who wants power windows?

[danno 128]

I came across a junked 69 Cougar with power windows. Too bad it was a real rustbucket, it might have been worth saving. But I am in the process of getting the complete power window system from the car and will be selling it. This system from a 69 Cougar works on all 4 windows, and includes the pancake motors for the rear windows and all wires and switches.

 

I am mentioning it here, because I am 100% sure this is an relatively easy system to install in a 69 or 70 Mustang. I know 1970 Mustangs had power window options, but only for the front windows.

 

I will give you a heads up when I get closer to getting all the parts gathered and tested. I will be putting it on ebay in September. I am guessing it will sell for maybe $400 to $500? But if you want a factory power window setup, this is your chance.

[miketyler 15]

That sounds like a cool mod, especially with all the negative press the aftermarket kits are getting. I have already purchased Electric Lifes for my car. Can you adapt the rear windows and regulators from the Cougar to a fastback?

[danno 128]

I thought the rear windows in a fastback were fixed. Do they actually roll down?

[miketyler 15]

No, in a 70 Mach1 they are winged and hinge open but are stayed by lanyards.

[Mike65 475]

The Cougar P/W would probably a bolt in system for a 69/70 Coupe.

[06minx09 10]

I put a 1969 Cougar power window system in my 1969 GT sportsroof. I used the inside of the Cougar door shell as a template to get the bolt holes for the power regulators as they were different than the roll up regulators. The rest just bolted up easy. They work fine.

[bnickel 10,004]

well being as I have a 69 Cougar and am really wanting to add power windows to it I would be very interested but at the moment I have no cash to spare. are there any parts you are really needing for your car, if I have something you need maybe we could work a trade?

[ksquared 13]

An aftermarket option is a kit from Spal. I put a set in my 1975 Bronco and they work great. I also installed their remote door locks. My Bronco keeps getting more & more civilized. I think they would work in the Mustang.

http://www.spalusa.com/store/main.aspx?p=CategoryBody&c=PWWI

[danno 128]

I am curious how those Electric Life or Spal power window kits fit. It seems to me you need to adapt them to where the window crank would be. Do you leave the window crank knob in place? how does that work?

 

BNickel, I would love to help you out, but I don't need anything. I am a junkyard packrat myself, whenever I see something I have any possible need for, I grab it. Sometimes I sell them on fleabay. Most times I keep extra stuff just in case I might need it some day.

[06minx09 10]

1971 was the first year power windows were available as options in Mustangs.

[miketyler 15]

I bought the Electric Life kit that has custom made regulators that bolt right into place of the original. The Spal kit K spoke of is a universal kit. These kits utilize your existing regulator, and are like adding a motor to your manual crank window. To my knowledge, the kit comes with an adjustable size cap that you can paint and install in place to cover up the door handle hole and any protrusion after the kit is installed.

 

 

[buening 63]

Modifying the stock window regulators to hold a power window motor really isn't all that difficult and am amazed no one that I've seen has tried it. That is essentially what a cougar setup is. I started the mod but had a kid, so that project got put on the backburner for a little while.

[bnickel 10,004]

Modifying the stock window regulators to hold a power window motor really isn't all that difficult and am amazed no one that I've seen has tried it. That is essentially what a cougar setup is. I started the mod but had a kid, so that project got put on the backburner for a little while.

 

 

well man, why don't you post up some pics of what you've got done so we can check it out?...... My question has always been how to make the rear 1/4 windows (on a coupe or vert) work without the weird-ass pancake motors, though.

[mwye0627 44]

I'm planning on adding a power window motor to my stock regulators, and since it's a coupe I will be using 12 volt linear actuators to power the quarter windows. I will probably us a shorter actuator and then use a 2 to 1 ratio lever. That will double the speed of the actuator which is currently about 1/2 inch per second. Strength shouldn't be an issue since they can lift up to 150 Lbs. on their own.

[danno 128]

As buening suggested, modifying the existing windows to be power windows should not be that difficult. I also looked into and started working on ideas of how it could be done. I also looked into a way of putting the kit window motor systems on the rear window. I am really surprised Ford bothered with those pancake motors. I found a 71 Lincoln in a junkyard, I thought it might have the pancake motors. It had a standard power window motor running a linear actuator type of deal. That was a real strange window, it did not come up from below, it slid in from behind. The window would slide back into the area behind the rear window.

[danno 128]

mwye0627, can you post ideas you have on the linear actuator? That is kind of like the Lincoln had and it used a standard power window motor to turn a screw in a linear actuator.

[buening 63]

well man, why don't you post up some pics of what you've got done so we can check it out?...... My question has always been how to make the rear 1/4 windows (on a coupe or vert) work without the weird-ass pancake motors, though.

 

I will see if I can dig what I had done out of the box in the basement, but its pretty simple to describe. Basically I removed the rivets that hold the window crank to the regulator and removed the crank and gear. From there it got to the point that I needed to remove my windows and internals from my car to get the power window motor clocked to miss my door speakers and window components. I never got the chance to remove the window, so that was as far as I got. I bought a pair of used Fox body window motors, but I'm sure there are many others that are more powerful that would work. Once you get the clocking of the motor, mark holes in the regulator or make some brackets to bolt to the regulator and you should be golden. My original plan was to make it all bolt in and no welding, so any DIY person could do the mod. The brackets would be U-shaped for the three bolt holes.

