Power windows to manual windows conversion?

[joesregalproject]

The first situation I think of where manual windows are useless is when you are driving and someone pulls up next to you on your passenger side and you want to talk to them, do you just smile and wave or do you undo your seatbelt and attempt to cause an accident by reaching over and trying to hand crank your window down.
Replacing the motors is far less work than sourcing out all the manual parts needed to do the swap.
Most would consider power windows an upgrade or a selling feature.
I'm just not seeing any advantage to not properly fixing your power windows.

In which case I would wave for them to come over to the other side of the car. I'm not here to argue. Like I said, it's one less thing to break. Sourcing the parts is as easy as a 1 hour, 5 mile trip to the pic a part. I would have a harder time sourcing out working motors for the same price as manual mechanisms. I am swapping to manual windows because it is my car and I like manual windows.

 

[tc1959]

I am confused. :shock: Window motors are like $22-25 bucks from Rock Auto and take like 30 minutes to change.
How is that more expensive than gutting both doors on two different cars .
Buying and transferring the regulators and door panels.
Plus buying 1/4 inch rivets and finding a Big rivet tool to re install manual windows .

 

[joesregalproject]

I am confused. :shock: Window motors are like $22-25 bucks from Rock Auto and take like 30 minutes to change.
How is that more expensive than gutting both doors on two different cars .
Buying and transferring the regulators and door panels.
Plus buying 1/4 inch rivets and finding a Big rivet tool to re install manual windows .

So 50 bucks, plus shipping. I am gutting two doors on one car, and grabbing a window crank from another. I am friends with the guy at the yard, he will give me the regulators, door panels and cranks for $25. I already have rivets and the rivet gun. I don't mind doing the work.

Don't be confused.

 

[565bbchevy]

If you don't have a rivet gun for the job I have used this Harbor Freight one and it works well for the 1/4" rivets and other than window regulators I have probably done over 100 1/4" rivets on liftgate plates with this tool with no issues and the little collection bottle is a nice feature.
http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty ... 66422.html

 

[joesregalproject]

I already have a riveter, but thanks. Sometimes it's hard to pick out what at harbor freight is garbage and what isn't.

 

[Poncho61]

I've done this same conversion on a couple of F bodies, I'm sure its gonna be about the same.

You will need to get the regulators from the donor. A nice sharp chisel takes the head off the rivets of the donor real quick and easy. Much faster than a cordless drill trying to drill the rivets out. You don't need to rivet the regulators back in. Depending on the hole size in the door, 1/4-20 or 5/16-18 bolts and nuts work great. They also make it easier to adjust everything because you can tighten a fastener, adjust part of the track, loosen the first if necessary to readjust. The doors are usually recessed where the rivets go anyway, so you don't have to worry about interference behind the door panels. Of course you don't wanna be using 4" long bolts. LOL Usually the interior guides are the same from power to manual, but I'd grab those from the donor as well just in case. The manual regulators I've grabbed, I've taken home, cleaned up with solvent, then regreased for some nice smooth rolling windows.

I do like power for some of the reasons mentioned, but my wife keeps me from rolling up to women on the curb anyway, so that point is mute. LOL But, manual affords me the piece of mind knowing if the window needs to come down, ever, power is not needed. Dead battery? Roll the window down by hand. Project vehicle without a working electrical system, no problem. Starts raining and the windows are down and your key is in the house? No problem.

If you did decide to swap motors, there are differences in the quality, as well as the price then. You can pick up new replacement motors real cheap. Be prepared to do it again in the near future tho. Spend the money for the good stuff and lots of the window problems go away.

 

[1evilregal]

f you can't find the regulators, let me know. I'm in the process of changing mine to power and have complete manual assemblies that you can have(just cover the ride), but crappy handles. you can buy new handles at most part store chains though.

 

[J3]

f you can't find the regulators, let me know. I'm in the process of changing mine to power and have complete manual assemblies that you can have(just cover the ride), but crappy handles. you can buy new handles at most part store chains though.

What all do you need for the conversion from manual to electric? Regulators, motors, switches, relay, wiring harness? Anything else? I'd like to do this on my Monte at some point...

 

[1evilregal]

J3,
sounds like you covered just about everything... the sliders/rollers and glass are all the same for power/manual... basically like stated above- pull everything just in case! (don't forget the accordion "sleeves" that flex with the door and protect the wiring) I re-mounted the regulators back in with loc-tite and 1/4" bolts.

if you decide to install power door locks as well, be sure to get the "pivot" in the center of the door... on my 82, it was had 2 rods for the manual, where the 86 cutty that I took the locks from had 3 rods together on the pivot.


joe-
got your pm. the regs are yours as soon as I can get the driver's side switched out... give me a week or so, as I had to yank the engine today.... (mine's marked it's territoty too many times and the wife is about to have it neutered)

 

[joesregalproject]

joe-
got your pm. the regs are yours as soon as I can get the driver's side switched out... give me a week or so, as I had to yank the engine today.... (mine's marked it's territoty too many times and the wife is about to have it neutered)

Sounds great. PM me when you get it out and we will take care of business from there.