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Tools needed:

[ul][*]portable drill[*]1/4" drill bit[*]ruler/tape measure & sharpie[*]metric socket or nut driver set[*]phillips #2 screwdriver[*]flat blade screwdriver (for prying)[*]automotive grease[*]wire cutters and wire strippers[*]electrical tape or shrink wrap[*]solder and soldering gun (optional)

Description:

Initially, GM used a very poorly designed power window regulator in the C4. This regulator, commonly referred to as the "ribbon style" was prone to failure, and wisely redesigned midway through the 1986 production run.
http://webpages.charter.net/khasting...ges/oldreg.jpgThe early style regulator, show at left, has a sealed motor, and can't be easily serviced. If the flimsy ribbon doesn't break, then over time, the grease on the ribbon attracts dirt and hardens, packing grime into the motor, slowing it down and eventually overloading it. Both of my units were slow and noisy when I purchased my car, and made it seem cheap and old. It wasn't until one of the ribbons snapped, and the entire window crashed down into the door innards, that I finally decided to upgrade.
http://webpages.charter.net/khasting...ges/newreg.jpgThe newer style regulator, at right, uses a "scissor style" assembly, driven by a steel gear. It operates quickly, quietly, and doesn't depend on a thin nylon ribbon to carry the weight of the window. They can be purchased for anywhere from $120 used to $500 for a new set. The only modifications required involve drilling two carefully placed holes in the bottom side of the door, and a very simple modification of the passenger side motor wiring harness.[/ul]
Put both windows in the down position. For safety reasons, disconnect the battery's negative terminal or pull the courtesy and power window fuses.
We'll start out by gutting the driver's side door. First, slide the manual door lock lever forward. Now get a finger behind the front edge of it, and pry the plastic piece outward towards you. If it feels like you're going to break it, or your finger, you're on the right track. This is the most difficult part of the entire process. After that little piece comes flying off, push the lock rod rearward, and slip it up behind the clearance cut into the plastic surround, otherwise it will get interfere with removal of the door panel.
The inner door panel is held on by phillips screws. There are several spaced out along the lower edge of the carpet, one behind the door handle, three in the plastic that surrounds it, two in the arm rest hole, four in the speaker cover, and one on the back edge of the door panel near the hatch release switch. After removing these, slide the door panel upwards and it should come loose. Be careful, since there are still electrical harnesses attached to it. Unplug the rear hatch switch's wiring, and the window washer control harness. The door lock switch's plug must be pried out evenly. I found this quite difficult to remove, so I took the extra step of removing the plastic door latch surround first. To do this, first remove the two phillips screws that go upward into the courtesy light. The arm rest pad also needs to be removed. There are two molded-in teeth that clip it on to the door panel. One is located about 1/3 of the way toward the back of the fat horizontal part of the pad. The other is near the top of the inclined part up front. Push the pad inwards towards the door panel while pulling up on the inside edge of the pad (in each tooth location). Once this is loose, remove the arm rest plastic piece and set the pad aside. The plastic door latch surround can now be dislodged from the door panel, and fished back through it with the wiring still attached. Set the door panel aside. The courtesy light plug is brown, and the door lock switch can now be accessed more easily. Three pins protrude into the plug, so pry the plug off evenly, so as not to damage the pins.
After peeling away the clearn plastic cover, your door should look like the photo below. The four wire harness plugs that needed to be removed are highlighted.
http://webpages.charter.net/khasting...es/window1.jpg
Next, the inner door metal needs to be removed next. It's held on by hex screws, door lock/latch rods, and the wire harness clips. First, detach the wire harness from it, and remove all the hex bolts and screws. The two lock rod clips are circled below. You'll need to get your flat blade screwdriver back there and pry the rods out of the plastic clips.
http://webpages.charter.net/khasting...es/window2.jpg
The door latch rod is held onto door handle by a small metal clip. The clip can be slid partway off, allowing the end of the rod to slip up and out of the hole. The lock rock is a little more tricky. It loops through a metal pivot that also attaches to the door lock solenoid rod. I simply bent the metal tangs enough to slip the lock rod out. The door lock solenoid rod is attached to the pivot with a small nylon clip. Rotate the clip slightly and pull the rod out the slit in the backside. Make sure to lay the loose lock rod outward on the fiberglass, so it doesn't get interfere with the regulator's movement. The inner panel should now be completely detached from the fiberglass door frame. Push it downwards into the door until it clears the top edge of the frame, and slide it out. You'll need to really slide it forward and around to get the lock rod disentangled from it.
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Description:

Initially, GM used a very poorly designed power window regulator in the C4. This regulator, commonly referred to as the "ribbon style" was prone to failure, and wisely redesigned midway through the 1986 production run.
http://webpages.charter.net/khasting...ges/oldreg.jpgThe early style regulator, show at left, has a sealed motor, and can't be easily serviced. If the flimsy ribbon doesn't break, then over time, the grease on the ribbon attracts dirt and hardens, packing grime into the motor, slowing it down and eventually overloading it. Both of my units were slow and noisy when I purchased my car, and made it seem cheap and old. It wasn't until one of the ribbons snapped, and the entire window crashed down into the door innards, that I finally decided to upgrade.
[font=verdana][size=2]http://webpages.charter.net/khasting...ges/newreg.jpgThe newer style regulator, at right, uses a "scissor style" assembly, driven by a steel gear. It operates quickly, quietly, and doesn't depend on a<