When I find the rest of the parts to put my doors back together, I will be making a tutorial on this subject. Basically though, you can adjust almost anything on these windows, including the front and rear stops and the angle of the window when it is closed. There are 7 adjustments for the window position (if memory serves). It is a PITA, but it usually can be done quite effectively with some patience.
Adjustments:
Rear closing height stop
Front closing height stop
Rear main track angle (in and out, front to back)
2 Stabilization pads
Minor track angle
closed window pin
Window maximum drop height (I think)
None of these are the technical names for the stuff, but it should be apparent when you take it all apart. I have a second set of most of the internal hardware that I can take pics of if anyone is interested.
The thing to remember is that GM cars of this era are VERY adjustable. This was the era of imprecise parts and lots and lots of shims to make it all look right. It is one of the nice features of these cars as it makes it easy for a novice to make them look right.
One final thing to add: If assembling a G body from scratch, align the doors to the quarter panels correctly first as all other alignments are based off of this. After the door is aligned, make the window fit the car from that perspective. Remember that if the door is way out, you will never be able to compensate for it by adjusting the window. I like to align the door to the quarter with the striker removed. I then set up the striker in such a way that I can hold the handle open and not feel it scrape the top or bottom of the latch. I should be able to Close the door with no effort then release the handle and have it be fully closed. Once that is done, I can move on to the fender. After I am sure the door and fender align where I want them, I move on to the weatherstripping and then the window. Will it come out perfect? No. However, doing it this way will make it come out as good as a 1980's GM product can. Also remember that no amount of alignment will make up for a hinge that is just plain shot. Rebuild or replace bad hinges before you do any alignment. How do you know if you have a hinge that is bad? That one is simple: Lift up at the back of the door. There should be no play. If it lifts up, it's bad.
Adjustments:
Rear closing height stop
Front closing height stop
Rear main track angle (in and out, front to back)
2 Stabilization pads
Minor track angle
closed window pin
Window maximum drop height (I think)
None of these are the technical names for the stuff, but it should be apparent when you take it all apart. I have a second set of most of the internal hardware that I can take pics of if anyone is interested.
The thing to remember is that GM cars of this era are VERY adjustable. This was the era of imprecise parts and lots and lots of shims to make it all look right. It is one of the nice features of these cars as it makes it easy for a novice to make them look right.
One final thing to add: If assembling a G body from scratch, align the doors to the quarter panels correctly first as all other alignments are based off of this. After the door is aligned, make the window fit the car from that perspective. Remember that if the door is way out, you will never be able to compensate for it by adjusting the window. I like to align the door to the quarter with the striker removed. I then set up the striker in such a way that I can hold the handle open and not feel it scrape the top or bottom of the latch. I should be able to Close the door with no effort then release the handle and have it be fully closed. Once that is done, I can move on to the fender. After I am sure the door and fender align where I want them, I move on to the weatherstripping and then the window. Will it come out perfect? No. However, doing it this way will make it come out as good as a 1980's GM product can. Also remember that no amount of alignment will make up for a hinge that is just plain shot. Rebuild or replace bad hinges before you do any alignment. How do you know if you have a hinge that is bad? That one is simple: Lift up at the back of the door. There should be no play. If it lifts up, it's bad.
