1978 and 1979 Sport Sedan windshields

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

In AD7-524 Greg Fosmark responds to my reply in AD7-421 to a query in AD7-420
by Gordy Hyde about 1978 and 1979 Sport Sedan windshields; Gordy had referred
to prior correspondence from Greg, which was in AD4-052, 24 January 1997.

In the January 1997 posting Greg wrote "According to all the after market
glass suppliers that I contacted, all Alfetta sedans (4DR)  1975-'79 used the
same windshield in one of two styles. Glue in or rubber seal in types. These
windshields measure roughly 23 1/2 inches in height by 55" in width. I know
for experience with six different pieces of glass from different manufacturers
that these windshields "DO NOT" fit the '79 Sport Sedan's. - - Apparently the
windshield that is correct for the '79 sport sedan is a one year only item. It
measures roughly 24 1/2 inches in height by 55" in width. If it's not 24 1/2
inches high all I can say is don't buy it."

In AD7-521 I asserted that 1978 and 1979 windshield glasses are identical. 

Now in AD7-524 Greg writes "There are 2 windshields for these '78-'79 cars,
not
just one. the more common piece of glass is shorter and narrower than the
less common one, but not by much. It took me nearly six months to find the
right glass for my car. Many people said I was just getting the earlier
pre-'77 glass, not so. I had two Sport Sedans, a '78 and a '79. The '78
windshield was smaller than the one in the '79. I know this because I pulled
the windshield out of it to have it installed in the '79 and it didn't fit. I
contacted Tom Zat and he said I wasn't crazy, and that indeed there are two
different windshields for the '78-'79 cars. He had one and when it arrived it
fit perfectly. My advice is contact Tom Zat he knows more about this odd ball
piece of glass than I. I no longer own the car so I can't even supply the
necessary measurements."

SO- from the earlier post we CAN salvage the measurements: 24-1/2" for the
1979-only windshield, 23-1/2" for the earlier ones.

I have two intact Sport Sedans, one a 1979 and the other a 1978, parked side-
by-side, plus two 1978 parts cars, one with a cracked windshield and the other
with my spare. Just measured the exposed glass of all four down the
centerline, gasket-edge to gasket-edge, at 23-11/16", 3/16" more than the
total width of the narrower type windshield as measured earlier by Greg. On
the cracked '78 I hooked the end-hook of the tapemeasure over the glass-edge
under the gasket and pop-sickled back the opposite gasket overlap with a
putty-knife and got a hair over 24-3/4" for the total glass dimension.

So, I won't dispute Greg and I certainly won't dispute Tom Zat, but I will say
that I have three 1978 Sport Sedans which have the 1979-only windshield,
perhaps due to the legendary casual random assembly practiced by those
notoriously care-free assembly-line workers at Arese. At the very least it
behooves people wishing to replace a broken 1978 windshield to measure it and
find out whether they have a 1979 glass.

The Alfa Romeo Catalogo Rapido Ricambi, publication #2462, January 1980,
covering parts for all US Alfetta models, gives a part number 11657.61550.56
for the green athermic windshield, 11658.61550.90 for the bronze athermic, and
11614.61550.50 for the Alfetta Berlina. It does not differentiate between 1978
and 1979 windshield, gaskets, trim, or any of the peripheral body sheet-metal
for these two years.

Cordially,

John H. 
Raleigh, N.C.

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