Ghia conversion to hardtop?

[James75]

Ghia window conversion to hardtop?

Hey guys, since I've got the whole car pretty much torn apart and doing body work...I was wondering if my 75 Ghia would accept the regular size coupe window instead of the half opera window/half plastic cover? It looks like I could just grind the clip holder rivet things off the top and weld close the other holes and bolt the other ones on.

I would really like to do away with that partial covered top. Finding a set of windows in the bone yard is a whole other thing, but before I go looking I was just wondering if anyone knows.

 

[Dano78]

A member on here has done this. Can't remember who this was. I thought the Ghia and the coupe used the same 1/4 glass, but on the Ghia it was just partially covered up.

 

[James75]

Thanks, looks like I'll go hunting for the windows and trim pieces. Ford used a smaller window held in by a metal bracket from the inside. Then on the outside a plastic piece covers the metal bracket up to the the small window, then the plastic piece is covered with the material on the roof. I hope that makes sense. I wish I could post a pic, but my card reader seems to have died.

 

[Dano78]

Ahhh I see. I've had 3 Ghias but only parted 1 and never bothered to pull the 1/4 glass and stuff. The other 2 Ghias were really nice and I never had a reason to pull them apart. I always thought it was a partially covered std. window. Learn somthin' new every day.

Well if you can't find a pair, I've got a pair of std. 1/4 glasses I yarded out of a '76 coupe. I should have nice trim pieces too. My memory is failing me right now....was the interior 1/4 trim the same?

 

[UnbridledFury]

Here is one of the pictures I took of my Ghia. I'll see if I can find another picture, if you need to see more details.

The car is in the shop right now, but I can get more pictures once I get it back. The headliner is still out until I get a new vinyl top put on.

 

[Dano78]

I'll be danged... guess I should rip into the next parts car Ghia i get in. Stoll looks as if you can drop in the std. couple windows once the Ghia stuff is removed.

 

[kcobra302]

there have been several sets of coupe windows on ebay over the paste few weeks. i have not been on since suday so not sure if they are still there.

 

[Stang2Man]

I don't understand why everyone wants to rid their ghia's of the smaller 1/4 windows. I think it makes it look better than a regular coupe, I can understand ditching the vinyl roof, which I'm contemplating on mine, and just do some faux paint on it, not sure yet.

 

[MUSTANG J]

I changed my Ghia into a regular coupe, as far as I can rember you need:
-Coupe quarter windows
-Coupe quarter trim
-Coupe interior trim panels
-Can-O-Bondo, cause Ford did not cheese the roof welds LOL

Everyone changes a Ghia into a regular coupe because................wait...no I won't say it

 

[James75]

I changed my Ghia into a regular coupe, as far as I can rember you need:
-Coupe quarter windows
-Coupe quarter trim
-Coupe interior trim panels
-Can-O-Bondo, cause Ford did not cheese the roof welds LOL

Everyone changes a Ghia into a regular coupe because................wait...no I won't say it

Hehe, ya. Thanks guys for the feedback. The search is on...

Dano, if you still have the glass and trim, I'm interested.

 

[Dano78]

10-4 guy. Let me crawl up in the attic and pull it down to make sure I've got it all and get pics for ya.

 

[Dano78]

Ok James, here's what I have on hand at my place. I may have a set of different color over at my dads. Forgot to crawl up in his shop's attic and take look. Didn't know of color was a big issue or not. The 1/4 glass are clear, not tinted. The two 1/4 stainless pieces both have little tiny dings in them, easily worked out if you know how to massage stainless. They are really small. I'll also look over at dad's tomarrow for nicer 1/4 stainless pieces. Anyways here's the pics.

Now you see that red arrow in the top pic? I wasn't 100% sure if you needed these. I'm thinking that they are more for the rear window trim more than the 1/4 window. If you need them, fine, if not no biggie. The arrows in the second picture show the very small dings. Other than that they are pretty nice pieces. Flip me an E-mail and lemmie know what you think.

 

[UnbridledFury]

As luck would have it, I ran across a 78 Ghia on Fort Lewis yesterday. Well, it had a vinyl half roof, but he removed it and painted the car. He left the Ghia windows in it.

 

[UnbridledFury]

And one more picture.

 

[James75]

Thanks for the pics UnbridledFury. That's pretty much how it looked on my car before, no vinyl, but all white. It doesn't look too bad painted black.

Please check your PM Dano

 

[3-0-II]

that white 78 looks clean. Love the tailights

 

[manny]

hey DANO78 what are you looking to get for the windows and the trim? i would really like to do that to my ghia.

 

[Dano78]

James75 and Manny, you got PMs.

 

[James75]

Thanks guys for the info. I just received the hardtop windows and trim for the Ghia Dano, thanks. They fit with no problems, just had to drill new mounting holes.

 

[Dano78]

Glad they made it there unharmed and that they are working out for ya. Always makes me nervous to ship glass, even thought these were in their frames. I bought a flywheel a while back from jmarks99 and somehow they managed to bust of one of the alignment pins for the clutch assy. John packaged it up very well even inside dense foam designed for a flywheel and they still managed to do it. Figure that one out. So yeah, I get nervous shipping breakable stuff.
But glad it got there and you're happy with it.