The Refrence lines apparently refer to measurements as shown in Section 1 A33-A39 of the '63 assembly manual. But I have yet to find another drawing which helps position any part of the door relative to these drawings. And I could find no dimples in the glass on either side of the panels.

 

With manual windows you can easily operate the drivers door while driving, but its an accident in the making if you try the passenger door. With the aftermarket power windows, the situation really does not change. Its still inconvenient to run the passenger side power window, given that the control is still the window crank.
Having the controls in the center console resolves this issue.

 

I re-checked your link and it tells me nothing. It's a link to an e-bay big with no details or info on the product. If you say it's easy to install and works, I believe you. But the link does nothing for me....

Cheers

Kenmo

 

Those are "inch lines", which are part of the body design dimensioning grid; not useful unless the body is set up on a surface plate to the design master datums and points are measured with height gages, as we did daily in the plant.

Your best bet is to make paper templates from a power window car; in the plant, we used a steel fixture that clamped to the door (before the door went on the body) that guided the router bit that made the conduit opening and had two bushings to drill the screw holes. Had another one that did the same to the hinge pillar panel on the body.

The console arrived at the plant in two versions - the standard part, and the power window part, with the switch opening already cast into the part.

 

The SPAL kit uses your existing window crank mechanism. A vinyl cap is inserted into the door panel to hide the hole where the window crank once stood and could be painted to match.

 

I gave that link to Corvette Forum member (Vet65te) back in June. Here is 2 links that should help you out: http://www.a1electric.com/spal.htm

http://www.spalusa.com/faq/faq_technical.html

 

Thanks... I'll check it out....

 

Looke like Advance Auto sells the motors....only $55 each. Dunno if they can just bolt up to the existing regulators??? Then all you would need is the wires and switchs.

$650 from Corvette Central seems a little high to me. But hey Im cheap!

Keep us updated!

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...e=1326&PTSet=A

 

NOPE! Wish it was that easy to do. That is why company's like SPAL came out with a special kit as mentioned on this forum to have power windows using existing regulators. Behind the door panel no one would know the difference. Trust me I have done 2 vehicles that I own today both Vans for my business. SPAL Power Window Kits work great. No complaints whatsoever. These kits can be purchased for around $130 shippped to your door. Not much more then the price one would have to pay just for 2 electric motors from Advance at $55 each as you mentioned above in your quote.

By the way you need more then just so called wire and switches. The SPAL Kit also comes with a wiring harness in order to install the kit. Stock factory harness would probably be real expensive on its own to do it the factory way.

 

ffas23,
I think that kit is great for most vehicles, but you know people on this forum, they like to add original this or original that. In fact they will pay many times more for originals as opposed to aftermarket. There was an auction for NOS '63 hubcaps, still in the original boxes, that just ended on ebay. They went for $2300. They could have bought brand new custom wheels and tires for half that. My point is, that even though its hidden behind the door panel, there is a desire to put in the factory hardware. I tend to want to use the factory solution myself in this situation.

 

I know exactly what you are saying here. I just mentioned of this alternative kit sold out there when posting to this thread started in June because some people don't want to spend the money for a factory replacement. In my 2 late model Ford Vans it was the perfect thing to do since the kits work great. Everyone who has looked at my Vans thought the Power Windows were done by the factory. There really is no way to tell unless the door panel was to be taken off. In a Corvette the owner would have to make the decision if he wanted to make the conversion. I just wanted to let everyone here know plus the poster that there are alternatives to putting power windows in your vehicle. Thats all.

Both my '67 and '73 still have the crank up windows and will probably stay that way on these cars since I really don't drive either one that much warranting a change over. Its very easy to reach over to roll the window down in either Vett but I had to stop the Vans on the shoulder of the road and just about walk over to roll down the windows down and that was a pain in the butt everytime I needed to do that and forget about asking for directions with crank up windows in a Van. The $130 price tag was a small price to pay not to have to do that anymore in each Van.

 

You mean you guys put the windows UP!!!

