Rear opening windows in the MK3 Coupe

[manifold]

One of the things bugging me about the rear screens has been the fact they dont open, and, unless you stick them in with sealant, they dont seal. Pisses water in like a sieve really, as the rubber doesnt seal well without loads of sika.

Anyway, eventually I found out that peugeot 206 quarter light catches work, with a little adjustment with the dremel, which is easy as they are made out of plastic. The 2 hinges from the 206 can be cut down and used too with little effort, and installed with a single rivnuts in each. Also the outer glass fixing matches up nicely with the rear glass hinges.

First of all I took out the existing glass. Checked I could used same dimensions, which I can. Then bought a sheet of 4mm acrylic plastic from B&Q as a template. Cut it out using a angle grinder and sorted the radius with a belt sander.

Fitted the small door type outer seal from woolies. Its the smaller one they sell.

Fitted the front hinges first, about an inch down from top and and inch up front bottom of B pillar, ensuring that the fixing would not be in the glass fitting area..ie that it would be inside the B pillar. The hinges may need the glass mount grinding back to the flat Offered up plastic sheet to aperture. Drilled the matching holes to the hinges in the plastic sheet.

Finally fitted the rear catch, held in with 3 screws and a few packing washers under front screw so that it ensures that the glass shuts against the rubber.
Drilled the matching hole in the plastic sheet to where the catch fits.

Job done.

Just need to take the template to the glass supplier to make up some proper toughened glass with 3 drillings.

WIll do a few pics when I get a chance.

[manifold]

Window opener. hinge, showing an original and one I cut down and redrilled.



Perspex glass template. Note the drilled holes (x3) to suit the window holder buttons.



Window in open position



Hinges fixed in. Only 1 screw each, as per original use.



Window opener in position. You can adjust the closed position of the glass (ie how much it presses against the rubber) by shimming the back of the triangular base with washers.

[Stuart]

Nice job David, I can see a certain glass supplier member here taking an interest, glass with a black border just like a production car perhaps..

[Alan D.]

Well yes, I know a man!!

But David if you check out, BMW's and Seat Alhambra's and other people carriers, They have little electric motors that open and close these windows! In the modern vernacular, how cool would that be to open and close them from a switch on the dashboard!

Excellent job David, our little cars are moving forward again!

Move over "American Hotrod"!!!

Regards Alan

[manifold]

Hi Alan,

Yes I saw the elecky ones. Problem is when you need to go in the back panel it would stop it moving forwards to get spare wheel out. I suppose a new smaller panel could be made. At the moment I can open the windows and the panel still flops forwards.

Onwards and upwards.

[Alan D.]

Hi Alan,

Yes I saw the elecky ones. Problem is when you need to go in the back panel it would stop it moving forwards to get spare wheel out. I suppose a new smaller panel could be made. At the moment I can open the windows and the panel still flops forwards.

Onwards and upwards.

Ah!

Me not being a coupe man as yet, didn't think about the spare wheel. Anyway in these expensive fuel days, you shouldn't have a spare wheel, It should be an LPG tank with LPG at about 76p a litre!!!

Alan

[manifold]

76p a litre. its gone up then! it was 40p last time I had lpg! 2 yrs ago.

i reckon these openers will do for the bronze quarter lights too so dont worry. theres something for you

[Stuart]

Alan isn't a Mk 1/2 man I'm afraid. The B-pillar in those is only a single skin, very flimsy, but I imagine the head/heads of the fixings could be hidden under the door seal.

A feature that I don't think ever made it into production

[manifold]

thanks for that stuart,

ironically the openers on that bronze from the outside look more or less same as mine.

[Geoff Butcher]

Have these windows been subjected to the Monsoon Test yet?