I'd like to put some sort of sliding side windows in the A, no window cranks, just be able to slide them up and down with my hand. I believe Jeeps had doors like this at one time. Any body have ideas on this? They will have to be able to be raised or lowered with one hand, other than that, I'm open to any suggestions.
You could do something along these lines, a canvas strap that you pull on to lift the window with a catch to hook the strap onto when the window is up.
Seems like if you stick to the KISS principle it should be pretty easy. I'm envisioning a long vertical slot in the center of your door panels with a knob connected to the metal frame at the bottom of the window. The knob is on the passenger side and can be loosened or tightened to hold the window at the desired position. Or, instead of a knob how about a leather strap with holes like on a belt with a pin on the window frame. Seems to me I've seen that on an older English car. Just like the one that pmangelos posted!
I have always used a seat belt. Strap end fastened at lower window frame and buckel/clasp on bottom of door panel. Pull window up with belt and snap buckel to door panel. Adjust height window with buckel/belt adjuster.
Hope your window glazing is fairly light (plexi / lexan). Hercules Motors in Tampa had sliders in their woodys. In the link below one of the images shows a hint of what they were like, a vertical CNC slider opening and a knob to tighten the window at the desired level. One of my friends had a Hercules and his wife hated the design, the windows kept falling down. Perhaps some notches in the opening would have been a little better? Gary http://murphycollection.com/woodie.html
I did this on my '40 coupe when I was a kid. I chopped the top 1 3/4", So then all the vent wing and stuff would not work. I was 15 and had very little money, so that's the way I drove it for a long time (until I was 32) . I used an old pair of seat belts...when the seat belt was latched,it held the window up. When released, it fell down on stops inside the door. It would be even easier on a Model A. This was an old drag racers trick That my dad taught me to save weight, so it's traditional to boot
The "Jeep" slider windows had a regulator inside the door, with a spring to "balance" the weight of the glass. The window would stay where you put it. That was used on all the "Postal Jeeps". 4TTRUK
Model T closed cars prior to 1926 had strap lifted and retained windows, also the closed T trucks from 1925-1927. Simple simon.
I'm thinking I'll use leather belts. My vision has a 3/16 or 1/4 inch piece of HDPE under the belt as it passes over the door with a metal loop, such as the pieces that stop the doors from opening too far, over that to hold the belt in position. I'm thinking I should use some sort of spring where the belt attaches to the bottom of the window to keep tension on the window when it is all the way up.
The problem with sliding them horizontally instead of vertically is you can only have half the opening.
Check older british cars as well. I used to have an old Fordson Pickup e83w. It had sliding windows with a chromed metal clip/grasp/grip/pull that slipped over the top of the window. Really simple and one hand to lift it up. To lock it, in the up position only, it had a simple lever/pivoted slide that would move under the glass. Check this page http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1162384-1954-fordson-truck.html and scroll half way down. On the green/white van you can just see the metal clip at the top center of the window and you can see it a little better on the white truck underneath. cheers ricki
[QUOTE This was an old drag racers trick That my dad taught me to save weight, so it's traditional to boot[/QUOTE] I think the 68 factory hemi Dart and Barracuda had this set up with plexi-glass.
I finally had glass cut, and put it in using new (Chinese, damn) mechanisms. I’m happy with this setup, still think the straps would have been interesting but there ain’t much room in there to be pulling and latching a strap.
I had a pal that used leather straps that hung over the inside lip of his model A sedan doors and a carriage head bolt at the bottom of the door for the leather slot could attach when the window was closed. HRP
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