[AZ64GP]

I'm removing all of the glass in my '64 GP in preparation for body and paint. It is a factory power window car. The car is taken apart down to the body shell, but I am able to motor the door windows up and down using a car battery and my Power Probe at the power window harness connectors.

According to the 1964 Pontiac Body Manual I have, removing the rear quarter windows (power windows or not) doesn't look to be too difficult. The manual states the windows should be about halfway down to remove them from the car. My problem is the windows are in their full up position and I can't get them down even using the Power Probe to try to motor them down. They don't even budge.

Does anyone know a way I can safely (without damaging the power window motors, regulators, glass, etc.) move the electric quarter windows down? Thank you!

[Marv]

Does the motor make any sound when you put power to it?

I'd check nothing is jammed or out of alignment on the windows (no runners or tracks are loose, etc), and if everything there is ok, the motor is making a noise but not moving, then i'd probably think your motor or regulator is kaput.

From my (hazy) memory you can remove the rear windows while they're in the "up" position, but it involves dismantling everything including pulling the glass from the channel while the window is in the body (which isn't fun).

[AZ64GP]

Originally Posted by Marv

Does the motor make any sound when you put power to it?

I'd check nothing is jammed or out of alignment on the windows (no runners or tracks are loose, etc), and if everything there is ok, the motor is making a noise but not moving, then i'd probably think your motor or regulator is kaput.

From my (hazy) memory you can remove the rear windows while they're in the "up" position, but it involves dismantling everything including pulling the glass from the channel while the window is in the body (which isn't fun).

Thank you, Marv. Both quarter window motors don't make any noise at all. I thought maybe my old car battery didn't have sufficient power so I bought a new one and charged it. I also double-checked to make sure I was using the Power Probe correctly and I was. I tried applying power and grounding each prong in the connector, but nothing. From what I can tell, I don't believe the windows are off their tracks, jammed or out of alignment.

When I tried lowering the windows in the doors, I had someone give each window a gentle pull to get them started while I operated the Power Probe. I was working on my quarter windows myself, so I may have to get an extra set of hands to gently pull down on the quarter windows while I apply power. The windows don't need to move down much...just about halfway...in order for me to remove them.

If that doesn't work and no one else has a recommendation, then I will be taking out the glass out of the channel. Ugh.

[Heybuck]

You can possibly remove the 3 bolts holding the motor to the window lift. Once the motor is away from the lift, you should be able to just move the glass manually.

Just be VERY CAREFUL undoing the motor though. The spring will possibly flick the motor aside and open with a bang. Watch out for fingers.

As I type this, I am vaguely recalling the motor is slightly inset into the window lift so in effect, you can undo the bolts, the motor should (hopefully) stay in place while you remove the bolts then you can just tap it away from the lift.

Had to do all this some years ago on a '65 Parisienne convertible rear quarter window which I knew had fried the electric motor. Wasn't easy but achievable.

Ian

[AZ64GP]

Originally Posted by Heybuck

You can possibly remove the 3 bolts holding the motor to the window lift. Once the motor is away from the lift, you should be able to just move the glass manually.

Just be VERY CAREFUL undoing the motor though. The spring will possibly flick the motor aside and open with a bang. Watch out for fingers.

As I type this, I am vaguely recalling the motor is slightly inset into the window lift so in effect, you can undo the bolts, the motor should (hopefully) stay in place while you remove the bolts then you can just tap it away from the lift.

Had to do all this some years ago on a '65 Parisienne convertible rear quarter window which I knew had fried the electric motor. Wasn't easy but achievable.

Ian

Update:
I tried again to move the window by powering the motor and it doesn't work. I hear a slight click as the motor engages but nothing else. No movement on the motor or window at all, even after gently pushing on the window. I read in my '64 Pontiac Body Shop Manual that the electric rear quarter windows have a "self locking" feature...maybe to help prevent theft? I wonder if the window motors are locked somehow and that's keeping them from moving. I sprayed all of the guides, regulator, etc. with lubricant to see if that would help, but nothing. The windows don't appear to be jammed, off their guides, etc.


Heybuck -

Do you happen to know which three bolts that would attach the regulator to the power window motor and is it indeed the bolts that attach the motor to the regulator?

I removed two bolts that attach the motor to the body of the car and that did nothing. Looking at your post again, I think I need to remove all three bolts that attach the motor to the regulator. Two of the three bolts that attach the motor to the regulator aren't bad to reach but I don't know if I can get the third one out. I'm just able to turn it (with an offset closed-end wrench through the small hole), but the bolt is so long I don't know if I have enough room in that tiny opening to back the bolt all way out. This is definitely not easy and I'm so worried about putting my fingers in there that I'm having a tough time. Ugh .

Also do I leave the bolts attaching the motor to the body of the car in place? Or should I remove those too? I think those would have to be removed too in order to shift the motor over from the regulator.

This is frustrating, especially since this one of the last things I need to do before body and paint, but that's why we do this, right? Not because it's easy, but because it's hard!

[Heybuck]

I think I did this maybe 25 years ago and it was on my '65 Parisienne Convertible (which is the same a Catalina and a Bonneville) but not a '64.

I've never worked on a '64 so I can't really comment on how they are constructed but I can't see they would be too different.

But yes, the 3 bolts holding the motor to the regulator will most probably have to be removed. HOWEVER, if you say 2 are easy to get at and one is difficult, I would be making sure you have the difficult one out BEFORE you try to remove the easy ones.

My earlier comment stressed you need to be very careful to keep you fingers / hands WELL out of the way when the last bolt comes out. The spring on the regulator might release quickly and violently. DON'T get your hands caught.

Let us all know how you get on with this.

[AZ64GP]

I have finally had time and some help, and I removed the rear quarter windows tonight! I followed what Heybuck did and removed the power window motors.

I drilled a small hole through interior sheet metal panel to have access to the one bolt that I couldn't reach that held the electric window motor to the regulator. I didn't want to drill a hole, but there was no other way I could reach the bolt, especially since I didn't want to stick my hands into the regulator with the spring under tension. The small hole is going to get covered by sound mat and the interior panel anyway.

After I drilled the hole large enough to put a nut driver on it, I removed the three bolts and then gently pushed the electric window motor out of the way of the regulator. Then I followed the instructions in the Pontiac Body Manual just as if I was removing the regulator and rear quarter glass normally. It all worked pretty well and I had both sides rear quarter windows removed, regulators removed and electric window motors removed (with some help from a friend) in about 2-1/2 hours.

Now I can access the rest of the trim I need to remove for body and paint. I'm next going to move to the front doors and remove those windows and window motors. I don't think those will be as bad since I was able to power those windows down with no problem.

Thank you so much to everyone for their advice and help in what to do!