I agree, hands down long live the cowl vent! Off course, but as mentioned earlier, window vents. Turn past 90 degress.....instant air doesn't get any better that that.
My T Coupe has a gas tank door that I plan on turning into a cowl vent. I just need to make a little bit of ductwork to keep the bugs and rain from getting on my dash wiring.
Bob Drake makes a good re-pro gasket. The one in my 32 roadster has been sealing well for 14 years. If you forget and open it the day after you wash the car you get some water on your foot. Works best to let it dry out a couple days. My MSD 6al is mounted on the inside of the firewall and gets cooled by the blast of air coming in. Dunno if that helps or not, but the 6al is doing ok - about 13 years so far. Dr J is right about a louvered hood top dumping hot air into the pass compartment when the cowl vent is open. Generally, it's not too much hotter than ambient cuz most of the engine's air flows out of the side louvers . . . Henry put em there for a reason. Air flow patterns change as speed is gained and it looks like airflow out of the hood top louvers is blocked by high pressure on the top side of the hood. Just an observation, I probably ought to run some tuft tests and see what really does happen. Air flowing into the cowl at highway speeds seems to be the same temp as ambient. Strangely enough, it helps to weatherstrip roadster doors because air flow from the side louvers enters the door gaps - front, rear & bottom and it can be pretty hot at times. Wear shorts and you'll see what I mean. Interestingly, when you put the roadster top on and leave the rear window snapped closed it creates a low pressure area in the cockpit and door gap air is really sucked in then. With the rear window snapped open, it's almost as good as when the top is off, but . . . no shade....
If you silly buggers didn't drive on the wrong side of the road you wouldn't get wet right feet. My cowl vent works fine..... and is watertight, now if I could just stop the windscreen leakin' I wouldn't have a wet!!!...
My 50chevy p.u. has 2-one on the side, and the one up top-they' re both open from April to November. I love em. Heard them called "cock coolers?"
Cowl vents are way cool. The previous owner of my F-100 filled the vent in favor of an under-dash A/C unit. I'll be un-filling it as soon as I can and figuring out something else for the A/C.
Having a cowl vent is the best thing ever when you don´t have air condition!!!!!! I love it ! Plus rolled down rear window in my 36 and then it´s perfect ! Fun part is when your wearing real wide canvas bellbottom (or sailor) pants.The air "blows up" your and your co-drivers legs constantly and it looks very funny !
With a cowl vent, a crank-out windshield, and a roll-down rear window, there wasn't an Ohio summer day in the 1960s that couldn't be enjoyed in my old 5-window. The sumers are just as hot nowadays, but some jackass filled in the cowl vent on my '40 Chev before I bought it. I'm considering opening it back up, but the miraculous discovery in the 1940s of VENT WINDOWS so far has kept the summer cruises perfectly comfortable on 90+ degree days.
The cowl vent gaskets are often installed incorrectly by many. The usual moulded "foam" rubber vent gasket is wide and flat at the "bottom" and slopes inward to a slightly narrower and round-shouldered "top". BUT the tapered "top" is really the BOTTOM and is made to fit flush in the trough leaving the nice flat "bottom" at the TOP to seal against the knife-edge of the vent lid.
my friend uses the cowl vent on his 40 ford coupe, as a ram air intake for the engine. he built an air box for the carb, and ran ducting from the box, to the cowl vent.. it's pretty much a street rod, but was a former super gas car when he got it. full tube chassis, engine set back, full cage, narrowed and tubbed 9" the works. all he did was put a "little" 406 chevy in it, hooked up the lights, put street tires on it and plated it. the car runs consistent 11.0's in the 1/4 with street tires (hoosiers), and he drives it EVERYWHERE. the only thing that is a pain is that it only has a 10 gallon fuel cell in the trunk. but, the cowl vent as a ram air intake works great, and it looks awesome.
Best thing I've seen to use is F-1 thru F-100 pickup. (vent AND hardware!) It has great geometry, screen, and locks in open and closed positions! (when adjusted properly, and spring-bolt secured with a Nyloc nut!)
I filled the cowl vent opening in someone else's 34 so I could use the parts to put mine back in. Dave
I'm about to fill a cowl vent. I don't hate it, per se....I'm just doing it 'cos I have 4 '27T cowls....and want some practice gas welding. PLUS the one I'm about to fill is a knackered cowl that'd already been filled (BADLY!), so I'm just doing it right.
What do the vents on these measure? You mentioned geometry, is that the operating mechanism geometry or he surface curve of the vent lid proper? Would it be possible for you to measure one of these for me? It would be appreciated.
I liked the cowl vent in my thirty five Plymouth when I lived in So Cal it was all you needed. They are cool! Rags
Rick, agree 100%. Spousal unit severely underestimated the capabilities of my version of "a/c". We took a cruise to Sonic the other night, and I cracked the windshield (vent stays open), and she was delighted. Almost like ridin', only shadier.
It's just like shaving door handles. Removing a very functional piece just to say you "customized" your car. Modifications, for the sake of modifications. It's funny how many shave their door handles and break the vent window mechanism, or leave the main window part way down to access the car instead of installing poppers of some sort. I know, you've seen it on some of my cars. But it was done prior to me getting the car
I love them. I have one in my 1933 PU roadster. I thought about filling it in so I could put a duvall style windshield on but finally said ... Naw. Put an old style windhsield on and keep the vent. Besides its the only A/C I got
if it makes you feel better, buddy, I'm keeping the one in the 48 and was thinking about adding them to the sides of the Econo, like a Stude
I put a "Cooter Cooler" on my Model A during the build of it..... came out of 1930 Chrysler... and then later I changed back to a modified A gas tank for Model A aesthetics. I've been thinking about putting it back on, and putting some other kind of dash into it. I didn't want to do the bellybutton '32 dash, I have located a 1930 Chrysler dash for it, so may I cut that up, after I get a bunch of other crap done. I don't know, I think I think too much sometimes.
I love cowl vents...I'm taking one from a 36 Studebaker Dictator and mating it to my 31 Model A cowl in my Vicky behind the tunnel ram...for some added breeze and 110 octane...
I filled the cowl vent on the truck because of a few reasons... My truck is channeled about 8-9 inches with a good sized trans hump. plus I have some SW gauges from the late fifties. Also there was not much left of the vent. If I where to leave it in I would have had tidal waves, on the inside of the cab hitting my vintages gauges, (one of them is ammeter - so there is 12 volts going to it... water + 12 volts + metal everywhere = not good) plus there is a vintage heater (for the pileup) in the way. So allot of it is due to needing too. but I will always have my push out windshield (I love it), great at 70 mph, on a hot day. Tony
Mine had one, but no more. It was filled when it was rodded 20 years ago. Can't even tell that one ever existed. I wish they had done that. I would love to have one. Don't need a/c most days so the cowl vent would be really nice. Hood is not vented so wouldn't have to worry about heat, although it would be nice to have that on November mornings especially since the car doesn't have a heater either.
I spent an entire Sunday putting the vent back in the cowl of my 5W. I scored an original vent door and used Brookville guts. The original gutter was still there. The guy who filled it used 1/8 plate, stick welded it and warped the shit out of the cowl. Took awhile to straighten that out. Nothin's better'n factory air! Here's a boring photo because I don't want a "This post is useless without a photo" from HRLC!!!
I know what you mean, the one on my 40 was leaded in long ago, I'm wanting to open it, hope its not welded! That thing gets awful hot on a summer day!
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