Uncle Pete's Vette

GTXVette - There's a PM for you.

Thanks!

Wow.  2 months since the last update.  Been really busy with all of the kids sports and band stuff, but we got the window in!  It's a little victory.  But since this was the first item on the list, for my boys, it was huge. 

So, back at the end of August, I found a passenger side window at a local auto recycler in Grafton MA.  $100 lighter and I was heading home with the new window.  Talked to the owners who were really helpful.  They have two C4's they are parting out and the owner has one of his own. 

So, on labor day weekend, me, Ryan, and Alex start to work to get the window replaced.  We don't have the shop manual so we just start to wing it.  Ryan's job was to take the off the inner door panel:

and Alex started to clean up the new window:

We did a bunch of cleanup of the broken glass and tried to figure out how the get the window in.  The regulator was stuck at the top of its travel.  We tried a bit to get it moving, but we couldn't see much.  Ryan's taking a look into the door to see what is there:

So, we were able to get the mount nuts off of the regulator with a shorty wrench.  That was about it for that day.  The boys had to go over to their friends in the afternoon so we wrapped it up.

Two months went by and we weren't able to get back to the car.  After a few nerve-wracking wind/rain storms, we had another morning to get the window in.  I saw on a youtube video how to get the inner door panel off.  I thought it would help us out.  After trying and failing to get the door lock mechanism apart and the inner door panel off, we tried to slide the window past the regulator.  That didn't work either.  Not enough space at the top of the door.

My youngest, Joshua, brings me out a cup of coffee.  So, I take one of Mazdeuce's thinking breaks.  After looking at the inner door panel and the nuts, I noticed something:

See that round hole?  The one in the middle of the door panel right under the door handle mount?  Here's a closeup:

That hole is slightly larger than one of the three nuts that hold the window to the regulator.

If we can get the regulator moving, and get it the mounting holes in the regulator down to where this hole is, we'll be in business.  So, Alex and I reconnect the battery. He hops in the drivers seat with the keys.  I grab a long screw driver and the can of dry-lube spray.  Little bit of grease, little bit of pushing, and then a whirring sound.

Alex - "What was that?"

Me - "The window lift." 

Alex - "You mean we fixed it?"

Me - "Yeah.  Go get Ryan"

He ran in the house.  Mrs. Wx said "You should've seen the look on his face when he came in.  He was so excited.  Talking a mile a minute about how we fixed the lift and we can get the window in."

More than anything, this is what this project is all about.  These little moments when they get to solve a problem they've never seen before. 

So, we get the regulator lowered.  Looking through the hole:

That's the regulator behind the inner door panel.  And toward the rear of the door:

That's the rear mounts.  One is in the upper right corner of that opening.  So Ryan and I get the window in.  I asked Ryan what he wanted to do.  He said "Can you do the front nut in the hole?"  He'd do the rear two.

And here we are:

So.  Next steps will be to get the brakes, tires, power  steering, and fluids changed. 

Ergh.  Let me fix the picture links.

Wow.  Has it really been 3+ years since I updated this??

Well, quick update while I waiting in the parking lot

Tires were shot.  Plus they are 255-50-16s.  Not much choice there.  So, a little FB stalking, $150, and we have

Not perfect, but they are round, 17", hold air, and the tires were manufactured in the 21st century.  If I'm reading the date code right, I think the 16" tires that were on it are from 1987 
 

So yesterday, we did a thing

Gotta get spacers, but better. 

Are the spacers required due to the '85 suspension change or was there a later change that necessitates them?

In reply to GCrites80s :

In 88, the suspension was redesigned.  Offset went from 32-38mm (84-87) to 56mm 88+.  These wheels are from ~88-89.  While the mounted ok, they don't fill out the fenders like the old 16's, may rub on the suspension, and MIGHT rub the calipers.