window regulator

the regulator for my 97grand am Gt coupe is broke in the driver's side window... I was looking for a cheap replacement as the new part costs $150.... does the regulator from other years of the grand am fit it as well... its also a manual window

1] Find a shop with a Hollander's Interchange manual, boneyards usually have one, or even a friendly parts-counter person.

2] A boneyard part [if you pull yourself, some yards will let ya if ya cool with them] will be around $40. BUT, you do the work, have to pull the panel, without doing any real damage [remember, they may want that panel to sell] And, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME WAY TO DRILL THE RIVETS OUT. I capped that on purpose. Wasn't yelling.

3] Or ask them to pull one, add another $20.

1] Find a shop with a Hollander's Interchange manual, boneyards usually have one, or even a friendly parts-counter person.

2] A boneyard part [if you pull yourself, some yards will let ya if ya cool with them] will be around $40. BUT, you do the work, have to pull the panel, without doing any real damage [remember, they may want that panel to sell] And, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME WAY TO DRILL THE RIVETS OUT. I capped that on purpose. Wasn't yelling.

3] Or ask them to pull one, add another $20.

4] Any regulator from 96 to 98 and I belive as early as 92 will work, def the 96 to 98 are the same.
:sunglasse

thanks, liin, I really wish I could afford a Hollander's for my own library, those suckers are expensive, sigh.

Be careful when working with those after you drill the rivets out. That coil spring type deal snapped back and nearly removed my thumb recently after we removed the motor to put a new one on.

I think I am talking about the same thing you guys are. Just trying to help in any case.

If you are getting one from a wreck, just change the whole regulator, that way you don't have to mess with the springs, just bring a big enough drill bit for the rivets, and buy bolts to put it in your car.

The only place I encountered rivets was removing the motor from the bracket that supports the glass. Again, sorry if I am off base here.

Nah, sik, any advice or experience is helpful, all these threads are open for anyone who can add something, even if it may seem small or minor. Sometimes it the little things that get missed, and man can those small things really make you learn a few new words :wink:

Ok after reading what i posted yesterday i realized that i wasn't too clear... From the factory the window regulators are riveted to the doors. A common thing for body shops and mechanics to do when they have to replace the regulators is to drill out the rivets and bolt the new regulators in, just like they do with the ball joints where they attach to the control arms.. Just another one of GM's annoying quirks...