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This is a typical '65-'66 Mustang window assembly as it appears inside the door with the window rolled up. The reduction-gear regulator is operated by the window crank. We crank a small gear, which drives a large one, giving us mechanical advantage. As the window is cranked up and down, the regulator moves a scissor mechanism tied to the window glass. From an operation standpoint, this is a good design. From a maintenance standpoint, it is a challenge. There are no rollers in this design. The window glides up and down in felt and burlap-lined tracks. Adjustable stops in the glass and in the tracks determine window travel limits. |
The burlap-lined window track supports the window glide. This guy adjusts in and out to control window-glass angle. Move it outward at the bottom, and the window glass moves inward at the top. Move it inward, and the glass moves outward up top. Make your adjustments, then run the glass up and down to check the adjustment. The window glass should lie snugly into the weatherstrip with the door closed. |
The forward track has two basic adjustments. The "A" adjustment controls the angle of the window at the wing assembly. Push it outward, and the wing assembly moves inward at the top. Move it inward, and the wing assembly moves out at the top. The "B" adjustment does the same thing from a greater distance. Move it outward with the screw adjustment, and the window angles inward. The entire wing assembly also moves fore and aft in the door. |
This is the '65-'66 door-window mechanism with the window down. As you can see, the scissor reverses. The key to smooth operation is proper adjustment where the window glides up and down the two tracks fore and aft. Binding is what destroys window regulators and scissors. |
Rollers have a tough job. Keep them bathed in white grease and WD-40. Replace them immediately when they wear out or crack. For '65-'66 models, there are only two of them in each door. Both are easy to service with the door panel off. |
Rear quarter windows in hardtops and convertibles are simple. Except on convertibles, they rarely wear out because they're seldom used. The window glass glides up and down in a stamped-steel track assembly, which adjusts up and down with three adjustment points. It also adjusts in and out at the bottom. A bolt-on stop controls how low the glass goes. Fixed stops at the top keep the glass from going too high. |
The '67-'68 Mustang door windows have fewer moving parts, with the scissor becoming an integral part of the regulator. |
Window down, the scissor reverses, just like it does in '65-'66 models. |
Instead of a crude, burlap-lined window track, Ford went to rollers and a track for '67-'68. While this is a good design, it is less forgiving of adjustment error. The roller and track need lots of white grease for smooth operation. This track adjusts in two places (see arrows) for track and window angle. |
At the wing window assembly, the window glass follows a path similar to the '65-'66, with a stop (arrow) that controls window travel height. The wing window assembly adjusts just like the '65-'66--in and out at top and bottom, plus fore and aft movement. |
Rollers follow the rear track for 1967-'68. The stop (arrow) limits travel at the top. |
Quarter-window assemblies for 1967-'68 are virtually the same as for 1965-'66, except for roller size. For 1967-'68, rollers became larger for smooth operation, thus they require plenty of white grease and WD-40 for reliable service. Adjustments are identical to '65-'66 models. There is no bolt-on bottom stop. |
For 1969-'70, Ford redesigned the Mustang windows, using dual tubular glides instead of window tracks to promote smoother operation, easier maintenance, and simple adjustment. This is the '69 to early-'70 glue-in window, with the glass bonded to the brackets with an industrial adhesive. After years of use, the adhesive loses its grip. You can use new adhesive or opt for the '70 bolt-in window. |
When rolling down the window, the arms scissor, just like in '65-'68 models, with the window sliding down the tubular glides. Gone is the '65-'68 wing-window assembly. |
This is one of the two glides that rides the tubes. Plastic bushings make the glide smoother. Thesebushings wear out and bind, so keep plenty of white grease on them. |
Adjustment for 1969-'70 is performed in two places. The tubular glides adjust in and out at the bottom and up and down at the top. |
Quarter-window assemblies changed completely for 1969-'70, but their basic operation didn't change much. A die-cast window bracket and glass ride down the track, driven by a reduction-gear regulator. Adjustment is similar to that of '65-'68 models: up and down, and in and out at the bottom. There are fewer moving parts for '69-'70 models. |
Mustang windows became super simple for 1971-'73, with a single tubular glide and easy to replace bushings and regulator. Note the absence of an idler in this design. |
This is the '71-'73 door window in the down position--no scissor or idler. Simple plastic stops halt window travel at the top. |
Quarter-windows from 1971-'73, with three stops, are similar in function to those from 1969-'70. The track rivets to the body, which makes it different from '65-'70 models. |
One of the biggest problem areas of classic Mustangs is their poor-quality side windows: They can be difficult to roll up and down; they don't always seat firmly when they're rolled completely up; and sometimes the darned things just fall down inside the door, irretrievably lost unless you pull the door panel for a closer look. These windows are also difficult to service, which is why most of us avoid them like a tax dodger avoids the IRS.
