Making rear windows go 'all the way down'
Kunga
My car is a 95 Neon 4-dr Highline, with manual windows. I was
wondering whether or not there was a way to modify the rear windows so
they roll down all the way into the door, and not just half-way. I
suspect the reasoning for this is for child safety, if it's not and
you know what else it might be, let me know.
Thanks for your help in advance.
Kunga
rasta...@hotmail.com
David Spera
Kunga wrote:
Actually because there is not enough room in the door for all the glass to
fit in it.
Kunga
>
>Actually because there is not enough room in the door for all the glass to
>fit in it.
>
But why is that? I mean, the front ones go all the way down, and it
sure looks like the same depth on both doors from the outside! =)
Kunga
rasta...@hotmail.com
D J Mann
Depth is one thing,. height is another, and you have the dogleg for the wheel
well in the way.
--------------------------------------------
Kodiak Services Company
Lighting Design - Lighting Energy Audits
Concord California USA
kodiak at value dot net
--------------------------------------------
JAYBIRD248
kids are in the backseat.
And for "ultimate safety", go back to the mid 70s GM intermediates. The rear
windows on their four doors were sealed totally shut!
Buyers' reactions got that changed quick.
Jay S
Gregory Morrow
Also with the untimely demise of hardtops (especially 4-door), they
could limit the travel of the rear windows.
If you want a really different "slant" on this, check out the old
Mercury "Breezeway" _back_ window. They lowered a few inches, at least
-- they were the Mercs with those stunningly ugly, blocky
"reverse-slant" c-pillars.
I'm looking at a 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser catalog ("WITH Dream Car
Design!"). There's a big spread on "exclusive Breezeway Ventilation --
newest advance in draft-free, fresh-air comfort". Here's the quote
about the "power-operated back window: Pushing a button on the
instrument panel lowers this remarkable window into the rear deck
compartment, permitting a gentle, refreshing flow of fresh air to pass
through the car."
There's an illustration (not a photo) of 2 couples (hubbys in front, the
gals in back) in a two-door. The two Mrs. Moderns are gabbing in the
back, and that rear window is pretty much lowered all the way. Don't
know if this is simply "drama in auto advertising", or a realistic
rendering.
Just think of the litigation possibilities with _that_ in today's
climate ("Baby lost in Turnpike Cruiser 'back window' incident -- Jury
awards $23 million -- all Turnpike Cruisers recalled!). 'Course with a/c
now widespread, the point is probably moot...
greg
Lloyd R. Parker
: On Sat, 08 May 1999 09:31:08 -0400, David Spera <sp...@sgi.net> wrote:
:
: >
: >Actually because there is not enough room in the door for all the glass to
: >fit in it.
: >
: But why is that? I mean, the front ones go all the way down, and it
: sure looks like the same depth on both doors from the outside! =)
:
: Kunga
: rasta...@hotmail.com
The rear wheel well protrudes into the space for the window to go all the
way down. Some cars provide a small fixed pane at the rear of the rear
window so that the main part can go all the way down.
Lloyd R. Parker
: The automakers claim they restricted window opening as a safety feature when
: kids are in the backseat.
:
: And for "ultimate safety", go back to the mid 70s GM intermediates. The rear
: windows on their four doors were sealed totally shut!
As were the first year K cars.
:
: Buyers' reactions got that changed quick.
Nope; the GM A bodies kept the fixed rear window with only the small vent
window at the rear of the door opening. Chrysler did make the K car's
rear window open after the 1st year.
:
: Jay S
Jeff Falkiner
>
> JAYBIRD248 (jaybi...@aol.comspamenot) wrote:
> : The automakers claim they restricted window opening as a safety feature when
> : kids are in the backseat.
> :
> : And for "ultimate safety", go back to the mid 70s GM intermediates. The rear
> : windows on their four doors were sealed totally shut!
>
> window at the rear of the door opening. Chrysler did make the K car's
> rear window open after the 1st year.
>
"Supreme" (yah, right) when the air conditioning broke down. I just
about "opened" the windows the hard way. In those cars it was done to
increase hip room in the back seat since the door could be "sculpted"
with the armrest inside the door - also a great safety feature.
Jeff Falkiner
DoMeDew 21
Nipper219
>And for "ultimate safety", go back to the mid 70s GM intermediates. The rear
>windows on their four doors were sealed totally shut!
>
> Buyers' reactions got that changed quick.
Unfortunatly it wasn't all that quick, that miserable design stayed in
production for a full decade. Personally, I still cannot understand why a
$25,000 car with TWO doors shouldnt have opening windows in the back, certainly
it's not a matter of penny pinching at that price. Just anyother ripoff like
the "mini-spare" tire I guess.
