1965 88 Power Window conversion

Old August 29th, 2018, 10:34 AM
  #1  
GCH
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1965 88 Power Window conversion

Hi , I like my Dynamic 88 a lot but looking after a 65 Olds 88 convertible.
In Sweden these cars is hard to find so i wonder if a conversion to
power windows is possible ? Aftermarket kits available?

Have only seen one -65 Dynamic 88 convertible with PW for sale here in 5 years.

I really would like to have power windows in a convertible.
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Old September 16th, 2018, 09:08 PM
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Might consider a power window set up from a street rod magazine, would be all new stuff, may not be as much grief as trying to make used stuff fit.
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Old September 17th, 2018, 08:03 AM
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The PW kits for street rods are designed for use with flat glass. The 65 windows are curved. These kits won't work. Your best bet is to find a PW setup from a 65-70 D88 convertible. Impala parts MIGHT work in this case. No one makes a conversion kit for the Olds - there is nowhere near enough demand to justify it.
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Old September 17th, 2018, 11:14 AM
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Originally Posted by GCH
Have only seen one -65 Dynamic 88 convertible with PW for sale here in 5 years.
Which is not at all surprising. People tend to think of the past in today's norms, but things were far different in 1965 compared to today when it comes to what cars are equipped with. We take for granted today that pretty much any car you can buy, no matter how cheap, will have power windows, power locks, cruise control, probably air-conditioning, and other features I'm not thinking of. But things were far different in the 1960s. Options like these back then were considered luxuries, and roll-up windows, manual locks, etc. were the standard situation, even on somewhat high-end cars like an Oldsmobile. Personally, I didn't own a car with power windows until 1986, and I bought as recent a model as a new '96 Dodge Neon with roll-up windows.

I think you'll be very lucky to find any '65 Delta 88, convertible or otherwise, that has power windows, let alone one with power windows that is willing to give them up for use on another car. Good luck, but if it were me, I'd just get used to cranking. I mean, it's a convertible, right? Isn't the top down with the windows rolled down most of the time?
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Old September 18th, 2018, 08:53 AM
  #5  
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Thanks for your answers . I should give this a litte more thoughts. Was thinking it is comfortable to
move the windows from drivers door.. This Olds below should arrive to Sweden soon but have not
heard any price here yet. ( Maybe + 9000 $ )

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...88-covertible/

Ps. I like Olds 98 also and get pw as standard .
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Old September 18th, 2018, 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by GCH
Was thinking it is comfortable to move the windows from drivers door.
Of course it is. This is one of the reasons power windows were invented. But it's not the point. The point is, no matter how comfortable is to be able to move all the windows up and down from the driver's seat, the fact is that finding a power window setup that you can transfer to your car is likely to be difficult if you want something from another '65 Olds (or any '60s Olds) because power windows were the exception, not the norm, in those days.

You'd have other issues, too. Cars with roll-up windows have a crank handle and a hole in the door panel for the crank shaft to pass through. Cars with power windows didn't have this. So if you mount power windows, you'll be removing the manual crank, but you'll still have that hole in the door panel, which would have to patched or filled in in some not-awful-looking way.

Thirdly, you'll be running lots of electrical wire as wires need to be routed from the fuse panel to each door. Where you take power off the fuse box is also an issue. I'm guessing that all cars got the same fuse box regardless of whether or not power windows were actually on that car, and that cars without power windows just had an empty fuse slot where the power window fuse would be. But there may not be any metal connectors for the fuse to be pressed into. So you might have to do some modification of the fuse box if you want to wire it up like the factory would have. You could, of course, take power from another source, but you'll want to make sure that everything is properly fused.

I've got a '67 Delta 88 convertible without power window. Yes, I have to go around and lower all the windows by hand when I lower the top or whatever, but I don't do this every day. And I DO like the fact that I don't have to worry about power window motors failing, electrical issues, or anything like that. Just need good old human effort to move the windows up and down.




If I were to remove the crank shown, how would I repair the hole left behind? After locating the power window switch, I would probably have to have the entire side panel reupholstered. That would be true for all four window locations, which means reupholstering both front door interior panels.

To me, there is something very classic and very '60s with the roll-up window look.




Your car was born without power windows. I'd leave it that way.
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Old September 22nd, 2018, 11:54 PM
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Hi thanx for answers , i have giving up the idea of converting to PW, seems to be
to much work. Either i buy a car with manual window cranks or a car with factory PW.

Nice Delta Jaunty75

Very nice Starfire :

Last edited by GCH; September 23rd, 2018 at 01:01 AM.
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Old September 23rd, 2018, 09:55 AM
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Smart decision!
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Old September 24th, 2018, 08:57 AM
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I have a full set of power window regulators from a 65 Olds Starfire.

email direct lemoldsnut@aol.com
541-815-4363

Larry
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Old September 25th, 2018, 08:19 AM
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Thanks for tip Larry , I should remember that.
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Old March 21st, 2019, 11:44 AM
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Smile

I found a 98 -65 for sale. Imported from Tennessee last year.
So convertible with power windows fixed
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Old March 21st, 2019, 07:01 PM
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When you install power windows into a manual window car, the holes where the cranks are will be squared off to accept the power window switches. On the door, the master switch will have the crank hole elongated to accept the master switch. Plus of course the manual regulators have to be replaced with power window regulators. And then a bunch of wires. Etc. etc.
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