For some owners it’s easy to tear into a vintage Mustang with wild abandon, throwing concours ideas out the window in the name of modern amenities and creature comforts. At the other end of the spectrum are the diehard concours guys who spend countless hours looking for an NOS part and researching their Mustang’s factory build details to the tiniest degree. Yet there are others who enjoy the classic styling of the Mustang and want to drive a relatively stock appearing car but with a few hidden upgrades to make driving safer and more enjoyable. For those who fall in this middle area (or even the diehard restomod guys looking for something different/cool for their vintage Mustang), we want to introduce you to Electric-Life and their power crank switch.
01. Starting with the front...
01. Starting with the front window setup, you’ll need to have total access to your door shell and window regulator/hardware. Remove the handles, armrest, etc. to enable removal of the door panel itself. Use a door panel tool (nylon/plastic) to free the panel. We generally work the top row of clips out and then use a large flat blade screwdriver to pop out the bottom row of clips.
What does the power crank switch do, you ask? It’s simple, really. The power crank switch is a reverse polarity-based Delrin assembly that houses a pair of micro switches and a splined shaft that accepts the stock window crank handles. Originally designed for custom interiors and the street rod market, many builders have been integrating them into stock interiors to give owners the ability to have power windows without modifying door panels and adding unsightly, or “incorrect,” window switch controls on the door or center console. The power crank switch is spring loaded and has internal stops that allow the window crank to rotate far enough to engage the internal micro switches while protecting the switch from overzealous window crankers.
02. The old window regulator...
02. The old window regulator is retained by six ½-inch bolts—four in the regulator body and two for the counter slide. Have someone help you by holding the glass as you remove the six bolts. Once the regulator is loose, you will find three Phillips head screws retaining the regulator to the bottom of the door glass that will need to be removed as well and then the regulator can be pulled from the door shell.
Wiring the switches is no more difficult than wiring a traditional up/down rocker switch, but to fit the switches in the stock locations will take some minor grinding work to clearance the switch and the regulator for the front door fitment. If you are fitting power windows to a coupe or convertible, the rear window setup is a little more involved to use the switches, but is still very much possible to install in a home shop with hand tools.
We’re installing Electric-Life’s excellent bolt-in power window conversion kit on a ’68 Mustang coupe and adding their power crank switches to the install as well. While this ’68 has a mild interior upgrade (TMI carbon-look upholstery and Billet Performance Accessories window cranks), the owner didn’t want to cut up his new door panels for switches.
3. If your luck is anything...
3. If your luck is anything like ours, however, be prepared to have to remove the glass from the door. After 42 years, the little Phillips head screws are seized up and have rounded heads. Follow a shop manual to remove the rear vertical window guide, door glass scrapers, and door end seal in order to pull the glass free.
4. Once the old Phillips...
4. Once the old Phillips head screws are drilled out and the regulator channel removed, you should be able to remove what’s left of the screw with locking pliers.
5. A quick trip to the hardware...
5. A quick trip to the hardware store netted us six new 8-32 Phillips flat head screws to install our power regulators with. We’ll have to order new door belt line scrapers too, as removing them usually means totally destroying them in the process.
6. Electric-Life offers the...
6. Electric-Life offers the Mustang power window kits in direct fit configuration for the ’65-’70 Mustang (’69 with ’70 bolt-in glass conversion). We’re using their FD40-K front kit for ’67-’68 Mustangs and FD39-K kit for ’65-’68 Mustang quarter windows in our ’68 coupe. As you can see, the regulators come fully assembled, minus switches and switch wiring.
7. Electric-Life offers everything...
7. Electric-Life offers everything from traditional chrome switches to plastic European backlit switches, but we wanted our power windows to not be noticed, at least until we wanted them to be, by using their power crank switch at all four window locations.
8. In order to use the power...
8. In order to use the power crank switch in the front doors of the Mustang, some minor trimming of the regulator bracket and the switch are required, as they attempt to take up the same real estate. If you measure from the centerline of the manual regulator’s crank to the nearest mounting bolt holes, you can transfer that measurement to the new power regulator and trim away material as needed to obtain the same distance. Be careful how much you trim the crank switch as there is a small spring inside the handle; you can remove the top cover plate to determine your maximum depth.
9. Once you’ve modified the...
9. Once you’ve modified the switch transfer, determine the position of the three mounting holes on the door shell and drill them out with a 1/4-inch drill bit. There’s really only one way the switch will sit in the door shell due to the stamping of the door and the mounting of the regulator.
10. Following the included...
10. Following the included instructions, the provided wiring harness is connected to the switch (two grounds, two hot wires, and the up/down wiring to the motor itself).
10a. You will need to drill...
10a. You will need to drill a 1/2-inch hole in your door shell and the cowl side for the wiring to pass through to the passenger compartment, which means removal of the door sill plates and kick panels. The wiring kit includes grommets for both holes and plastic sleeving for the wires.