But take heart. We're going to cover '65-'73 Mustang windows, their most common ailments, and how to fix and adjust them. Remember that Mustang windows didn't function well when they were new. In fact, they were the subject of many warranty-service appointments. So, what can you do to make the most of your Mustang window experience?
Believe it or not, Ford understood its own window shortcomings. When the Mustang was introduced, it had a complex window mechanism consisting of two articulating units that interacted with each other to run a single piece of glass up and down inside the door. By 1973, the Mustang's window mechanism had become a simple matter that was easy to service and maintain.
1965-'66
The Mustang's first two years witnessed the mother of all window mechanisms. Actually, this mechanism is easier to operate than the unit that followed in 1967-'68. Windows on a '65-'66 Mustang glide up and down with ease when properly adjusted. So what goes wrong with '65-'66 Mustang windows? Mainly, window regulator bushings fail, which impedes proper operation. But window regulators can also fail due to circumstances beyond their control. When windows bind in their tracks from lack of lubrication or poor adjustment, we're inclined to force the crank, which ruins the regulator. Regulator bushings fail, followed by the gears. Then we sit there trying to crank a window that doesn't have a prayer of working.
1967-'68
Mustang window mechanisms became less complex with each generation. For '67-'68 models, Ford incorporated the scissor mechanism into the window regulator, eliminating the separate scissor. This step, however, made '67-'68 windows harder to roll up and down. The key to smooth operation is lubrication and proper adjustment. Although '65-'66 window mechanisms are more complex, '67-'68 windows are more frustrating to adjust and maintain.
Probably one of the most obvious problems is '67-'68 door windows that get into the rubber weatherstrip at the top of window travel, pushing the weatherstrip out. The only solution is to drill and screw the outer weatherstrip, which gets it out of the way of the window. The clips in the weatherstrip don't work well, making screws necessary.
Quarter-window assemblies for 1967-'68 remained much the same as they were in 1965-'66, with larger rollers for smoother operation, and an integral stop, which eliminated yet another part.
1969-'70
Better window mechanisms were among the many engineering improvements made for 1969. Inside cumbersome, frustrating window tracks and wing-window assemblies, Ford went to dual tubular window glides, which served both as tracks and single-point adjustments. Instead of a separate sliding idler like we find in '65-'68 models, 1969 saw the incorporation of an integral idler built into the window regulator. For 1969-'70, window operation is simple, with easy adjustments that don't require door-panel removal. When these windows don't operate properly, the tubular glides are usually to blame. Plastic or nylon bushings in the glides wear out or crumble, causing the window to bind. These glides need a lot of white grease and WD-40 for smooth operation.
One engineering shortcoming for 1969 and early-'70 was glue-in window glass. The glue deteriorates, and the glass comes loose from the brackets tied to the tubular glides. The most popular solution is to switch to the '70 bolt-in windows, which aren't always easy to find these days.
Quarter windows for 1969-'70 aren't much different from ones for 1965-'68. They sit in a track that can be adjusted up and down and in and out at the bottom to control window angle.
1971-'73
Ford refined the Mustang's windows dramatically in 1971 by eliminating one of the tubular glides and reducing the number of adjustment points to two. The total number of stops was reduced to three--one at the bottom and two topside. This design became the standard for Ford windows and remains in use today. Quarter-windows for 1971-'73 remain similar to those for 1969-'70, with an integral idler link and three stops.