Corvair Windshield Washer Refill Bottles
By Dave Newell and Kent Sullivan
(updated September, 2016) This article was published in the May, 2006 CORSA Communique.
Introduction
From the factory, when a windshield washer was installed as a Regular Production Option (RPO), the bottle of concentrated washer fluid and its bracket were always included when the option was ordered, 1961 through 1965. Once the washer became standard equipment in 1966, the bottle and bracket were no longer installed at the factory.
From the dealer, the bottle and bracket were never offered as part of the windshield washer accessory kit or as a separate accessory kit. That's why you don't find them in the Custom Feature Accessory literature. However, the washer bottles were always available, all years, as a 'Service or Maintenance Product' (i.e., Chemical Products; see P&A 30, group 8.800). The brackets were also available, under a regular, non-accessory part number.
So, while dealer-installed washer kits didn't include the bracket and bottle, customers could ask for them or enterprising parts managers could install them as an up-sell.
Interesting trivia: One purpose of the triangular shape was to encourage owners to buy a GM bottle rather than aftermarket bottles, which were not triangular. The other was so that the methanol-based washer fluid concentrate, still available in round cans, wouldn't slip into the triangular bracket.
The following table illustrates the correct bottle/label for each year. Click each part number to see a picture of the corresponding label.
|
Year |
United States |
Canada |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Factory |
Dealer |
Factory |
Dealer |
|
|
1960 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
1961 |
||||
|
1962 |
||||
|
1963 |
||||
|
1964 |
||||
|
1965 |
||||
|
1966 |
N/A |
1050001 (1st/2nd) |
N/A |
|
|
1967 |
Unknown |
|||
|
1968 |
||||
|
1969 |
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Thanks to Bill Chellis, Dennis Dorogi, Chris King, Joe MacMurchie, Mikk Jogi, and Dave Newell for the photos.
1960 U.S.
No bottles were installed at the factory when windshield washers were installed, because of lack of space. And because the old methanol-type washer antifreeze solvent could be explosive in the trunk with the gas heater (at least in concentrated form, as in the bottles).
New 'Kleer-View' solvent was introduced in October 20, 1959 which was isopropyl and not volatile, under part #988299, as a dealer item only. The label was color. 988299 replaced the volatile methanol-based solvent, 987867, which was never offered for Corvairs.
When the dealer ordered 988299 he got a case of 12 bottles which also included 6 brackets for his installation, if needed. In typical GM chemical practice, one bottle of 988299 was actually 1/12 of 988299; the dealer couldn't order bottles in quantities less than 12.
The dealer-installed bracket was sold separately as 3815273.
1960 Canada
Like the U.S., no bottles were installed at the factory when windshield washers were installed, because of lack of space.
As far as we can tell, no windshield washer fluid bottles were offered for Corvair from the dealer either. However, non-methanol (meaning non-explosive) fluid was available under the Delco brand in Canada in 1960 in round glass bottles.
1961-1964 U.S.
In 1961, a factory-installed bottle, 3789848, and its bracket were introduced as part of the Comfort and Convenience group, RPO 120. The RPO was changed to Z01 in 1963. This label was black and white and very similar to 988299.
The dealer-installed bottle remained 988299 and was unchanged, as was the bracket.
1961-1964 Canada
In 1961, a factory-installed bottle, 5772464, was included as part of either the single-speed wiper with washer option, RPO 437, or the two-speed wiper with washer option, RPO 413. RPO 437 was discontinued in 1962. RPO C14 replaced RPO 413 beginning in 1963. This label was black and white.
A dealer-installed bottle was also offered, 5772465. This label was color, using a similar palette to 988299.
The dealer-installed bracket was sold separately as 3815273, although the number wasn't listed in Canadian parts books until 1963. This part was available in Canada only through United Motors Service (UMS), GM's marketing arm that sold GM component-maker parts (Delco, Harrison, AC, Packard, Hyatt, etc.) to independent parts houses, electrical shops, etc.
1965 U.S.
The factory-installed bottle was part of the Comfort and Convenience group, RPO Z01 or Z13 (two RPOs due to two different outside mirrors, standard and remote).
Both labels changed to a new tri-color design (black and red with blue 'GM' on a white background). There is a variation of the label for 3789848, the factory-installed bottle, where the "General Motors Approved" text was printed on a black background rather than red.
The dealer-installed bottle became 1050001. This part number change from 988299 to 1050001 was typical of all GM chemical products in 1965, which made their numbers uniform and separated them from the Chevy derived 985-, 986-, 987- and 988- six-digit series accessories. Similar items, such as polishing cloths, waxes, etc. went to that new series of numbers when the graphics changed in 1965.
The dealer-installed bracket was still sold separately, but as 1050333.
1965 Canada
The factory-installed bottle continued to be available as part of the two-speed wiper with washer option, RPO C14.
The dealer-installed bottle continued as 5772465 but the design of the label changed, to a tri-color design similar to the second U.S. design for 1050001.
The dealer-installed bracket was still sold separately but now as 5720196.
1966 U.S.
The factory-installed bottle was discontinued beginning in 1966. This is confirmed by the 1966 assembly manual (UPC 1, sec. A, pp. 10-11) and an article in the November, 1965 Over the Counter News. This coincides with the washer being made standard equipment on all cars. Chevy's P&A Department urged dealers to give '66 and later Chevy owners a gratis bracket installation when they bought a bottle of fluid.
The dealer-supplied bottle continued as 1050001. It is unclear at this time whether the 1st design or 2nd design of this label was in use this year.
The dealer-installed bracket was still sold separately as 1050333.
1966 Canada
The factory-installed bottle was discontinued beginning in 1966, as in the U.S. This coincides with the washer being made standard equipment on all cars.
The dealer-installed bottle continued as 5772465 with no changes.
1967 U.S.
The dealer-supplied bottle was definitely the second design of 1050001 by 1967.
The dealer-installed bracket was still sold separately as 1050333.
1968-1969 U.S.
The dealer-installed bottle became 1050418 in 1968. This is due to the introduction of the new miracle-chemical, antibacterial 'Optikleen'. The bracket remained unchanged.
The dealer-installed bracket was still sold separately as 1050333.
1967-69 Canada
Even though Corvairs were no longer made in Canada, we assume that a replacement washer refill bottle would have been available from the dealer, both as a replacement and as a new installation for 1967-69 imported Corvairs. To date, however, we have not been able to find any documentation on its part number.
Summary of Open Issues
- Date of introduction of 5772465 (first design) in Canada. The sources we have indicate that it was probably not in 1960. We assume 1961 based on the available information.
- Whether the first design of 5772465 was in color or black and white.
- When the variation of 3789848, 2nd design, was used.
- What bottle was offered for 1967-69 Corvairs imported from the U.S.