Tim,
I do not know if Chevrolet (and/or GMC) went to my style in 1954.
No, the glass does not get chipped or broken due to the lock-clip.
Where the the glass gets chipped is where/when the sliding glass hits the window frame when someone pushes it open too fast/hard. I have completely solved this problem by placing a rubber hose in the sliding window's channel - to act as a stop.
