Hot Rods Vent windows or no vent windows?

I recently got into a argument over the deletion of the vent window on a custom build and am now curious as to what my fellow HAMBer's think.

When I see a deleted vent window I see the same thing I see when I see shaved door handles, deleted wipers, or a lowered more aggressive suspension: the elimination of unneeded clutter and the use of modern technology in efforts of building the ultimate machine.

Other people see the deleted vent window and instantly think that the only reason the vent window was deleted is because the builder didn't have either the skills, time, or money to properly chop the wind wing.

lets hear your 2 cents....

 

the builder didn't have either the skills, time, or money to properly chop the wind wing.

 

^^^^^^ yep.

 

for most cars I'd say this, which reminds me I really need to chop the wing windows in my wife's merc.....

 

I am deleting the vent windows on the '51 GMC that I am in the process of building.

I feel that it makes for a cleaner look and In my opinion acentuates the chop by making the side window openings look longer.

Interestingly the advance design trucks came from the factory in both flavors; the early ones had no vent windows (one piece door glass) and the later ones had vent windows.

In order to delete the vent windows in my truck I got a pair of the earlier doors; I'm not sure if that is easier or harder than chopping the vent window frame.

Like all subjective things it boils down to what the owner wants.

 

My thoughts as well.
It's a lot of work to do them right AND make them work, but well worth the effort in my own opinion.
I spent a lot of time when i chopped my old 53 Chevy making sure they fit and worked. It's, again in my opinion, one of the finishing touch's to a nice chop.
I don't care for fixed vents on a chop either for the same reason's quoted above.

Tony

 

I agree with everyone else on this. Chopping a wind wing is a pain at best and gets worse as your skill lever goes down.

It was a styling cue that became polular I believe in the later '80s (correct me if I'm wrong) and it is supposed to make your roof line look lower according to an article I read in the '90s.

All that said friend rebuilt a '40 Ford that he has owned since in highschool. It was not chopped and he opted for vents delete because he had seen one that way in the early '60 (he was class of '62) and had always wanted to do one that way. So I suppose there is an anti-argument for the one I agree with.

 

This is our radical custom 51 fleetline............no vent windows for the reason mentioned above...............it is gonna end up with a fixed window where the vent was

 

HRM2K,
Maybe a whole pic of the car to drive home what you are saying. Well that and while it isn't normally considered totally trade I like to look at a more modern custom once in a while.

Hard to tell from the picture but I'll just about bet that will be one smooth custom when it is finished. Modern or not.

 

About the only argument for them is if your area is hot in the Summer & you don't have A/C in the car, the deflection can feel good!

 

It depends on the car, if it's done in a "smooth" style then you need to get rid of them, if it's done more traditionally, then they need to be there, since the car won't have ac and it will show off the builders skill.

That's on a custom....but on a car that's more of an old hot rod, you need to leave them on, they're part of what makes old cars neat

 

Dead on correct................ours will not be a HAMB friendly custom

and for porkandbeaner, here is that full side shot

 

Thanks I needed that HAMB friendly or not.

Here is one without vent windows that looks OK. I doubt that it is traditional though or that the builders had the skill set to chop a pair of vent windows.

BTW I stole this from a craigs list ad I hope the ad poster doesn't mind.

 

For me, those details make the car so I made bloody (literally) sure that I kept them. When they are missing the style looks too 'modern' for my taste. I have the same problem with 'hardtopping' pre-'50's customs -but that's just me.
As a rank amateur with time, perseverance, and no money to have it professionally done, I did the vent windows and the quarter-window flip outs on my '46 Lincoln.....

 

I really like the flip outs. I just happen top have an extra pair of hinges and latches for a stude starlight that I was thinking of using on the wife's '38.

I know that it is not the OPs purpose for the thread but it is a pretty slick custom touch not seen very often.

Quick question for ya. Are those door tops supposed to be that thick? Just curious.

 

I was going to eliminate mine, but when it came down to it, it just didn't look right to me. I'm in the process of adding them. (Should have kept my cowl vent too.)

