Anybody converted to manual windows

[Auk]

As my 95 touring gets longer in the tooth, and more resigned to my "fun to drive" car (hey, manual swap, and suspension goodies go a long way), my list of things to fix are becoming more of a list of "do I need that's". After my door motor seized up the other day with the window at 3/4 up position, I'm leaning more into the deleting the motor and going old car crank style. Any takers or btdt's?

[BleedsBlue]

It’s a simple if tedious conversion. What are you looking for with this post, respectfully?

One annoyance, however obvious, is losing the ability to control the rear windows from the driver seat. That and the motors are cheap, and the weight savings is minimal. I still plan to do the swap myself; I have all the parts, I’m just waiting for my next interior project phase to do so. I like the Winklehock vibe.

[Auk]

I'll likely keep the rear windows as they are and just convert the front doors. Just seeking to minimize the hair pulling sessions that the older German cars seem to have with switches and tracing wire breaks to the window controls and such with the doors that get the most use.

[BleedsBlue]

I'll likely keep the rear windows as they are and just convert the front doors. Just seeking to minimize the hair pulling sessions that the older German cars seem to have with switches and tracing wire breaks to the window controls and such with the doors that get the most use.

Ah! Then you are in uncharted territory, my friend! I haven’t ever seen a manual front window setup on an E34. Even the earliest, lowest-option Euro E34 (518i, etc) with manual rear windows, still have electric fronts. I expect you’ll be adapting something custom!

Good luck, I certainly understand the goal.

[The Chauffeur]

Ah! Then you are in uncharted territory, my friend! I haven’t ever seen a manual front window setup on an E34. Even the earliest, lowest-option Euro E34 (518i, etc) with manual rear windows, still have electric fronts. I expect you’ll be adapting something custom!

Good luck, I certainly understand the goal.

They did exist, though:

84243458_2438422428o.jpg 84243460_598515862o.jpg f-l1600b.jpg

Watching this thread as I've thought about this before, also for the same reasons as the OP.

[BleedsBlue]

Proof! Well done, I’ve looked for ages with no dice. I wonder why the Winklehock retained electric front windows when they swapped the rear and deleted tiny items like vanity mirrors.

[moroza]

I want to see power windows that still have a crank.

The Winkelhock car is dumb. If you're going to make a racecar out of a 1500kg sedan, why would you delete 2kg headrests but keep 20kg rear seats? So you can purposely give your unnecessary ballast whiplash? Schadenfreude am Fahren?

[ross1]

Used window motors are cheap.
Why re-invent the wheel when the proper repair is cheap and less labor than making some conversion.

[BleedsBlue]

Used window motors are cheap.
Why re-invent the wheel when the proper repair is cheap and less labor than making some conversion.

I cant argue that. Plus, I really don’t think window wiring issues are as a big a deal as OP fears. But it’s cool in a Euro-only way.

A friend in Finland says most E34s there are low option, and have four way manual windows. He can grab a set from a junkyard (which is how I sourced my rear crank window assemblies). It’s funny to hear about how different the cars were in Finland as an example, compared to the US, where dealers were already set in the practice of loading cars with as many options as possible.

These figures are in 1991 moneys:
-E34 M5 cost 700k mark
-AC cost 26k mark
-Full leather cost 100k mark
-Average salary was 100k mark
-Car tax was ~300%

So yeah, the Europeans/RoW peeps think we’re crazy for swapping cloth seats in, and thinking manual windows are cool. LOL

OP, PM me if you want a front crank window setup.