Hey everyone,
I am pretty new and this is the first post I have done. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on electric windows. I have a 51 plymouth that I am going to put electric windows in. I am not sure if I should use some from the salvage yard or if I should buy some aftermarket kits. My dad has put in aftermarket ones in his '38 ford and they have no power. If any one has any ideas it would be great.

Shane

Give Gary at Balls Rod&Custom a call.I have used his windows on several cars with no problems.Specialty Power Windows are a good unit also but have had equally as good luck with Balls and they are much cheaper.Don't know what his regular price is,I usually buy 2 or 3 sets at the Nat's and he always has them on sale there for around $250.00.Good Luck,SeeYa!!
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DARYLE

DITTO ON 40`S ADVICE. REAL HAPPY WITH MINE

I'm a BIG beliver in recycling. I feel it is a basic part of rodding. Anybody can buy the parts and bolt them together. My local yard guy gives me access to everything. I will spend hours pulling parts and many times he's going to throw the stuff away anyhow and he gives it to me or he charges a tokin fee. Electric winodws I would go to the yard! Parke
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QT32LT1

Ahmen, Parke,
phil
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One man's treasure is another man's trash.

If your looking for the cable kind, you can use GM 95 and up. You might have to make or bend your brackets.
most of the GM 94 and older were the arm kind.
If you do go the bone yard and get some. Get the wiring and all. Mostly the plugs. While your at it might as well get the switches too. Most of you door harness unplug in the kick panel.

Hope this helps
Rick
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awsum34

Remember the only dumb question is the one you don't ask.

junk yard (automotive recycling emporium ) is where I got most of my stuff. My power window lifts came out of a Cougar and cost next to nothing. It takes a bit of engineering but thats the fun part.
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Life's too short to drive an ughly car!

It's a bit differant in my area.Nothing is cheap and they for sure don't give anything away,not to mention the mud,mosquitos,weeds,dogs and the fact you have to drag your whole tool box along.These guys will barely let you "borrow"the restroom!They are also very hesitant to sell parts such as power windows,seat tracks etc without selling the whole door or seat.Although not as adventurous,I can make much more money than the cost of the windows doing something else without the bug bites,poison ivy and muddy shoes not to mention who knows the condition of the parts or how many thousands of times they have went up/down.I must admit,if you have the room,I can see where the idea of purchasing a donor car could save you some money and the conditions for removing the parts would be greatly improved.I must be getting old,the thought of scouring thru a junk yard used to sound like fun,now it just sounds like a backache!!I'm glad there are still fellas out there with the"True Rodding Spirit" but me,I'm just going to pick up the phone,dial the toll free #,and wait for the UPS truck!Everyone does it a little differantly,That's what makes the world go round!!It really doesn't matter how we get there,just that we have fun when we arrive!! See Ya!!
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DARYLE

I like to recycle where possible cost effective. I posted way earlier where I made my power trunk from a cutlass window motor & regulator, works great . I have also been to yards where they wanted 5.00 just to look around. I didn't need to look that bad. RP peggys other half
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Peggy Diegan

P S Forgot about the yards in western ore. where they won't let you past the counter. Something about insurance. Pit bulls also RP
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Peggy Diegan

I have a 96 Buick with power windows [tape type] already replaced a motor 50,000 miles. local repair garage friend says they are light duty[ very small looking motor] other windows in car seem slow. you might wan't to try another type motor.
Dave

I have a 96 Buick with power windows [tape type] already replaced a motor 50,000 miles. local repair garage friend says they are light duty[ very small looking motor] other windows in car seem slow. you might wan't to try another type motor.
Dave

When I started driving in the early 70's nobody even heard of a parts store,you where right about the fun part of looking for parts, the junk yards where like the new stores with everything needed from a light bulb to an engine, as a kid we couldn't afford to get new. Now, most of the junk yards around here won't let you in the yard. Then try to tell them what your doing with that part and most of the counter people look at you weird. So my suggestion is to buy new with a warranty. There are so many places to buy from it would boggle your mine.

i couldn`t of said it any better!

has anyone dealt with an outfit called Nu Relics ? they take your window regulator and attach a new GM power unit so that there is no backyard engineering involved, everything is almost as it left the factory other than now power.

Nu Relic? Heard nothing about them.

Any of you recyclers have a 68 Impala/Caprice in the area? I need all 4 complete pw setups for a convertible/2dr hardtop. I'll even take rotted out doors if the yard dont want to dismantle.
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Carl
Automotive gold is everywhere; you just have to learn how to dig for it

I'm in agreement with the recycler folk. But I prefer to buy a whole car. When I built my 32 Chevy I bought a mid-70's land yacht like a Bonneville or Olds 98 for a couple of hundred bucks. I removed all the power stuff, including the power seat frame, the window mechanisms with switches and harnesses, and radio and power antenna. It's amazing how much other "junk" you can salvage from those old boats. Headliner board and door panels (easy to cut down and re-cover), all the switches and harnesses, tilt column, jumbo gas tank, clamps, fasteners, seat belts, door locks, trim screws, fold down license plate mount, and on and on. I bought a Lemans once and cut down the factory dash insert and fit it into the original 32 Chevy instrument panel. Oh yeah, I didn't even mention engine, trans, and rear end. Donate whatever is left to your local salvage yard to use for body parts.

One more thing, the Mustang II I bought to get the front end stuff off of also donated the roof skin to fill the hole in my coupe roof. Fit pretty good.

bjb
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There's a world of difference between "good" and "good enough".

A few hitches: yards don't like to part out good doors
mechanisms are riveted to the door
some have a curved track to match the glass

I got a set from my neighbor's '76 junker but have not been able to bend the tracks straight and that year used a plastic ribbon drive. I may still go to Specialty Power Windows.

Here is another idea. My son just installed a set of "store bought" window regulators. The price wasn't bad. $139.00. They work well, have the window buttons, are of the cable kind, so you can twist them or squirm them around. The motor is small and is pretty strong, as it can tweek his door. But then were talking about an 80's vehicle here.

They are simple to install. They use your stock window regulator to run the window up and down, just like cranking the handle. Simplicity itself. The kit comes with plenty of fittings, so it will be sure to fit any window crank. I also had a friend that used the same style and was very pleased with the way they worked.

Time versus money. No contest here. I build most of my stuff or get it at a local bone yard. But I'm thinking of getting a set for my 37 Plymouth. If you have questions, ask me. Below is the link right to the regulators.

Contact http://www.godfathercustoms.com/cgi-bin/GFCstore/web_store.cgi?page=spal03.htm&cart_id=1749768_97276 or 1-800-231-1101