasket where the plain glass would sit if it did not have a slider. So the aluminum window frame was outside the body really...



My 1984 F150 only had a plain glass rear window, which I removed and swapped in a factory slider from a 1996 F150.



Once removed from the rubber gasket, it looked like yours...it had two aluminum tracks, one top, one bottom, and then the end sections were plastic. Below is a picture of it disassembled...it shows the black plastic end sections...they were siliconed to the windows (lightly). The aluminum tracks were screwed in place, or screwed to black aluminum uprights. Picture below, aluminum tracks not shown...



I cleaned everything up, re-painted the black aluminum upright sections, and here is what it looked like prior to installation. It was $35 at the junkyard, so I was pretty happy with that. You can see the aluminum tracks inside the gasket.



This window and gasket fit REALLY well. I know some of the earlier aftermarket windows did not fit well at all, so that is why I jumped on the factory one when I did.

When they changed from the old full aluminum frame sliders (like shown on my 1980) to the later ones like I installed on my '84, I do not know.

[Pete Whitstone]

Great info, thanks. So it would appear I have one of the later factory sliders and am missing the plastic side pieces. Do you know if they are the same width as the aluminum pieces on the top and bottom? By "width" I mean their measurement front of truck to back of truck as installed.

[Rembrant]

Yes the black plastic pieces were exactly the same thickness as the aluminum center sections. I’m not sure what years they were the same, but all through the 90’s I’m sure, maybe longer.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Cory, this is all very good info.
I'm glad to see you're back, with all the things....
I didn't know what was going to happen when I tagged you in that other thread.

[Rembrant]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Cory, this is all very good info.
I'm glad to see you're back, with all the things....
I didn't know what was going to happen when I tagged you in that other thread.

Oh I'm still here Jim, still following along. I can only ever help with very specific topics lol. Anything 4x4 or 8-lug, or big block, etc...and I'm out. Half ton Flaresides...and I'm in the game!

I very recently sold my 1994 F150 Flareside and bought a 2002 Mustang GT, so I'm 100% "truckless" for the first time in many years.

I can still help with Bullnose topics...sometimes;).

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'd commented on your mid-life crisis!  

I'm sure it's miles ahead of my carbureted '85.

[Rembrant]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I'd commented on your mid-life crisis!  

I'm sure it's miles ahead of my carbureted '85.

Haha, I honestly didn't see all the mid-life crisis jokes coming...I guess I should have known better, eh?
I just turned 52 last weekend, am I still "mid-life"?...I dunno...
I feel younger than ever;).

The Mustang is a bit of a departure for me, but not really. I wanted a Foxbody Mustang for a long long time...since they were still "new". Now they're going for crazy money. Up here, it's $20k for a decent one, and $30k for a super clean one. I started looking at the 1994-2004 Mustangs, really leaning towards and early SN-95 car with the last of the 5.0 V8's...1994-1995. They're getting really hard to find too...decent ones that aren't all modded (and tortured) to death. That got me into the 1999-2004 cars, and I found this really clean 2002. The 1999-2004 "New Edge" cars are still reasonably priced...for how long I don't know. Anyway, I'm now learning about overhead cammed V8's lol.

Anyway...it's a "coffee car" lol. It's a cruiser for local cars and coffee nights.

I still want another truck...but what I don't know. I'd love to have a 2nd gen Lightning, but they're getting outrageously priced now too, so that's likely out unless I build a clone.

Anyway, time will tell. The Mustang will hold me over for the 2024 season until I can figure out what else I might want, if anything.

I almost bought another motorcycle, but I talked myself out of that pretty quickly lol.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm a decade ahead of you Sunday.  

Must be something about springtime!  😉