Door questions

[ChadM89]

I'm confused about something, maybe you guys can help me out.

If you go to buy a window regulator, you have to choose between 73-81 or 82-87 pickups. So, they are apparently different in some way.

Yet, if you go to buy a door, you choose 77-87. If the door is the same on a 79 as it is on an 84, then shouldn't the window regulators be interchangeable as well?

[Slonaker]

The doors are interchangeable, but are not the same on the inside. The early and late doors use different interior pieces, and probably have different regulators if they call for different parts.

Slonaker

[ChadM89]

Right, I know the interior is different, like the door panels. But what I'm saying is, if you buy a door, then you're picking a door for 77-87. So if you have a 1978 pickup, you buy the door, then put all of your original hardware in it, right? The windows and regulators, the locks, the handles and everything. But say I have a 1984 truck. I buy the same door. This means I should be able to buy that same door and put all of my original, 1984 hardware in it too - windows, regulators, locks, handles, all of that. Right? Or no?

If I'm right, then you should be able to take a complete window and door lock assembly from a 1978 truck and put it in a 1984 door.

Yet when you look up the window regulator parts, they have different part numbers for 73-81 and 82-87. I'm wondering if this is because the regulators for 73-81 are only compatible with the window motors for those same years. But what if you're replacing ALL of it? Since the doors are the same for 77-87, those systems should be interchangeable.

But I'm no expert... or I wouldn't be here asking for help haha.

[ChadM89]

Well I called Chevy Duty and talked to a tech there.

He told me that the motor changed between those years, that's why a different regulator would be needed if you were changing that part alone. But the doors are the same, so if you're changing everything out, there's no problem.

I just picked up a complete kit - power window motors w/ regulators, power door lock actuators, all wiring and switches for both doors - for 165 bucks. I'm stoked.