Auto Glass: 89 CROWN VIC WAGON TAILGATE GLASS, national salvage, crown vic

Question
QUESTION: THE BRACKETS BROKE THAT ARE RIVETED TO THE GLASS AND ATTACH THE GLASS TO THE REGULATOR ASSEMBLY. THEY ARE OBSOLETE PARTS THROUGH FORD. CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANY REPLACEMENTS. HAVE TRIED SEVERAL GLASS COMPANIES AND THEY REFER ME TO THE DEALER. THESE CARS SEEM TO HAVE DISAPPEARED FROM THE JUNKYARDS LATELY. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY AFTERMARKET REPRODUCTION OR SOURCE WHERE I CAN GET A NICE USED SET OF THESE? I CAN'T EVEN USE THE TAILGATE ANYMORE. I HAD TO TAPE THE WINDOW INTO PLACE. I'M ASSUMING 79-91 FULL SIZE LTD, CROWN VIC, COUNTRY SQUIRE AND COLONY PARK WAGONS WOULD ALL BE THE SAME PARTS THROUGHOUT THE RUN OF THESE CARS?

ANSWER: Hi Rick,

I have never worked on a Crown Vic tailgate of this vintage so I am not sure what type of brackets are used for this application.  Are we talking about a two piece white plastic "insulator" that snaps into a hole in the glass?  If not, please describe the brackets in some detail so I know what might work for you.

One other approach might be to try a national salvage yard search site such as "uneedapart.com" to see if anyone has a tailgate glass with the brackets attached that they will sell at a reasonable price.

I'll talk with Ford in the morning to see what I can learn about this application.  Please send me a follow up with the answer to the question I asked in my first paragraph and I'll respond again later tomorrow.

Ben ... the power window guy



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: No, the white plastic insulators are not the parts I am talking about (you're talking about the common two-piece discs that snap onto the glass around the rivet holes). What I need are the right & left BIG brackets. there are like 4 or 5 rivets per bracket that attach the brackets to the tailgate glass. That's about the best I can describe them without taking the panel off and taking a pic. I used to have the part numbers but misplaced them (was doing online searches for NOS pieces). Each bracket then has a "hole" that slides up and down the regulator tubes on each side. Unfortunately they made these out of plastic (that off-white, yellowy type)so I'm fearing even junkyard ones may be on their way out as well.

Answer
Hello Rick,

I have never seen anything from my aftermarket suppliers that is even remotely like the brackets you are describing.  

Here's an idea that may or may not be practical.  Remove the old brackets and have a local machine shop replace the plastic tube portion of the bracket with a metal tube.

Sorry I couldn't be of any help to you on this one.

Ben ... the power window guy