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Sitting slightly nose-high and looking that much more restrained with dog dish hubcaps framed in bias-ply blackwalls, this ’62 Chevy bubbletop is as sinister as it is subdued. In fact, as smooth as these panels are, one has to wonder if this car has ever broken a sweat or even turned a wheel with aggression since it rolled off the showroom floor.

WINDSOR CASTLE

While the small-block Chevy is the popular engine choice for many enthusiasts, many are now relying on a Blue Oval heart for their performance bodies. With its link to Ford, the original body manufacturer for many of the classic cars we see today, the small-block Windsor-style Ford engine offers several advantages. When compared to Chevy, the lack of firewall clearance for a number of Chevy engine swaps is due to the rear distributor position of the engine. The front-mount distributor position is the more logical place to drive the distributor and the oil pump. Not to mention, it’s much more convenient.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Artec Industries NEW Bantam Series Bumpers

Artec Industries, specializing in designing and manufacturing high-quality off-road components for Jeep, Toyota, Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Scout, or Custom vehicles, is known for its innovative designs, quality reputation, fast shipping, and exceptional customer service. Founded in 2003 by Artie Nuttall, the company has a mission to provide world-class aftermarket automotive parts to off-road enthusiasts and to break the mold on what has been done in the industry. Artec’s relentless dedication ensures that it consistently exceeds customer expectations and earns their trust through unparalleled service.

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ELECTRIFIED

INSTALLING ELECTRIC-LIFE’S POWER WINDOW KIT

If you are like many of us who have at one time or another opted for a less expensive vehicle to build, then this how-to will be of interest to you. At the cost of certain features or creature comfort conveniences—mundane items like power windows and locks—we often begin with what may be considered a strippo model or a basic transportation car that is ... well, available. These cars can, after all, make for a great foundation that can easily be personalized, just like we are doing here.

Author

Robert Benner

Photography by Chris Fesler

If you are unfortunate enough to own such a vehicle—like the Civic DX, which never offered power windows—then the thought of adding them has no doubt crossed your mind. The notion that power windows would make your vehicle just a little bit nicer is a sound one and that is where an Electric-Life power window kit comes into play.

The Electric-Life kit includes everything you need to convert your manual windows to power. Electric-Life offers several different types of electric window kits, along with a full range of accessories for just these types of cars. And how about this little-known fact: Electric-Life power window systems are standard equipment on all Ferraris. So, with a set, you could say that you have the same!

In addition to the typical universal-style power window kits, Electric-Life manufactures a large number of vehicle-specific kits that completely replace the manual window regulator and can also be used to replace a faulty OEM power window regulator. In our case, for the ’00 Honda Civic, Electric-Life builds a complete, custom-fit, bolt-in window kit. Along with the window kit, a complete switch kit and wiring harness were also obtained from Electric-Life.

To do the job right and to get the lowdown for this how-to, we took the car and the kit down to Unique Car Audio in Gilbert, Arizona, to document the installation. Check out the following photos and see if you feel this is something you can do in your backyard to add a bit of convenience to your ride.

Another thing: when customizing the interior of your car, it is often easier to replace the existing window mechanisms and include a power set for that custom touch. Either way, this is an inexpensive way to add a bit of class to that tuner car of yours.

1. Here is the door before we started with the power conversion. Soon the manual crank will be gone and the pure convenience of power will take its place.

2. Before the door panel could be removed, the door pull was unscrewed and removed from the door.

3. The panel behind the door handle needed to be removed as well.

4. The clip that secures the window crank was removed and discarded.

5. Finally, the speaker grille was removed, as well as the screws that secure the door panel behind it.

6. The door panel was removed by pulling it away at the bottom and lifting up to clear the inner door panel structure.

7. Here you can see the factory manual window regulator and the four bolts that secure it to the door.

8. The four bolts around the crank were removed, along with two bolts that secured the bottom of the regulator to the door.

9. A pair of bolts secures the window glass to the regulator. Both of these were removed and the glass lifted up.

10. A few strips of masking tape hold the window in its up position so it will not interfere with the removal and installation of the window regulators.

11. With everything disconnected, the manual window regulator was removed through the large hole in the door and set aside.

12. Here you can see the Electric-Life electric regulator (bottom) and manual regulator (top).