Going down in a 3-Way?

[Custom Coffin Works]

Ok, now that I got your attention with the title, I have a 70' Miller Meteor 3-way and want to know if it is possible to convert the side windows to roll down? I am going to by using it from time to time as a limo for Goth dances and such and would be nice to have the side glass go down. I'm thinking the Autoloc power window kits might do it. Anyone have any luck with them...if it can be done?

"We'll Be The Last Ones To Let You Down...." I Love this quote...

[Double D]

Doubt it - at least not without some severe mods. There may not even be tracks in there for the glass to move along. If you haven't already taken the door panel off to see what's inside, there may not be any tracks or gears to work with.
You'd be better off starting with a combo coach, and even at that, all the 70's MM combos I have looked at, the rear glass only went down halfway, max. And I checked out a lot of them when I was building the taxi.

[Guest]

the rear glass in mine is bolted in place. not that i have anything close to a 70 m-m, but just saying

[Custom Coffin Works]

Doubt it - at least not without some severe mods. There may not even be tracks in there for the glass to move along. If you haven't already taken the door panel off to see what's inside, there may not be any tracks or gears to work with.
You'd be better off starting with a combo coach, and even at that, all the 70's MM combos I have looked at, the rear glass only went down halfway, max. And I checked out a lot of them when I was building the taxi.

I think I should be able to get universal channels for the glass. My glass just seems to be lose and rattles in the channels as it is. I just thought it might be just locked in place. Hmm...A challenge.

[Beast Lee]

I would think with the size of Hearse doors that there's more than enough room to fit the mechanism's, so the window could roll down completely... I would check wreckers for a scrapped limo & pull what you can from that...

[BIGEVIL]

Actually, there is not as much room as you think. The places where the hinges meet the doors is so thick and cumbersome, there won't be enough room for the rear part of the glass to get by or mount a rear channel.

[Morella]

I think that you are asking for a buttload of frustration, not only in trying to build your own mechanism that is wide enough for a hearse door, (you will probably have to fabricate nearly every single part), trying to find tracks and line them up with your mechanism, and to line them up with the trim on both sides, as well as the fabric. Then it's probably going to leak the first time it rains, because that's what hearse windows do.

The first step will be to take out the entire inside of the door, probably by drilling out spot welds, maybe by cutting, because if you've ever looked at the inside of one, you have very small holes to work through. This is because your window mechanism is going to have to attach to the inside as well as the tracks, and it has to fit exactly, because the inside of the door is structural, and if you don't put the halves of your door together just right, you'll warp it. You can't go drilling holes through the outside of your door. You're going to have to make templates for your homemade mechanism, and be sure to have adjustment points with the brushes on them, because the window has to follow a curved pattern as it goes up and down (something else to think about when you build your mechanism). If you weld your inner door panel back in with your mechanism on it, the tracks fit and seal, and the window goes up and down without binding, I would suggest going and buying a lottery ticket, because you're probably one of the luckiest people alive.

I have a power window on my coach that I couldn't get the center guide adjusted on, and I finally just removed it, out of frustration. If it's in there, the window binds, even with the adjustment run out. If it's not, the window is loose, and goes up and down at blinding speed. This is just one guide, probably out of whack because somebody slammed the door, or from age or something. To build the whole mechanism from scratch would be nearly impossible, unless you have an engineering crew, custom body dies, and assemblers. If you do manage it, though, I would love to have you adjust that one window guide on mine.

-denise

[Custom Coffin Works]

Um, yeah... I think after what Evil described of the inner door spacing I was almost going to give up on the idea, but now that Denise has clarified it better...I think I'll just install a couple of sun roofs on top for the bimbos to stand up in..that will work even better...JUST KIDDING!
But seriously I think I'll pass on the idea of roll down windows.
Thanks

[Psychoholic]

Memory serves - I think that TonyTheSkin has a set of doors from a car with roll down rear windows from a car they took apart (71 M-M maybe?) - perhaps there is a way after all. Nikki's '68 had roll down rear windows (and power fronts).

I'll point him to this thread.

[Morella]

They made it illegal to stand outside of a sunroof in Las Vegas (or unincorporated Clark County, which is normally where you are when you think you're in Vegas). That law really sucks dicks, because you're only going 5 mph down the strip, in all of the traffic.

I've been known to stand on the seat with half my body sticking out of the New Yorker while Tony drives, but that's in Tucson.

A roof shop will put you in a nice electric roof, as long as they're careful not to tear the fabric.

-denise

[Elvirathehearse]

Bummer!!! I thought this thread was going to be REAL interesting to say the least with that title...lol But anyway swapping out the doors seems to be the way to go, that would be my sugestion......

[Morella]

If you can find doors that will fit, it might just work. You might find the rubber gasket from JC Whitney. I think you'll have some leakage and whistling problems to work out.

-denise

[LastRide]

I did it! Mine roll down on my 1977 3way with curved glass

I did it! Mine roll down on my 1977 3way with curved glass I noticed that with the window stop out on the bottom of the glass,that the window would slide down about 5" and hit the hinge pockets. I then slotted the hinge pockets so the glass could slide down through them. Thought I would have to re-enforce the pockets with angle iron on either side of the slot but the medal is so thick the 1" wide slot didn't affect the hinge or the door. That was 5 months ago and the doors are still as solid as ever. I also picked up a hot rod power window regulator and adapted it to the door in the middle of the glass. The hot rod window regulator is good for 50lbs according to the manufacturer. My side windows now roll down to just under 4"" above the all the way down. I can't go all the way down because the glass is so tall that I ran out of room at the bottom of the door. They work great. the people who ride in the back (my Hearse seats 9 now) say it makes a night and day difference.