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I'm posting this on the General instead of postwar 1946-54 forum merely as some 1941-42 Clipper owners might have some
experience. In order to replate the right rear vent window
frame in my '47 Super Clipper 2103, after removing the woodgrained garnish molding, i consulted the 1946-50 Packard Shop Manual's extensive body section, and saw both a long and short method. I also have the body manual for the 1942 Clippers, and looked at it, too.

In the 1946-50 body manual, the entire instructions:
"On the rear doors take out the window wing upper pivot screw and lock washer (easy enough), push the top of the window wing inward and lift it out of place."

Perhaps they're describing the similar 1948-50 bathtub
inner structure, as these cars are essentially reskinned
1941-47 Clippers, because the photos in the 1946-50 shop manual show a semi-circular dip to allow easy access to the lower vent window pivot nut and tensioning spring.

Because on my 2103 Super -- all four-door non-limo 1941-47 Clippers use the same body-- there's no dip, just an access panel, a square perhaps four by five or so inches predrilled for screws, which has no screws because
Packard or Briggs must've decided to simply tack weld it in place.

The 1942 Clipper body manual says "You will note there is a cover plate over the cut-out at top of door inside panel at the ventilating window lower pivot, take a pair of pliers and bend this plate down."

But, the cover plate's tack welded in place. To bend it back means breaking it free and then when the right rear
vent window is replaced, somehow bending it back in position----no easy feat, especially since it must be precise enough so that two of the ventilating window seven retaining screws can go back into the plate's bent top.

So, fellow 1947 Clipper sedan owners who've at some point had your right rear vent window out, how did you do this, what did you do, and how did you finish? I'm directing this to 1947 Clipper owners in case Packard/Briggs made some running production change, but any 1941-46 Clipper owners feel free to weigh in, because i don't know when this change was made, or if the 1942 body manual is as
out of touch as it's clumsy prose suggests. You'd think
a company of Packard's stature might've had at least one literate pair of eyes proof the above 1942 instructions so
there'd be a period after pivot and "Take a pair of pliers..." would be a new sentence.

Thanks for any and all easy insight, and i'm sure i'm not the only Clipper owner who'd welcome any crisp, high-contrast photos of what you did.

I'm glad you reminded us this thread had never been answered. I didn't have an answer at the time because I hadn't tried it and apparently no one else did either. My apologies for forgetting the thread and I suppose it is too late now but here goes anyway.

I did take my complete window assemblies out a couple of weeks ago to have the vent wings and straight pieces chromed. Now I can tell you what I did -- which may or may not be the only or best way. If you or someone else has found another or better way I'd like to hear it too.

Followed the instructions in the SM to remove the complete assy and that went without too much drama -- although it was very tight clearance. I had to remove the outer belt weatherstrip to allow clearance for the bottom cross brace to pass thru the opening. To just remove the vent windows I believe can be done without removing the entire assy from the car -- but the lift mechanism/window has to be disconnected and all the mounting screws have to be removed to allow the assy to tilt out at the top and then to lift 3 or 4 inches to get to the vents bottom spring and nut.

The vent windows themselves came out of their mounts by removing the screws and bracket on top and the spring and nut assy on the bottom. My weatherstrip was hard as a rock so that did provide a bit of a challenge. Since it was going to be replaced anyway I just brute forced it and broke whatever chunk of rubber that interfered out of the way. Flexible rubber should be a little easier to work with.

Removing the glass from the frame was done by scoring along the rubber edges against the frame with a utility knife and then clamping glass in a vise between two blocks of wood. Carefully drove the frame off the glass with light hammer taps on another block of wood against the frame ends. Be gentle and work each side so as not to bend or distort the frame. 3 of them came off relatively quickly but the 4th was a P.I.A. I did manage to get all out without breaking any glass but since glass will also be replaced didn't much care if one did break. After the glass was out, drove the pin out of the handle with a 3/32 pin punch and removed it from the frame.

Disassembling and removing the straight piece from the channels was another story. The rivets have to be drilled out in several places. The cross brace is welded on so the one chrome side weld has to be cut loose. Again, since the flex and straight channels were going to be replaced there was not a lot of hesitation but do take note of how things go back in assy sequence. A combination of tubular and pop rivets should put everything back together but we shall see. The clearance being tight, not sure if the cross brace can be riveted back on or will have to be welded.

That's all I can say for now since the metal parts are at the chrome shop and new channel, rubber and glass is between here and there. The next saga will be getting it all back together and functioning. That should happen sometime next month when hopefully all parts meet up.