Question about power windows

I recently purchased an '87 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham 4 door sedan. The car is pretty much loaded with options, including power windows and locks. On this car though, the rear door vent windows are manual, which I've never seen on a power window equipped car. There are no switches in the driver's door for the rear power windows either. I thought that maybe the rear power vent windows had problems, and rather than repair them properly, one of the pervious owners just changed them over to manual vent windows instead, but if that's the case, they must have done a pretty thorough job, and eliminated the rear window switches in the driver's door as well. I plan to pull the trim panels off the rear doors to inspect things, but I'm just wondering if anyone here has ever seen a 4 door power window car, with manual rear door vent windows?

I have an '82 Cutlass Cruiser wagon, which also has power windows, and it has the power vent windows in the rear doors. I am familiar with the 2 separate pairs of switches for the front and rear windows. 35 years ago, I bought my first A/G body car. It was a '79 Malibu Classic 4 door, and it also had power windows, but on that car, the rear vent windows were in the C pillar, and were operated by electric motors in the trunk, which were connected to cables, that would open and close the vent windows in the C pillars. The windows in the rear doors were a 1 piece fixed glass, with no vent windows in the rear doors, just the vent windows in the pillars. I suspect that my '87 Cutlass may have been altered at some point in its past.

Ribbedroof said:

You know, based on the 87 brochure, I think you're right. Just lists windows, power side.

I guess the question is why would they? Unless motors/drives gave up and they couldn't find replacements. But to change all the door trim...seems extreme.

I think I have a pair of sedan vent glass assemblies with motors in storage, if you want to go that way

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Thank you very much Ribbedroof. I appreciate your offer. Let me get the trim panels off the inside of the rear doors, and have a look. If there is evidence that those windows have been changed from power to manual, I will let you know.

Ribbedroof said:

Have a friend that was parting one like that...power vents on the early Malibu is pretty uncommon, in my experience. Only seen 2, including that one

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That was a very unusual car for me. The only 2 factory options (that I know of) that the car did NOT have, were the factory tape deck (AM/FM radio only), and the factory power sunroof (which I believe was available on the Malibu in 1979). If memory serves me, it was the only Malibu like that with the factory power vent windows that I ever saw.

So, I spent part of the afternoon pulling the trim panel off the left rear door of the cutlass, to see what's inside the door. Since this car has power door locks, there was the rubber boot going from the front of the door to the B pillar already there. When I got the trim panel off, I couldn't find any evidence that door ever having the power vent windows in it. The only wiring I could find inside the door, was for the power door lock actuator. To be sure, I should pull the trim panel off the right rear door, but as it stands now, it looks like this car only has power operated windows on the 2 front doors. Its a first for me.