Howdy all, I just got my xB a few weeks ago and I am going to do a few mods over the next few months. I was thinking about one that I have not seen anyone mention here, which surprises me. I would like to find a way to open my rear window, the one in the hatch, I am sure it is possible there are many SUV's with them so I am thinking with a little creativity this is possible. Has anyone ever done something similar? I will get around to checking the hatch for space and tracking down a motor etc, but I am wondering if someone has a few pointers for saving headaches, money, time, labor...you know the parts of modding that aren't fun... and please if anyone has theories or suggestions I would love to hear them as well.

Many Thanks,

Matt

 

someone correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't the antenna for the stereo embedded into the glass of the rear windows? I think I read that somewhere..

 

Never seen it done, good luck. There have been people who have talked about it, but I am not sure if anyone got anywhere.

The antennas are in the rearmost side windows. The hatch window has the defroster only.

 

Admittedly, it would be pretty cool, but I can't imagine the cost of doing so.

 

yeah its been talked about but no one has done it that i know of but it would be extremely hard and there really is no room inside the hatch for the glass, maybe if you shaved the hatch glass and just made a small rectangular window like in a hot rod you may have more luck

 

Other problems are exhaust coming in and all the dirt that usually lands on the rear window too. I don't even know how the glass is held on back there.

 

it'd be easy to do a pop out sindow but a slide down. have fun with that .

the glass is glued in place.

 

Looked at mine tonight and it may require making the bottom of the hatch thicker to let the glass slide in. Maybe you could frame it since the edges of the glass are blacked out anyway you may be able to use a smaller piece of glass to open instead of the entire piece.

 

Turning it into a roll-down would require a lot of fabbing. It's the full width of the hatch, so you'd need to cut it down. You'd also need to add to bottom of the hatch to make room for the glass, the motor, etc.

I'd guess you could think of way cooler mods for the effort it would take.

 

It would take a coachbuilding firm to solve all the problems. The present glass is adhered to the outside of a thin hatch. A new thicker hatch would have to be made, with a channel for a different smaller window, a lifting mechanism (regulator), and an electric motor.

 

I've thought of that one before, too, but as everyone's mentioned, it seems like it would be WAYYY more trouble than "having the cool mod" would be worth.
I've also thought that having rear side windows (on each side of the cargo area, directly behind each rear door glass) that hinged out (like old hatchbacks had) would be cool, too. Anybody figured that one out???

 

that'd be easy to do.

 

I have been thinking about this for quite a while. I think that you'd definately have to make the window smaller. Also, the rear isn't perfectly flat, you would have to account for that too.

I'm thinking one day I might do a pop-up window. Wouldn't take as much fabrication and it would be 80's mini-trucking cool.

 

First off thanks for the responses...I did take a look at it more closely and I think it would be a nightmare to do for all of the reasons stated. I guess I will just have to make it pop and be happy with it. Maybe find some tof the motorized latches from an old caravan or something so I don't have to do it manually, and I guess while I am at it popping the 2 mini windows would be cool as well.

Again Many Thanks for the thoughts,

Matt

 

Expand, please!

 

remove glass , get thing window seal and glue around all edges of the window , find a slimline hinge off a donor car , find a latch off a donor car.


drill , bolt , drill bolt and voila. could be done for under 100 bucks if you can find the hinges and clasp closures at somewhere like pick n pull.

 

I'd rather see a side swinging door like on the Lexus SUV