I've spent the last few days rebuilding quarter window boxes and cleaning up the window mechanisms on my 55. Being trained as a mechanism designer years ago, this is truly a beautiful but really clugey thing. I'm trying to imagine who the people were that did this, the first model they made and what it was like in the design reviews. But it works.
My rebuild did not go as bad as I thought. I studied the boxes for a few months and thought the best way to rebuild them was to call SASCO and order the new ones that showed stock on line. But they no longer have them. Bummer. I ground off all the rivits, bent open the stainless, sandblasted and POR15 the rusty parts of the galvanized, went to JoAnn Fabrics and got some new material, carefully cut and glued it down, put the trim back on, hammered the stainless flat and pop riveted the two sides back together and ground down the rivets.
I discovered that if you have the window boxes out, the easy way to put the windows in is to remove the guide plate from the window frame and throw the windows into the body and hook up the spring on the window slide. Leave the window slide unscrewed. As the boxes are put back in, put the windows in the window boxes, then screw the boxes to the body. No prying and banging. Connect the window slide, drop in the window crank mechanism and connect the lower roller. You have to hold your mouth right to get the mechanism adjusted. I think the mechanism adjustment controls how far forward the window goes, and the guide plate on the window frame controls the height of the window.
Its been something to do for a few days. Bill