Wanting to know why deck lids are louvered. It wasnt for weight or to get the heat out. Why ? Was wanting to get mine louvered and cant find a reason accept to get everything wet . But it shure looks COOL !!!
THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION....quite possibly the best question all week...being a Kustom guy I guess I am just not a fan of louvers! John
I think it started on race cars to let any air that came in thru the front or over the windshield of the car flow out easily thru the back. Think about the shape of the trunk and rear quarter panels and then relate that to a parachute that uses trapped air to slow it down. Just a guess, but it seems like a good idea to me!
At a buck fifty a hole I was just wondering. But they are cool. But there has to be a perfect reason.
On high-speed runs--air pressure builds thru the car from the front, sides,and bottom---and needs to get out--or the pressure will lift the back of the car. Plus---it looks *****in!
if batteries are mounted in the trunk, it allows the fumes to escape. i don't know...it sounded good anyway. plus, they just look cool.
My favorite response so far... I'm not certain either, but I thought it was also for flow through the car.
So the kid in the trunk could breath. Actually I thought it was for air flow and ventilation when a battery was placed back there also. Steve
Because it looks nicer than just chopping a bunch of holes in the trunk lid to facilitate airflow at speed. Many of the stock cars that ran no winndshield gl*** also had the rear window openings enlarged for the same reason.
Probably originated with land speed racing,,,plus the louvered truck lid can also be used to slice cheese . HRP
I guess its for air flow. The prez didnt even reply. Hey 3wLarry . is there a reason for the louvers ?
Actually, a lot of the stock cars had the rear window enlarged so they could throw the extra tires in the car while flat towing the racer to the track. That, and so the driver could see out the rear better. Remember back then, no one had enclosed trailers ( only the high $$$ guys even had a open trailer ) and there were no two way radios in the cars for " spotters " to use to communicate with the driver
It was definitly for dry lakes and land speed racing in the 20's and 30's. In the days before full belly pans, the floor would be cut away in the trunk area to lighten the car----the resultant build up of air pressure under the rear of the car would actually lift the rear wheels, causing loss of control. The louvers in the decklid let this air buildup escape.
I'm sure they weren't the first but the 1924 Bugatti G.P. cars had six loovers per side on the tail to relieve any air inside the tail. They were a reverse punched loover, so they scooped out more air IMO that the common punched from the inside out ones we see most of the time.
as far as getting things wet with a louvered trunk goes, the thing to do is just double wall the trunk lid. that is if you are going for the look but don't want your stuff to get wet. dan
Rodder's Journal did a article on how things go from having a function to for apearance. Louvers for airflow. Finned parts for cooling. Now it's just cause they're Kool lookin'. Being Pennsylvania Dutch my Grandmom has this kool four sided lettuce,cabbage shredder that has four different sizes of shapened louvers for shedden' veggies. Have fun,Smokey
On lakes cars, it was to let any trapped air out, as others have said. Or nowadays, to make pinstripers rich and paint guys cuss. Thanks for the pic, Nick!
Dee Wescott, is making gl*** louvered deck lids. he says the Bonneville boys requested them. breaks the airflow and lift. he claims there worth 10 mph on the top end
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