 

Given that a factory power window system is the goal, what all is required to make it happen? Focusing on the door internals, what is needed in order to add the motor? The motors appear to be availble remanufactured with a life time warranty for $64/ea. CorvetteCentral has them with the what appears to be the "gear", fo $90/ea. But what else do you need to add the motors? there was mention of gears and a motor mounting plate?? Is the Manual window mechanism used or discarded?

Looking at the assembly manual, its not clear how the motor is mounted. THere is a 6 piece power window motor mount screw set available, but to what does it screw? I don't see mounting holes on the motor.
Any one have pictures?

 

You need to get everything from factory wiring harness, switchs, motors and the power window assemblies which is different from the crank window assembly. Don't forget you will also need 2 new door panels also. The whole job doing it with factory parts will be pretty expensive including the door panels. Using the SPAL Power Window Kit would be the cheaper way out using the existing crank mechanism. I just mentioned about the SPAL Kit here because I have installed 2 of them in my own vehicles but not any Corvettes. They work great. I see no problem doing a conversion on a C-2 or C-3 using the SPAL Kit as long as there isn't a problem with the door panels. That would be my main concern. With the SPAL Kit they give you Black Plastic Caps that cover the window crank hole that could be painted to match so one wouldn't have to replace the door panels. On our old Corvette's many may not want to go that route but I don't know if Power Window Door panels will fit over the existing crank assembly that the SPAL Kit depends on for sure but someone here on the forum should know. Based on what I know I don't think they will. I don't think the door panels are wide enough on a C-2 or C-3. SPAL should be able to answer these questions also by calling their 800 number if anyone is thinking of going the cheaper route.

 

Damn, enough with the Spal kit already

 

I am really sorry for trying to help you out here split63. I will remember to make sure next time not to with that attitude. By the way when I try to explain something here on the forum I don't refer to just one person although I answered your post. Others out there may be looking for an alternative to the factory set up. Based on my experience I gave it to them here. I don't see anyone else complaining. I wish someone would of did this explaining to me when I chose to install Power Windows in my 2 Vans.

 

If you want info on "original" power windows, start your own thread on the subject. Beto started this thread asking "I am considering converting my manual window to power. Anyone has done this conversion? What brand did you use? How did it perform?" And then you slam someone for providing more detail on alternatives to stock? Get a grip...

 

Hey Rick,

Good info on the Spal kit. Do you have any photos of the switch mounting location on your vans? I'm certainly no purist and am looking for functionality over correctness. Think I'll give Spal a call to hear what they say about fitment on my C-2.

Thanks

 

For the 2 Vans I mounted the three SPAL supplied switches in front of the arm rest area of both Ford Vans door panels. That would of been the place where the factory would of put them if factory equipped. On a C-2 if using the SPAL Kit I would purchase the SPAL kit without the SPAL supplied switches and use the factory C-2 Corvette Switches instead so that you can mount those 2 switches in the center console area where they belong and they will look right. The same thing with the C-3 Corvette. If done this way no one will know the difference since everything else having to do with the kit will be hidden. As I mentioned I am not really 100% sure if there will be a problem using the factory Power Window door panels. Using the caps supplied I am pretty darn sure the window crank door panels could probably be used and with the caps vinyl painted to match your door panel it might not look so bad plus the fact if you sell the car at some point it can be easily converted back to roll up windows again with minimal work involved if one wanted to do that. I never took any pictures of my Van conversions. You would not want to mount the switches the same anyway. Wouldn't look right.

 

I don't know what the back of a C2 door panel looks like, but I had to clearance the back of my new C3 door panels (68-77 style) to fit the drive cables. I'm mounting the switches on the Deluxe door panel trim (two driver, one passenger), as the center console location will have a different purpose. When the panel is installed, the cap for the crank access is the only thing visible, and it doesn't really look out of place.

The C3 panels had a "well" that fit around the window crank assembly - one side of that well and some of the underlying foam had to be removed in order for the cables to fit. The clearancing has no visual impact on the panel exterior.