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BMW power windows in a 74 Westy
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Westy Racer
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 8:33 pm    Post subject: BMW power windows in a 74 Westy Reply with quote

OK step one. Find an 86 Bimmer (just happens to be the year of a parts car I have) to get the window motors from. They offered power as an option. This is why it retrofits so easy! Cool

There are right and left motors. This is the left rear door. It's easier to get at the rear door motors.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Remove the bolts marked with yellow arrows. Bend the regulator anyway you have to to get it out. It's easier to bend than take it all apart. You don't need it anyway.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Remove the four screws that clamp the motor to the regulator...


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Raise the metal cover and remove the motor from the regulator.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Remove the VW Bus regulator. This is the right hand door. I used the right hand motor for this one.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Drill out the rivets holding the hand crank gear in place. The motor bolts up here nicely with the exact same drive gear!


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Once the rivets are drilled out, pry off the cover.


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Here's the stock hand crank and the BMW motor. Same drive gear!!


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After installation on the regulator cable, two notches need to be made in the metal tubing. A pair of side cutters work well. This is a very important step as it captures the motor onto the regulator cable. This needs to be a solid clamping point! No slip!


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Here's the regulator with the BMW motor attached.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


It installs nicely in the stock location. One of the studs on the back of the motor lines up with the old crank mount hole.





Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


You can see the mounted motor here with the switch wired up. I used the switches located in the console.

Here's the Wiring color code on the switch wires for the front window switches:

Purple = motor feed
Black = motor feed
Green = 12V+
Two Browns = ground

Simple. It works great. Next I'm mounting the armrest to some custom door panles. I'll flush mount the switch in the door panel.

I'm working on adapting the power mirrors as well. Wink
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If it don't werk, mess with it!
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74 Westy Custom werk in progress!!

Bus #10 - VW #27 I'm a freak... so are U!


Last edited by Westy Racer on Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:31 am; edited 5 times in total
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ratwell
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Superb and very original.
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Westy Racer
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you... Wink
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DurocShark
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome! Great idea and excellent research and documentation!
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chris331
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 4:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice job... How much time / money / effort did you use?

Be sure to post pics after you mount the switch in... that will look slick!
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Westy Racer
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I got the car for free from a BMW tech at the local dealer. He had an auto-crosser in mind when he got it. It was a theft recovery with no lights or grille. He had to get it off his property and offered it to me right after I bought my custom 86 325e 2-door, which is for sale by the way. $1800...

....goin back to the VW Bus as the only vehicle I own. This is Bus #10 and VW #20 for me. Cool

Anyway, the motors cost about $40 - $60 each, from what I can gather online. Switches I'd guess $10 a piece on. Installation took about an hour on the first door, 30 minutes on the second. That's not including any permanent wiring. I just hooked up some leads to test it. Finish wiring should take about another hour. I'll tap the 12V+ that's at the rear window defogger switch. I believe that is a 20 amp fused lead.

ALWAYS put a fuse on custom electrical stuffs boys and girls. Thank You! Confused

Remember, the only parts you need are the motor and the switch!
That's what's so cool about this conversion.

I'll be working on those power mirrors today... Wink
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If it don't werk, mess with it!
If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway...

74 Westy Custom werk in progress!!

Bus #10 - VW #27 I'm a freak... so are U!
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DurocShark
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 9:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a question:

I don't know about your windows, but mine seem to have quite a bit of resistance. How quickly does the motor move the window up/down?

I really think this is something I want. At least on the passenger side where my wife sits. She has Lupus and even cranking a window sometimes is difficult for her.
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ratwell
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DurocShark wrote:
I don't know about your windows, but mine seem to have quite a bit of resistance. How quickly does the motor move the window up/down?

When the regulator is removed clean it out thoroughly.
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USMCbug
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Damn thats cool. I might add that to my to do list.

My windows go up and down as smooth as silk. My bugs windows are harder to roll than my bays.
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Westy Racer
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

like ratwell says... clean the regulator cable. Relube it with a good spray lube.

It takes about 4 - 5 seconds of motor run time to operate the windows, just like a BMW! Wink
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74 Westy Custom werk in progress!!

Bus #10 - VW #27 I'm a freak... so are U!
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tristessa
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting. Very, very interesting. I betcha that same motor would work on some Bugs as well -- I've got a couple of '65 T1 regulators here and they're that "type" .. unlike my TIII Fasty which uses an arm. (though I wonder if the motor could be adapted to to that as well .. gonna have to get one and play around)

HmmmMMmmm Twisted Evil Twisted Evil
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Westy Racer
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

5 series BMW's have arms on the power windows.. One could adapt that as well, but some fabrication and welding would be needed. I should think that the BMW 3 series motor would work on any German cable driven regulator.

I messed with the power mirros today a bit. They go where the wing window resides on a Bus. Crying or Very sad I may still have a way to mod them and utilise the stock mounting hole.
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If it don't werk, mess with it!
If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway...

74 Westy Custom werk in progress!!

Bus #10 - VW #27 I'm a freak... so are U!


Last edited by Westy Racer on Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:25 pm; edited 1 time in total
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themadcap
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:44 pm    Post subject: bmw power windows Reply with quote

does it have to be an 86 BMW 3 series?? or any other model will do (dunno much about bmw's)
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Westy Racer
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm guessing anything from 84 - 89 e 30 chassis... 325 318 etc.
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74 Westy Custom werk in progress!!

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cdprops
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 5:12 am    Post subject: electric windows Reply with quote

I could not see the images in the first few directions. Anyway you can p-mail them? cdprops_at_phonom_dot_net
Thanks
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Westy Racer
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm using a free hosting site... looks like they suck!

Looks like I need some server space...
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If it don't werk, mess with it!
If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway...

74 Westy Custom werk in progress!!

Bus #10 - VW #27 I'm a freak... so are U!
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Post your photos to the gallery, them get the web address. and link them here.
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Westy Racer
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool. I was wondering if that was OK. I thought maybe it was reserved for VeeDubs. Thanks for the tip. Wink


.....done!
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If it don't werk, mess with it!
If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway...

74 Westy Custom werk in progress!!

Bus #10 - VW #27 I'm a freak... so are U!
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tristessa
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 2:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Westy Racer wrote:
Cool. I was wondering if that was OK. I thought maybe it was reserved for VeeDubs. Thanks for the tip. Wink

It's VW-related so I think everyone's gonna letcha slide on this one. Twisted Evil
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GfunkBus76
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice work Smile

Almost exactly what I did, except I salvaged my motors from a 1986 Maserati BiTurbo. It seems like the gears are a standard size. I was exactic when I realized the motor would fit to the gear with no other customizing.

Quite and easy and rewarding job eh? Good documentation on it too westy racer. Its the info others really need to do what we've done.

I unfortunately never took any pics! You know how it is, just get too damn excited doing it !!

I've only wired it up for testing at this point also, seems to go up and down with ease, i plan to wire a control for passenger's window on the drivers side also, or maybe mount the switches somewhere more central. Best o luck!
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