Genius cheap rear-window stoppers

[Dug Nichols]

Saw this idea on a rad looking Colorado car in NE Minneapolis a few weeks ago. Sorry I didn't get a picture at the time (and who are you?? if you're on this board give a shout).

 

This weekend I set it up for my car. Super simple:

- drink two bottles of wine

- try and drill a straight hole in each cork

- fool around with string pushing through

- tie it off on a safe place where it won't roll down the road when dislodged from extreme cornering (or in MN, avoiding potholes)

- wedge it up vertically

 

Voila! No more rear windows banging closed.

[OriginalOwner]

uh, I'm confused ...... those windows actually open ??  

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

 

[Stevenc22]

^ Lol agreed. Mine have never been cracked.

[Simeon]

If you extend the strings through to the driver's seat you could make the windows auto-close by whipping the corks out. Just a single yank on the strings will do. 

[Mike Self]

And if you want to fix the correctly, either tighten the screw (chrome latches used on roundies) or tighten the black knob (squarelights).  I've found that both styles need to be tightened on a regular basis, and even have a stubby screwdriver with a carefully ground down blade to do the job on my 69 and 73.

 

And a properly modified cup hook screwed into the end of a dowel makes a dandy tool for opening and closing the passenger side quarter window from the driver's seat...

 

mike

['76mintgrün'02]

There was a thread a couple/few years ago which asked what BMW could have done better, or what were any design flaws with the 2002, or something like that.  I think these window mechanisms make that short list.  

 

I like the cork idea, but decided to look into why they don't stay open and shared what I learned here.

 

[JohnH]

Surely the latching mechanism is designed to over centre and lock open. I cant believe Germans designed any other way? 

[JerryC]

My recollection is that the latches' natural state of entropy is "almost-latched". Mine would pop open slightly after a while, and of course they never stayed fully open for long. These are early style chrome parts, by the way.

I wonder if there is some way to add a spring in a strategic position and angle that would perform the job of holding the latch either open or closed. If my car was driveable, I might be motivated to check into it.

Edited April 18, 2017 by JerryC

[adawil2002]

Learned that trick years ago. I put the corks by the latch.

[abe2002tii]

I put a small piece of fuel line  in the latch mechanism to keep it open.  That said...it is annoying that if you are driving you can not keep the window open without the piece of hose.

 

Abe

Edited April 18, 2017 by abe2002tii

[burndog]

And why not Champaigne corks???


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[dlhoovler]

2 hours ago, burndog said:

And why not Champaigne corks???


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Because those are for Citroens, of course!

 

Just kidding. On French cars, the window latches are hydraulic. The corks would just plug up the system...

 

-Dave

[eastbanian]

My best luck has been tightening them up every six months or so. The little buggers come loose on the road.