rear window storage tray
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,117
Likes: 104
From: charlotte north carolina
rear window storage tray
did gm make two styles of rear window storage trays?
after installing carpet in my 72 rear area, i went to install the tray-surprise- the brackets and latch didn't line up. the brackets fastened to the rear wall were about 3" too far apart on each side, and the latch was about 4" too far rearward of the catch that is fastened to the underside of the rear compartment.
had to remove and remount the brackets and i've bubba'd a temporary latch. i think this car hates me!
after installing carpet in my 72 rear area, i went to install the tray-surprise- the brackets and latch didn't line up. the brackets fastened to the rear wall were about 3" too far apart on each side, and the latch was about 4" too far rearward of the catch that is fastened to the underside of the rear compartment.
had to remove and remount the brackets and i've bubba'd a temporary latch. i think this car hates me!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,092
Likes: 5
From: Fayetteville Arkansas
not sure about diff styles of tray but i do know that 72 had a different type latching... instead of a handle with white letters it is just a chrome push button. Do you have an AIM? That should have the correct dimensions and measurements for the rear window tray, brackets, and latching.
hth,
Sully
hth,
Sully
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 6
From: Nevada City California
jnb5101,
Your assumption is CORRECT! There were indeed two different style rear window storage style set-ups. 1968 thru early 1971 used a fiberboard tray with the same type of black flocking material that the passenger side rear storage bin is made from. This window storage shelf was rectangular in shape and the rear bulkhead hinge brackets were located further apart from each other, as the tray side that had the brackets that the bulkhead hinges mounted to were also further apart. The tray itself was wider in length than the second style tray for 1971 thru 1972. This first style tray used rubber coated metal latches to secure the window in the storage tray and from rattling and moving around. This style tray used a thin spring steel metal bracket to hold the tray in its stored upright position. Unfortunately this bracket design often broke due to usage. It also incorporated a heavy solid metal bar that had chromed lettering stating REAR WINDOW STORAGE on it.
The second style rear window storage tray used a redesigned fiberglass tray that had a slightly deep well molded into it in the shape of the rear glass window. This helped keep the window in the tray and used a rubberized bracket in the center rear where the window was shoved into for a snug fit. This design tray had its hinges mounted much further inward from the outer edges of the rear bulkhead and the rear edge of the tray was molded shorter in width to accomodate this. The front edge of the tray also incorporated a pushbutton latching system the same as used on the three storage bins. Overall a much better design and improved system over the first style.
Your profile shows you have a '70 model which would explain your difficulty in trying to install a second design storage tray set-up in a model that uses the first design set-up.
Your assumption is CORRECT! There were indeed two different style rear window storage style set-ups. 1968 thru early 1971 used a fiberboard tray with the same type of black flocking material that the passenger side rear storage bin is made from. This window storage shelf was rectangular in shape and the rear bulkhead hinge brackets were located further apart from each other, as the tray side that had the brackets that the bulkhead hinges mounted to were also further apart. The tray itself was wider in length than the second style tray for 1971 thru 1972. This first style tray used rubber coated metal latches to secure the window in the storage tray and from rattling and moving around. This style tray used a thin spring steel metal bracket to hold the tray in its stored upright position. Unfortunately this bracket design often broke due to usage. It also incorporated a heavy solid metal bar that had chromed lettering stating REAR WINDOW STORAGE on it.
The second style rear window storage tray used a redesigned fiberglass tray that had a slightly deep well molded into it in the shape of the rear glass window. This helped keep the window in the tray and used a rubberized bracket in the center rear where the window was shoved into for a snug fit. This design tray had its hinges mounted much further inward from the outer edges of the rear bulkhead and the rear edge of the tray was molded shorter in width to accomodate this. The front edge of the tray also incorporated a pushbutton latching system the same as used on the three storage bins. Overall a much better design and improved system over the first style.
Your profile shows you have a '70 model which would explain your difficulty in trying to install a second design storage tray set-up in a model that uses the first design set-up.
Last edited by early shark; Jun 15, 2009 at 12:45 PM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,117
Likes: 104
From: charlotte north carolina
thanks for the info, early shark. do you have any pics of the latching mechanism that is fastened to the rear deck that accepts the latch on the tray? as i said, i bubba'd a latch, but i can't understand how the oem latch is assembled, due to the distance between the latch on the tray and the forward part of the rear compartment where the original latch hooked.
