These parts undoubtedly weren’t exactly expensive, but over volumes of millions of cars, every penny adds up. And the mystery is of course solved: the tandem system used significantly fewer parts in its mechanism, not needing the center pivot (located at the same spot where the passenger side tandem wiper base mounted) and second mechanism arm from there to the outside wiper and its mounting. Here’s the tandem system.Īnd here’s the overlap system. Here’s some detailed images Dave found in the 1964 Olds Service Manual that show the guts of these systems. The Super 88, Starfire, and 98 offered two speed overlap wipers including a washer pump.The base model cars could be upgraded to two speed wipers, but kept the tandem wiper action.The dealer could add a washer pump to the single speed wiper system.The base models offered single speed wipers with tandem action.Here’s a more detailed description of the two systems and what was optional: The tandem/parallel system came standard with a one-speed motor, and a two speed motor with washer pump was optional. The overlap system came standard as a two speed system, and the washers (with an electric pump) were optional. Maybe it’s already not such a big mystery as to why.ĭave found these two descriptions of the wiper systems in options brochures. Meanwhile, the lower trim Pontiacs (Catalina) and Olds (Dynamic 88/Jetstar 88) and all full-size Chevrolets got a totally new tandem wiper system. This undoubtedly reduced the amount of unwiped area on the windshield. On higher trim Pontiacs (Ventura and higher) and Olds (Super 88 and higher), all Buicks and Cadillacs, the center-meet wipers now had a decided overlap in the middle. By the mid-late ’30s, most seem to have settled into the format seen until the end of the split windshield, which of course dictated that they not overlap, as on this ’49 Olds.Įven with the advent of one-piece windshields, the wipers still stayed the same.Īnd that’s how things stayed at GM through 1960, with center-meet wipers (no overlap).īut for 1961, GM came out with no less than two new wiper systems. So we’ve combined forces, working both in tandem and with a bit of overlap to wipe away any lingering confusion and mystery.īut first, let’s do a bit of wiper history.Įarly wipers were often mounted above the windshield and commonly manually-powered. Meanwhile, Dave Skinner went down to LA Central Library to dig up the technical data on these systems. I had never noticed that disparity, and became intrigued, and started doing some research via Google searches and at. The slightly more expensive Olds Super 88 (below) as an overlap system, where the wipers are mounted far apart and overlap in the middle. (Dave Skinner contributed key technical info to this post) At Dave Skinner’s recent 1964 Olds Jetstar 88 post, eagle-eye Jim Cavanaugh once again raised the question that had been bugging him for years: why were there two different wiper systems used on these B-Body Olds? The low-trim Jetstar 88 (top) has what GM termed as the tandem system, where the two wipers work essentially parallel to each other.
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