The Universal Dual-Wiper Drive kit from Specialty Power Windows employs a cable worm-drive system much like those used in English cars of the ’50s and ’60s. Specialty Power Windows WWK-2 Standard Universal Wiper Drive Kit made by Specialty Power Windows, for as low as $289.99. See how he begins the installation process to get the truck back on the road. Installing AVS Side Window Deflectors on 2013 Dodge Ram 1500.
When it came time to confront the chore of keeping our 1960 Corvette project’s windshield clean during inclement weather, we quickly came up with four valid reasons to replace the factory system with an upgraded aftermarket system and they are as follows: cable stretch; old wiper transmissions; single-speed operation and a rather large, ugly lump on the firewall. After much research we decided to go with the cable-drive system from Specialty Power Windows (SPW) and we came up with four valid reasons why and they are as follows: two-speed operation, no linkage arms and cables moving behind the dash, the drive unit mounts in an accessible yet hidden location and no ugly lump on the firewall. That’s a lot to gain and when you see the car from the outside you’d never suspect the wipers are not original as the factory wiper arm spacers and gaskets remain in service. We had Advanced Plating in Nashville refinish our original chrome spacers. Of course, with the hood open the firewall will be noticeably cleaner without the large factory wiper motor in place. After we assembled the motor to the drive housing, we mounted the drive unit in the passenger-side kick panel area. We fabricated simple brackets for the drive unit and then routed the required tubing to the wiper transmissions.
A single flare on the end of each tube makes the connection between the tube and the wiper transmissions. The instructions are very good but pay close attention when installing the wiper transmissions to ensure the wiper blades move in the desired direction. The direction of wiper travel is controlled by the location of the tubing. Since the C1 Corvette wipers park in the middle and sweep outward, the flare slots on the passenger-side has the tubing on the bottom of the transmission, while the tubing slots on the driver-side will be on top.
As we mentioned earlier, our replated factory wiper arm spacers and new gaskets were used to hold the new SPW units in place. After the tubing was cut to size and installed it was a simple matter of installing the drive cable and cutting it to length. After the cable was cut to length it was coated with a heavy layer of grease and fed into the tubing for the last time.
![Installation Installation](/uploads/1/2/5/5/125516102/440191189.gif)
Likewise the cable-drive slider was heavily greased and the drive unit cover installed, completing the mechanical portion of the installation. Of course, wipers can’t wipe if the motor doesn’t have electrical power and to that end we mounted the SPW-supplied switch in the original dash location. We had to do a little sanding on the backside of the reproduction plastic bezel that reads “Wiper,” but the original knob is installed with a single set screw. We used a reproduction knob from Corvette Central. When looking at the dash no one would think the wipers have been upgraded.
SPW also supplies the wiring for the back of the switch and we had that wired in short order. Since our car has not been completely rewired yet, we used a 12-volt battery for a temporary power source to check the operation. Rather than run dry wiper blades on a brand-new windshield, we used long tie-wraps on the windshield wiper transmissions to show us the sweep range. The final step was to refinish our original Trico wiper arms. This involved the typical sanding and buffing of the stainless steel for a like-new finish.
We bought a set of N.O.S. Wiper blades at a swap meet to complete the wipers, wiper arms and blades are also available from your favorite Corvette parts house.
We checked to be certain the wipers were in the proper “parked” position and pushed our reconditioned wipers onto the transmissions and the job was complete. In the end we were more than pleased with our new wipers. The two-speed operation is a big plus and the system is smooth and quiet. Maintaining the original appearance was paramount and we were more than pleased with the end result. While we prefer to drive our collector cars on sunny days it is reassuring to know should the rain begin we have the proper equipment to maintain a clear windshield.