Electric windows

[petroscf]

I am thinking of fitting Electric windows
AFAIK the easiest thing to fit here in Greece are the "Spal"

Any experience with them?

[Tato]

Dont do that.

Leave it classic.

[e21-Mark]

Leave them alone! Manual windows work perfectly well. Make a buzzing sound and pretend if you really need to.

[petroscf]

You really think so guys??
I have always wanted to make such upgrades in my car (el.windows, central locking, heated front seats...) I am struggling between the 2 ideas (comfort upgrades or classic...)

I don't know...I still want it...
And the spal system is using the car's own windows jacks, so it is easy to re-convert to manual whenever I decide...Anyway, the car is already far from being in totally "as from its mama" condition :
Angel eyes instead of the old singles, Recaro seats from Ford sierra, wheels with modern look, etc, and, at least for now, I like it as it is...So why not converting the windows?..

[arshad76]

Hi Petro,

It's your car - do what you want with it! Mine has been a daily driver for the last year and when used to driving a new Audi it's a bit of a shock to the system to go back to windy windows and manual locking.

[bimmer fans]

Yeah that's your car and you could do whatever you want but I would not change it to power windows because at some point you need to drill holes on the inner door or make some holes to mount the switches on the door card or center console, in the future it is impossible to return to its originality, central lock maybe yes for me but you will easily lock you key in the car which you usually have a habit to lock the car door before you shut the door just my opinions

[petroscf]

your opinions seem really helpful...well I 'll have to reconsider, as holes in console or door cards etc is something I also wouldn't like to do...

[arshad76]

Yeah that's your car and you could do whatever you want but I would not change it to power windows because at some point you need to drill holes on the inner door or make some holes to mount the switches on the door card or center console, in the future it is impossible to return to its originality, central lock maybe yes for me but you will easily lock you key in the car which you usually have a habit to lock the car door before you shut the door just my opinions

I didn't need to drill holes on my inner doors, they just attached to the existing winders and secured with a couple of screws. As for installing the switches - well yeah, except you just buy the small trim piece from the hundreds of breakers available. It's quickly and cheaply reversible, even though I can't understand why anyone would pay extra for manual windows.

[petroscf]

except you just buy the small trim piece from the hundreds of breakers available.

Arshad, what is this trim piece like??

[arshad76]

Petro, if you're going to cut some holes for the electric window switches. For example, near the gear lever console and you want to return it back to stock at some point, then you could just get that piece from a breakers yard. I'd have thought somebody would be too embarrassed to ask money for a piece of plastic that small.

Point being you can reverse it completely if you wanted to quickly and cheaply.

[petroscf]

A, now I understood
Arshad, I have already got 2 spare pieces of this gear surround trim item!!!! (3 with the car's own-which is cracked at some point...)
As everyone (who knows me) knows, reversibility is the standard I (try to) keep in all mods I am doing !!!!
However, on el.windows switches issue, I was thinking of manufacturing a small wooden housing, with holes
for all electrics I want to add (window switches, seat heating, and thinking of central locking and a second ac plug inlet) and placing it exactly in front of the gear surround, taking some of the big space there...

[arshad76]

That would work too Petro, except I'm not sure how nice wood would look (even if it was painted black) You could trim it in black vinyl though for a factory type look?

[petroscf]

No, actually I forgot to mention I was thinking to trim it in leather (now this depends on the whole plan+final decision, as I was thinking of reupholstering in leather the car's interior, including the dash...so everything should go under the same concept)

[e21jps]

sorry to drag up an old thread but i put an electric window in my e21 race car because the roll cage hit the winder, so if i wanted to open the window i had to open the door first which got really annoying.

i used one from a late modle suzuki swift it uses the same style mechanism, was relitively easy i just bolted the whole thing to the window with an extra hole in the attachment track and a few more holes in the inner skin

then.... this is the best part... i connected it up to the elec mirror switch on the door as i dont need elec mirrors being a race car, i had already ripped all that out