1955-57 Pontiac Windshield Sun Visor

by Rich Pye and Larry Gorden

Gary Parker, Contributor of Photos and Information

April 2008, updated August 2010

Contents

Introduction

Pontiac vs. Chevy Windshield Visor

Pontiac Windshield Visor Brackets

Traffic Light Viewer

Installation

Introduction

This article is about the windshield sun visor offered as an option on 1955-57 Pontiacs.  The windshield sun visor and a traffic light viewer were installed as a package by either the factory or the Pontiac dealership.  The traffic light viewer enabled the driver to see traffic lights when view was blocked by the visor.

1955 Traffic Light Viewer and Windshield Sun Visor 

Rich Pye, editor of the "Safari News", wrote an article on the Pontiac windshield visor which was published in the Winter 2007/2008 "Safari News".  This is a modified version of that article.  Formatting has been changed for web display, photos have been added and text has been updated.

Pontiac vs. Chevy Windshield Visor 

Chevy and Pontiac shared the same roof, glass and doors.  So you might think they would use the same windshield visor.  You would be wrong but you can you install a Pontiac visor on a Chevy and a Chevy visor on a Pontiac in the 1955-57 model years.  There are reasons why you might not want to do that:  (1) to the "purist", a Pontiac visor belongs on a Pontiac and a Chevy visor belongs on a Chevy and (2) like other accessories from that era, the Pontiac visor is of better style and quality (in our biased opinion). Compare the Pontiac Guide spotlight with the Chevy GE spotlight and you’ll know exactly what I (Rich) mean.

Pontiac Visor

Chevy Visor

The stainless trim completely wraps around the Pontiac visor, but the Chevy visor has no stainless on the trailing edge. 

NOS Pontiac Visor Topside

NOS Chevy Visor Topside

The Chevy visor is shaped differently on the ends and mounts to the drip rails with screws.  The Pontiac visor has a single center support bracket whereas the Chevy visor has two inner support brackets.

Pontiac Center Support Bracket

Chevy Support Brackets

The Pontiac visor has a single rib on the underside for the support bracket attachment and the Chevy visor has two attachment ribs.

NOS Pontiac Visor Underside

NOS Chevy Visor Underside

Note the flat green color on the underside of the visors above.  The underside of of the visors were this color and only the top side of the visor was painted in car upper body color.  This clipping appears to be instructions for painting a visor, found by Harold Cary in one of his Pontiac shop manuals.

From "1956 Pontiac Facts" Book, Page 233 

Pontiac Windshield Visor Brackets

The Pontiac visor is mounted to the roof with the center support bracket and a bracket on each end.  There are two different sets of brackets, one for sedans and the other for Catalinas (hardtops) and Custom Safaris.  Part numbers are as follows:

The center bracket is chrome plated cast metal. Note the subtle differences in shape, angles and size.

Visor Center Bracket (Pontiac Service Craftsman News, July 1956)

Visor Center Bracket - Sedan Left, Catalina & Safari Right 

Here are the outer brackets side by side. Note the difference in size and shape.

Passenger's Side Outer Visor Bracket - Sedan (left) and Catalina/Safari 

Miscellaneous photos below.