 

Has to have them.

 

There is no yes/no answer to vent windows. Each car/style has to be handled on an individual basis. The trick is to get the style correct and follow through. Many just shave everything off because it's easy and cheap. But the details of a well chopped car are what makes the look complete, be it vent windows, inner garnish moldings or stainless trim. To me, getting all the little stuff nailed is just as important as getting the chop proportions right.

 

Bad Shifter,
You are absolutly correct on this point. Look at the Hirohata Merc and the Ayala T Bird. One with and one without both spot on.

They say that the devil's in the details.

Uh never mind I just went and looked early birds didn't have vent windows. I thought they did. Maaan am I having a dumb day or what?

 

I'll take the blame for killing vent window by the dozens... Cal look VW's, early eighties! I made tons of bucks installing the kits that every shop sold for 39.00. After that, I started seeing them show up in '53-'56 F-100s, and then everything in the nineties. We were mini truckers before there were mini truckers! In my defense, By the late eighties I had understood the value of vent wings and would never consider getting rid of them today. Matter of fact, Over the years, a couple of guys that had me do the deed back in the day brought their cars back in to re-install vent wings! Not such an easy deal on '64 and earlier bugs, by the way.
I fall in the same catagory as most everybody else posted so far. If it's a traditional car, it needs vent wings. Drives me absolutely nuts when I have to drive a late model car around without them on a nice day, gotta keep the 'due lookin' good, right?!

 

""the builder didn't have either the skills, time, or money to properly chop the wind wing.""


while not a fan of no vent windows on a car that came with them I can tell you on 49 - 52 Chevys at least that it would take more effort to remove them than to chop them.... unless you are not running any side glass at all, but that's a whole nuther subject

 

NL
New cars were not designed to drive with the windows down. because of the aero effect designed into them they tend to buffet the hell out of you with the window down.

The wife and I like to roll down the glass and listen to the night. We bot dealy love vent windows to smooth out the wind noise so we can hear what is going on outside. That has nothing to do with style but everything to do with an enjoyable ride. nothing like a late night cruise in the country with the windows down.

 

Depends on the car and style and if you like them or not. I've seen them removed on same model unchopped car i have and they horrible. Seen them removed on the same model car but chopped and it looked great. Then seen same model car, chopped with them in and it looked equally good.

I'm a fan of moredoors, especially chopped ones and without the vents my favourite car wouldn't look any where near as good. Not to everyones taste but there you go.

 

I like vent wings chopped down....

 

Gene Winfield might disagree a bit


Back in the 80's I talked to Dick Dean about this while he was chopping a top for me. His take on it was that back then it was more expensive and harder to do one piece glass. His reasoning being that with stock glass all you had to do was cut it down, but One Piece was more expensive as you had to have someone make the glass for you in a larger size. There are also complications with interference with door and window opening mechanisms that can get int he way. In some cases he said even the door hinge pockets make it hard or impossible to do a one piece.

So there's a different side to the story

 

Two things: the door tops are thick and look thicker due to the reduced size of the window height as well as the odd angle of the photo and the door not being closed....

 

I couldn't get past the practicality of vent windows. Half the air flow in a car can be through them. The ones in my Stude Commander were great.

Also how do you break into your car when you lock the keys inside without vent windows


Sent from my iPhone using TJJ

 

The vertical line of the vent window interrupts the line of sight when you look at the side of a car. Eliminate it, and the car LOOKS smoother, and lower. I eliminated mine, but did not do a chop, and I swear it makes the car look chopped.

 

I'm in the same boat P&ber! As I said, I've repented! I remeber back in the early ninties when I was putting my Plymouth together, my buddies were o me to shave the trim and get rid of vent wings... I stood my ground and have thanked myself everyday! Damn good thing I rarely have to drive late model stuff.

 

some look nice without them, some dont
I like the use of them, and how they can be used to push air into the cab or to pull it out.and if you smoke, they work well for that too
seems like a lot of work for little benifit, maybe its one of those things you do...because you can