-Nipper
Hang up the phone and Drive!!!
C-B...@webtv.net
I'll bet that on any car whose rear door windows do not go all the way
into the door that you will find that it has more to do with the
curvature (or lack thereof) of the glass and how it interacts with the
curvature of the door panels.
On those particular GM intermediate vehicles, it probably had more to do
with weight/cost savings and the fact that the vast majority had factory
air. Plus maybe some safety concerns.
GM tended to be famous for side windows on the back doors of four doors
which did not go all the way down into the door. And there may have
been some Fords and Chryslers too, but not nearly as many as GM. More
GM leadership?
C-BODY
Charlie B. Han
all the way down.
C-B...@webtv.net wrote:
--
--------------------------------
Charlie B. Han
era...@cybernex.net
http://www2.cybernex.net/~eraser
Nipper219
>I'll bet that on any car whose rear door windows do not go all the way
>into the door that you will find that it has more to do with the
>curvature (or lack thereof) of the glass and how it interacts with the
>curvature of the door panels.
I'm still looking for a reasonable explanation as to why the rear qtr windows
on a modern two-door don't roll down, especially expensive models like the
Caddy Eldorado and the mid-size Mercedes coupes. Any logical explanation for
this on a $50,000 car?
Lloyd R. Parker
: From: C-B...@webtv.net
They probably carve out extra hip room and then when the side impact
measures are put in, there's no space for the window to roll down. The
new M-B CL is supposed to be a 2-door hardtop with retracting rear
windows, isn't it?
You might also criticize Lexus -- the SC400 is pretty pricey. And Jaguar
and Aston-Martin even more so.
Bruno and Kristen Hachey
rear door windows go completely down (or it could be one that had been
modified...)
David Spera
Nipper219 wrote:
>
>
> I'm still looking for a reasonable explanation as to why the rear qtr windows
> on a modern two-door don't roll down, especially expensive models like the
> Caddy Eldorado and the mid-size Mercedes coupes. Any logical explanation for
> this on a $50,000 car?
>
Very simple it $$$$. It's cheaper that way.
Nipper219
>They probably carve out extra hip room and then when the side impact
>measures are put in, there's no space for the window to roll down.
I think most back seat passengers would gladly sacrifice a few inches of elbow
room in exchange for an opening window. You can always hang your arm outside
the car, after all :)
>The
>new M-B CL is supposed to be a 2-door hardtop with retracting rear
>windows, isn't it?
Is it? I've been looking for information on this car because the (recently
deceased) big M-B coupe was the last "2 door hardtop" in production anywhere
(also the only 2-door with roll down rear windows). Does anyone have any links
to info on the new M-B coupe?
-Nipper, the disgruntled motorist
Nipper219
>Nipper219 wrote:
>> I'm still looking for a reasonable explanation as to why the rear qtr
>windows
>> on a modern two-door don't roll down, especially expensive models
>Very simple it $$$$. It's cheaper that way.
I know that you are right when you say that, but why should a 1972 Plymouth
Scamp ($2500) offer this feature when a 50,000 1999 Cadillac does not? Why?
-Nipper, the disgruntled motorist
Lloyd R. Parker
: From: lpa...@emory.edu (Lloyd R. Parker)
The Mercedes site has some info, but doesn't mention if the rear windows
will roll down or not.
Bryn Hughes
window compared to the avaliable space in the door. Most cars with this
"feature" have a curve in the bottom of the door to allow space for the
rear wheel well. If the bottom of the door doesn't have room for the
window, it 'aint goin in there.
A friend of mine has an '88 Cutlass Cruiser SW, the back doors on it have
an extrememly large curve in them. As a result, the windows don't even go
down half way. We also have a '93 Vision. The door has much less of a
chunk missing out of it, and as a result the windows go much closer to all
the way down. Biggest reason is just the difference in the placement of
the rear doors in a car to the rear wheels, older cars tended to have
longer wheelbases or narrower rear doors which allowed the entire window
to fit inside of it. More an exterior design thing than anything.
Now, that's not to say that the auto manufacturers don't jump on it as a
"feature"; "The all new xxx, with rear child safety windows!"
B.
In article <19990601155057...@ng-cn1.aol.com>,
nipp...@aol.com (Nipper219) wrote:
--
Bryn Hughes
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
'67 Dodge Monaco 500 -- 318 V8
'83 Oldsmobile Cutlass -- 305 V8, soon to be SBO 350 V8.