Power windows to manual conversion

[AMC Diplomat]

Well, I went ahead and did a silly thing but maybe someone can find this useful.

The power windows in my Diplomat were all toast. One was held up with a bolt tapped through the track/guide. Another with a block of wood. Seeing as I'd have to remove the regulators to change the motors anyways, the price of window motors, and that not all of the switches worked I decided to convert the car to manual windows.

I got the regulators for $20 apiece from a junkyard and soaked them in evaporust

The interior of this car is rough. The front seats are broken, A pillar trim is a disaster and some genius installed a new dash and when he did, he broke the duct work for the vents. I picked up a green set of seats that came with door cards. The color mismatch doesn't bother me

I removed the door card. These cards were held in with self taping screws instead of clips. Strange but it works I guess
Used an oscillating saw to cut the rivets on the power regulator. The window I held up with zip ties so it wouldn't drop when the rivets were cut. The service manual recommends lowering the window slightly. This makes it easier but I managed to do the passenger side with the window stuck.

I rerouted the mirror control and painted where I scratched it up. I was surprised to find the hole for the mirror adjuster in the correct spot.


Then I installed the manual regulator which is rotated counter clockwise from where the power regulator goes. All the holes were already there.
Then slapped on the new to me door card

 

[Mikes5thAve]

Kind of different going backwards but i guess that makes it easier then dealing with problems.
FYI or for anyone else reading you could have also used the old door panels, the panel that the window buttons are on also comes as a blank or power locks only and the back of the door panel is usually marked or pre cut where the crank goes.

Looks like evaporust did a good job. Its surprising how bad that looked compared to the door panels.

 

[Aspen500]

Power windows are nice but,,,, manual never has a motor fail, switch go bad, or have wires break in the door jamb. Just one way of looking at it

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Kind of different going backwards but i guess that makes it easier then dealing with problems.
FYI or for anyone else reading you could have also used the old door panels, the panel that the window buttons are on also comes as a blank or power locks only and the back of the door panel is usually marked or pre cut where the crank goes.

Looks like evaporust did a good job. Its surprising how bad that looked compared to the door panels.

Yup, there's a knock out on the existing panels. I'm using these cards because they came with the seats that I'll eventually put in.

There was no way I was putting rusty metal in these doors. The car is rust free and I don't want that rust belt cancer to ruin this car. Reasonably priced, rust free, no emissions test cars are hard to come by up here.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Power windows are nice but,,,, manual never has a motor fail, switch go bad, or have wires break in the door jamb. Just one way of looking at it

I was also afraid of replacing the motors only to have 35 year old wiring break somewhere. Too many bad Ford memories chasing circuits

 

[shu-man]

I need the power window switched from the blue door panels. Do you still have? If so, do you want to sell?

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I need the power window switched from the blue door panels. Do you still have? If so, do you want to sell?

I have the switches but they're trash which is one of the reasons I went manual. There's an ebay seller I've bought some parts from that has a driver switch assembly at a reasonable price

https://www.ebay.com/itm/195880356093?

 

[LSM360]

I just noticed this "Seeing as I'd have to remove the regulators to change the motors anyways".

Don't have to remove regulators to remove motor.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I just noticed this "Seeing as I'd have to remove the regulators to change the motors anyways".

Don't have to remove regulators to remove motor.

You must have very small hands to be able to remove the motors off the regulators without pulling the regulators first

 

[Mikes5thAve]

If you can get your hands in there to maneuver the regulators out you can get the motors out.

 

[LSM360]

You must have very small hands to be able to remove the motors off the regulators without pulling the regulators first

Three bolts holding motor are easy to get to. Motor basically drops once those bolts are removed. Putting a motor back in requires jamming arm up there and results in a lot of scratches but I've never removed regulators for that job. But you said you are just removing motors and doing away with them so unbolt the three bolts and it'll drop out. I have a motor out right now, regulator in place, window propped with sticks. It's not really hand size it's more forearm size but again, that's for installing which you aren't doing. I've pulled dozens of motors, both for parts and repair. I'm 5'11" 150lbs FWIW

 

[69-]

Motor is easy (6'2, 200). Just lately pulled one, disassembled,repaired and reinstalled it. Fairly easy.