Sourcing a 456GT front driver side window | FerrariChat
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Sourcing a 456GT front driver side window

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by tbjo1, Feb 18, 2022.

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  1. tbjo1

    tbjo1 Rookie

    Nov 27, 2021
    45
    Oslo, Norway
    Full Name:
    Torstein B
    #1 tbjo1, Feb 18, 2022
    So a friend and I were trying to fix the 456 window gap issue, and the unthinkable happened; the whole window exploded when trying to fine tune the alignment. Broke in a million pieces.

    So the the big question is, can this window be sourced? I pray to God the answer is yes :)


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  2. tbjo1

    tbjo1 Rookie

    Nov 27, 2021
    45
    Oslo, Norway
    Full Name:
    Torstein B
    #2 tbjo1, Feb 18, 2022
    Should specify this is (was) the left side front window.
     
  3. asgor

    asgor Formula Junior

    Sep 8, 2016
    716
    Virginia, USA
    #3 asgor, Feb 18, 2022
    Sure a replacement is available - but it'll cost ya. For instance, and this is just by doing a quick internet search, one is available here and another here
     
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  4. rviani

    rviani Karting

    Jun 22, 2005
    81
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Ron Viani
    #4 rviani, Feb 19, 2022
    Join the club. It took me about a whole day to clean out all the little pieces of glass. I sourced a right side 456 window from Eurospares at a very competitive price about a year ago by purchasing a "scratched" or slightly damaged unit. Their service was excellent and shipping to the US was free the glass was extremely well packed and took about two days. The "damage" is an essentially invisible scratch. No relationship but suggest you give them a call.
     
    tbjo1 likes this.
  5. tbjo1

    tbjo1 Rookie

    Nov 27, 2021
    45
    Oslo, Norway
    Full Name:
    Torstein B
    #5 tbjo1, Feb 19, 2022
    thanks for that, I’ll look into both of those!!!


    Pretty nightmare-ish situation, we were just about to finish and my friend tightened a screw in the plate that connects the back side of window glass to the mechanism. He didn’t realise there was nothing stopping the tightening of that bolt, and the metal plate behind the glass was pressed so hard into the glass that the whole thing exploded. Filled up a whole vacuum bag with shattered glass… back to square one.

    While on the topic; we noticed the infamous bolts in the mechanism in fact were quite tight on my 456, but still made of aluminium. I think it has been sent to Ferrari at some point and they have simply swapped the bolt with a OEM one, still in aluminium. We considered not changing it due to being scared of destroying the steel teeth holding the bolt in the window mechanism while drilling. But we went ahead and it worked out. Now we are at the second window and I think we’ll change this one too, but I’m still wondering if perhaps the new plastic sliders we put in did equally as much for the tightness as the new bolt.
     
  6. carguy246

    carguy246 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 8, 2006
    1,197
    Maryland
    #6 carguy246, Feb 19, 2022
    You have to use a torque wrench when tightening the bolts that hold the glass. Can't remember the setting, but I'm pretty sure I got it from the service manual when I did this. Hope this helps.
     
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  7. franschman

    franschman Formula Junior

    Dec 18, 2017
    362
    Holland
    Full Name:
    Bart
    #7 franschman, Feb 20, 2022
    Been there, done that....
    Replacements are available from Ferrari or ebay. I found a perfectly good one on the latter for a quarter of the price Ferrari charges.
    Note there is a slight difference in shape for windows for M and non-M.
     
    tbjo1 likes this.
  8. tbjo1

    tbjo1 Rookie

    Nov 27, 2021
    45
    Oslo, Norway
    Full Name:
    Torstein B
    #8 tbjo1, Feb 22, 2022
    Oh man - I just realised I ordered part nr 65434400. @asgor the two links you sent, are you sure these work for 456 also, and not just the M?
     
  9. asgor

    asgor Formula Junior

    Sep 8, 2016
    716
    Virginia, USA
    #9 asgor, Feb 22, 2022
    Some resources I looked at (used parts and parts recyclers) show the door glass as being interchangeable between the GT and GTM. Digging deeper, though, each glass has a different part number: 63163800 for the GT and 65434400 for the GTM. This could mean the two parts are different or just have a different associated part #. I recommend you research further to find the answer to that question.

    Eurospares (UK) has in stock the glass specifically for the GT, if you want to check with them.

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  10. franschman

    franschman Formula Junior

    Dec 18, 2017
    362
    Holland
    Full Name:
    Bart
    #10 franschman, Feb 22, 2022
    The difference is in the shape around the mirror. Probably 'M' seals are different in that area compared to 'no-M'. Half way down the 'non-M' series Ferrari also changed the diameter of the mounting holes along the bottom edge. Ask me how I know :)
     
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  11. tbjo1

    tbjo1 Rookie

    Nov 27, 2021
    45
    Oslo, Norway
    Full Name:
    Torstein B
    #11 tbjo1, Feb 23, 2022
    Haha thanks Bart! I'll definitely just get part # 63163800 to be sure, although for some reason those are more expensive.

    Another question to you guys who have travelled the road of breaking the window before me:
    I'm worried that most sellers sell the glass only, no fittings. I did keep the fittings from the broken window, but the window should have three holes for the fittings. Were these pre drilled, or did you do that yourself?

    I also came across this one - which was a bit cheaper, but the seller calls it "green" which put me off a bit.. are the windows tinted differently on different specs of the 456, or is this simply the sellers interpretation of the window standard (I guess perhaps slightly greenish) hue? o_O
     
  12. franschman

    franschman Formula Junior

    Dec 18, 2017
    362
    Holland
    Full Name:
    Bart
    #12 franschman, Feb 23, 2022
    Windows come with holes and, at least mine, are tinted. As far as I know only one color, my replacement had the perfect shade.
    Note that for some markets, in any case the European market, all windows in each car are marked with a number, the same number unique to the car, sandblasted in. So if you buy a window second hand it might have a number blast in, different from all your other windows. I bought a window without a number (US market I believe), lasercut a sheet steel pattern using my window on the other side, and blast the right number in so as to have all windows with the same number. Probably nobody will ever notice but hey, just trying to do a good job...
    Whatever you do, don't overtighten the screws that hold the window at the bottom or it will snap again! Once you're done trying to get the gaps right, undo these screws one by one and redo with plenty of locktite.
     
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