C2 Window crank positions

[Ed S.]

I am reassembling door panel hardware on my '64 Convertible after rebuilding mechanisms inside the doors. Down to the window handles.

Is there correct, preferred, or approved position to mount the crank handles for the vent and main window? I checked the judging manual - it does not address or specify a position for the crank handles.

If there is a preferred or correct position, please describe it for the left and right doors, with the windows in the closed position and by using an "o'clock" orientation for the handle when facing the door panel, i.e., "driver door, vent window, 3 o'clock".

Thanks - Ed

[Edward J.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

Ed, Put my 63 window cranks and vent handles with the knobs at the bottom. to make it look uniform, There really was no position that the AIM called for or the JM.

[Ed S.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

Thanks Ed, in the absence of GM generated guidance, your recommendation is practical and sensible -- will go with it.

[Gene M.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

There is NO position defined. I would suggest you make RH & LH the same. Also suggest position them so they do not stab your leg in either up or down position.

[Richard M.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

Install them so that your wife's/girlfriend's sneaker laces don't get caught on them in an emergency when she tries to get out of the car when it's on fire.

Almost lost my '59 many years ago because I had to unhook her laces from the window crank before I could put out the fire.

[Dan B.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

I prefer to use a position that puts the handle facing as far forward from my leg as possible for comfort's sake when driving. It's a compromise between full up and down.

[Joe R.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

Install them so that your wife's/girlfriend's sneaker laces don't get caught on them in an emergency when she tries to get out of the car when it's on fire.

Almost lost my '59 many years ago because I had to unhook her laces from the window crank before I could put out the fire.

Rich,

Do you honestly believe that there is a position that a wife/girlfriend can't find and get their stuff tangled up in without trying???

JR

[Ed S.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

Uh....can't believe we're talkin' about wives and girlfriends getting their "stuff" tangled up.

[Richard M.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

Rich,

Do you honestly believe that there is a position that a wife/girlfriend can't find and get their stuff tangled up in without trying???

JR

You certainly made me laugh hard JR......I needed that today.

Uh....can't believe we're talkin' about wives and girlfriends getting their "stuff" tangled up.

Sorry Ed, When I saw your post the very first thing that came to mind was the fire that day. And my wife getting caught trying to get out of the car.

BTW, When I install them now, I set the crank handle facing far forward. This way she won't tangle anything on the way out!


If you wanna chuckle, here's the story I posted about 10 years ago....

Arghhh!!!! Reminds me of an episode about 10 years ago when my wife and I left a downhill parking lot on a hot summer day in NH. My 59 had a hot start problem then. Car has dual fours, old wcfbs. I made the stupid mistake of flooring the throttle, you know, to open the throttle plates to get more air, to start. But I should've only half throttled, to get the primary carb open. Flooring to start a hot engine with dual fours dumps lots of fuel into the front carb too. You know where I'm heading with this don't you. So we go to leave the lot, downhill, waiting for traffic to go by to turn left to get on the highway for a 2 hr journey for an overnight stay in the mountains, top down, beautiful day with my lovely bride of many years.

Finally traffic passes by, I turn left, shift into second, and "BANG", I thought, s__t, backfire, it'll be alright. Next thing, I smell it, that horrible feeling set in. Oh my God, FIRE! Yes, the engine was on fire!
Pulled over just before the on ramp. Wife tried to get out, her sneaker laces got caught on the window crank, she panicked. I tried to keep my cool, OK Rich, stay calm, we can fix this, had to get wife out first, then just reach under the dash, pop the hood. I prayed, Please God, don't let the hood release cable break on me, just this once, I promise I'll go to church this Sunday, really, honest. The hood popped open, I saw smoke coming out towards the windshield. I figured the car was doomed. 10 years of hard work gone.....no, had my mini Halon extinguisher in the center glovebox, and a full size in the trunk. Grab the Halon stupid, no time for the trunk!

Got out.....wife was screaming, I was starting to panic. Opened the hood and there it was, a round cone of fire completely surrounding the beautiful 2x4 air cleaner she got me for Christmas 10 years earlier from Ecklers. The flames were about 2 feet high......Ok, how does this Halon thing work....pulled the pin and in one circular motion around the air cleaner I shot the yellow & black flames. What seemed like forever, but actually seconds.......OUT! No flames, nothing, gone, poof. I stood there looking for more, ready with my handy dandy fireman's friend to kill anything that even blinked yellow. Nothing. We looked at each other, sighed, said a few explatives, and sat on the curb hugging each other. She was crying. I was shaking my head, wow, that was cool! These Halons really do work!

After a little while, I let the air cleaner cool off, took my Mothers polish out of the trunk. Cleaned off the black soot from the edges of the air cleaner(came out like new), put it back on and started the engine. All's ok. Got in the car, took a right onto the onramp and had a beautiful ride to the mountains for the weekend. Car was fine.

Morale here......make sure you check those cables often, they will let you down when you least expect it. AND, carry a fire extiguisher close to you in the car for those sudden emergencies. We were lucky. Also make sure those throttle shafts on your old wcfbs are not worn so badly that they let unspent fuel leak out onto those hot intake and exhaust manifolds. That was the reason for my episode. When we went downhill out of the lot, the fuel in the front carb leaked out the shafts as the carb was not sucking fuel as it was not being told to with less than half throttle. Fixed that with new ones and a rebuild when we got home.

Rich
ps Went to Church twice that weekend. Second time to cover us for the ride back home.
====

[Bill L.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

Ed:

I adjust mine straight forward and flat --- (per Rich's comment above) ---

No issues from the right hand seat passenger ---- "yet" --- However, it is still early spring here in Georgia and with no A/C I just assume I will be hearing "something" a bit later this summer.....

Just not about the wind wing cranks!!!!

Regards
Bill

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[Ed S.]

Re: C2 Window crank positions

After receiving good advice from members (above) I put mine on pointing to 3 o'clock - after I assured myself that they would not interfere with a good resting spot for a knee.

But.... I have to mention I was disappointed in the new replacement handles I got from Paragon. They looked great but I had to modify 3 out of four of them because they would not slide far enough on to the splined window crank shaft to seat properly or tightly. I had to "enlarge" the inside diameter of 3 with my Dremel a bit down to the start of the splined section - apparently the shaft on the window splines are a bit wider or thicker behind the spline area - this prevented the handles from sliding on far enough to seat and secure with C clips. Just one of those things we have to tolerate. All is fine now -thanks again to all.