 

If you don't have door speakers than you can clock the motors to point mostly down

 

Here are some pics of a cougar regulator (nothing special really from the mustang regulator except for missing window crank/gear and three bolt holes.

 

No clue on the quarter windows, that why I own fastbacks :)

 

70 cougar power window regulators:

 

 

 

Similar to cougar (principle I'm trying to get across)

 

 

70 mustang regulator:

 

[miketyler 15]

I thought it might be cool to lose the lanyards on the rear windows of the fastbacks and go to motorized wings like is found in some older mini-vans.

 

More day dreaming.....that's another thing I'll never do.

[bnickel 10,004]

I will see if I can dig what I had done out of the box in the basement, but its pretty simple to describe. Basically I removed the rivets that hold the window crank to the regulator and removed the crank and gear. From there it got to the point that I needed to remove my windows and internals from my car to get the power window motor clocked to miss my door speakers and window components. I never got the chance to remove the window, so that was as far as I got. I bought a pair of used Fox body window motors, but I'm sure there are many others that are more powerful that would work. Once you get the clocking of the motor, mark holes in the regulator or make some brackets to bolt to the regulator and you should be golden. My original plan was to make it all bolt in and no welding, so any DIY person could do the mod. The brackets would be U-shaped for the three bolt holes.

 

If you don't have door speakers than you can clock the motors to point mostly down

 

Here are some pics of a cougar regulator (nothing special really from the mustang regulator except for missing window crank/gear and three bolt holes.

 

No clue on the quarter windows, that why I own fastbacks :)

 

70 cougar power window regulators:

 

 

 

Similar to cougar (principle I'm trying to get across)

 

 

70 mustang regulator:

 

 

 

ok, I think I see what you're saying now. If I can't figure out the rear windows then I do have one of those old universal power kits that uses a cable similar to like a speedo cable that I can use there but I don't want mess with those on the front windows really

[buening 63]

I don't know what kind of room you have back there, but see if you can squeeze a standard motor in there. Otherwise, look into what the fox body mustangs did and bolt the motor to the interior side of the body like below (not sure if the interior trim quarter panels allow this).

 

 

There are also OEMs that use a cable system like the aftermarket, like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/92-93-94-95-LEGEND-2-DR-RIGHT-REAR-QUARTER-WINDOW-MOTOR-/200344138810?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ea570f43a&vxp=mtr

[bnickel 10,004]

no room to do it that way in either a Stang or a Cougar since the interior 1/4's are basically right up against the inside of the body. If a standard motor won't fit, even one of the newer small ones, then the only options are pancake motors or cable drive motors

[buening 63]

I believe the Cavelier motors are pretty compact from what I recall, might be something to look into

[mwye0627 44]

I was thinking about something like this actuator

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Linear-Actuator-225lb-Adjustable-Stroke-12-Volt-DC-/130631704400?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e6a419f50&vxp=mtr

 

With one end mounted down by the bottom window guide mount, the movable end could be mounted to a bar that would pivot to provide a 1 to 2 leverage ratio, and the other end of the pivoted bar could be connected to the pin on the window glass mount. I would just have to work out some way that the pivot could slide to prevent any binding as the window moved up and down.

 

Also, You can get the linear actuators in longer lengths, but the travel would be slower.

[GypsyR 32]

IMHO, linear actuators are overkill for the application. 250lbs is enough force to break stuff and even distort the door. Amputate stray fingers too. I can picture one shattering the glass if it keeps driving after the glass hits the stops. An install of them should include some VERY carefully placed limit switches. The reason they are slow is that they are geared very low. Low speed but a bunch of torque.

I feature of purpose made window motors is they have just enough torque to get the job done and not enough to cause harm to the inevitable stray body part in the window as it shuts.

Many years back Mustang Monthly did a feature where they cut off the three hole section of a power regulator scissors (like from a Tbird or F150, whatever) and cut the Mustang regulator the same way. Then welded the piece to hold the motor in place of the manual crank area. I fooled with visualizing this on my '67 a few years back but could never make out how I could "clock" the motor to not interfere with anything. Earlier Ford window motors are largish and ROUND. Later models, like 1995 F150's and 1996 Aerostars use the same 3 bolt mount style but motors that are slim and flatter. No doubt the later motors would be better choices for retrofit. MM promised a follow-up article of how to do the rear windows on a coupe which never materialized (and ticked me off no end). The rears are tricky. The only options I know of (so far) are to use Cougar pancake setups or the SPAL universal things. I have some the SPALs I've played with a bit and I really don't care for the way they mount. They haven't impressed me at all with their long term durability either. I've needed to replace two for friends so far. Which is how I came by the leftovers, they come only in pairs.

At one point I got very interested in power windows (and batted some ideas around with Buening) but pretty well shelved the idea in favor of way too many other projects and distractions. Never quite gave up on it though. I figure I could pretty well work out the fronts if a reasonable solution for the rears comes up. Other than somewhat overly expensive Cougar rear regulators. I refuse to do power front windows without rears. My Sportsroof is another matter. At this point it doesn't even have viable doors so fooling with regulators isn't anywhere near being on the table yet.

[SparkyGT 26]

i have seen a few kits where you retain the original crank handles, and the crank handles control the motor, you would have to run a switch to operate the passenger door.