@bchrismer & I, cowl vents open, on the way to HAMB Drags a couple of years ago..... stopped to visit the famous @povertyflats, taker of this pic.
I love em, but... Engine set back on my Coupe didn't allow it, so it is filled. BUT I got wing vents!!
My 35 sedan still has a working cowl vent, it leaks a bit in the rain even with a brand new gasket but it isn’t too bad. After I put the a/c in the car the original lever wouldn’t work so I put a servo on it and operate the vent with a switch in the glovebox. Even with the a/c it saved our bacon on our last Route 66 trip...sometimes you just don’t need air conditioning.
I tried to use a electric headlight motor to actuate a vent when I put a/c in my Dodge panel and could not get it to seal well enough. The original mechanisms usually go over center to pull tight against the seal.
even with a/c i like my cowl vent(s) i have a friend with a 32 5 window that the vent was filled when he bought it. we got a brookfield roadster repair vent section and i cut out the top and replaced it. it was filled very poorly, they hammered the vent down and then proceeded to cover it in a nice thick layer of lead. the car is black with no air so you can image how much he enjoys having the vent
The only car I owned with a cowl vent was my ‘37 Packard. The relief it provided sure helped on hot summer days, even at low speed...
useful except for hitting yer head on the handle if working under the dash.....c'mon ..must have happened to somebody else!!!
I had the cowl on my 1st series '55 PU filled, put in Vintage AC. Realized the benefits of the cowl vent in a '38 Chev coupe I had (it had Vintage AC), so decided to put it back during it's current re-do. Put an electric opener to facilitate the AC. Hope it all works when finished. Have no mods on the roadster so it still has the vent w/AC behind it. Love those vents.
The cowl vent on my 32 roadster was filled at some point in time. It was leaded but has low spots. I had been debating whether or not to try to repair what I have, but I believe I will cut it out and replace it . I have an original vent and cowl top that was in the pile of parts when I bought the car.
Mine was installed by the previous owner after the earlier owner had filled it in! I sure do enjoy it
I found out the hard way with a swarm in my '33 2door. I now have a '34 door that comes with a screen.
I still have the cowl vent in mine even with the A/C. It does leak a little- but that is due mostly to my poor engineering when I converted it to power to allow room for the A/C unit.I find I use the cowl vent in conjunction with a window for two lane cruising and early daytime when it’s cooler out.If I am on the super slab on a hot afternoon- the windows go up, the vent closes and on comes the A/C. Would not be without the cowl vent if possible
My 31 Pontic doesn't have one. I cut a donor out of a 41 Chevy. Been sitting there about 9 years as im having a hard time bringing myself to cut the cowl.
got the ccowl vent working in my 38,i love it.only problem i had with it was getting springs,in the end i used 2 lokar trottle return springs in stainless ,works well
"Hotter than monkey love"! I nearly pissed my pants laughing about it. I've never heard that one before.
Do you guys use any kind of screen on the 32 cowl vents ? I have seen some for sale but not sure if it was something like that as factory equipment or it is just modern upgrade.
Got one on my 34 (sorry don't seem to have any pics of it open) but I always make sure it shut tight before going to warp speed.
Louvering the hood top and opening the cowl vent seems counter productive, doesn't it just suck in hot air?
Planning on putting a Brookville 32 cowl vent on my 29 Highboy Roadster Any tips would be appreciated
Somebody cut the cowl vent off the 32 cowl I have, I found an original 32 cowl vent with the recess on my cowl but I'm planning on a Duvall windshield so maybe twin cowl vent or vent on the cowl sides since I have a pair from a Jaguar XK 140. Anyway cowl vents add some creature comfort.
My Sport Coupe is fully functional, call it "cowl induction", "astro ventilation", & if I open the rear top flap "flow thru ventilation" in the latter mode hang on to your hat & any loose items......
The cowl vent on my '50 Chevy AD truck was filled in by the prev-own. I think he did it because it was janked up and he chose the easy route on the build. It's too bad because to me, it's not just a missing detail; an important feature is missing. Cowl vents are one of those tipping points between rod/classic and 'street rod' territory.
I love cowl vents, and have always been a bit puzzled when I see cars with the cowl vents deleted. Most of these old hotrods (especially closed cabs!) can get a bit warm in the foot area on warmer days with V8's swapped in, and even opening windows rarely gets rid of the heat around your lower legs. But open up the cowl vent and the heat is immediately gone. My cowl vent on my '39 Chev was in great shape, especially considering how rotted the lower sheet metal was, but the seal was gone. I found some universal soft hollow weatherstrip that had 3M self adhesive peel and stick backing. Only about 1/4" tall and 3/8" wide, but it fit the channel easily, and makes a watertight seal when the vent is closed. Wish my other hotrod, my old Austin gasser, had a cowl vent. It has a crank open windshield that opens almost horizontal, but even fully open it doesn't evacuate heat around your feet.
I’ve had quite a few bees and bugs invade my space in my 34 pickup. I’ve never seen a aftermarket or stock application for a screen in those years. I have considered building a box that would hold a screen in place that still had an opening that allows air on my lap.
My old friend bought a 57 Corvette. I went with him to a car show, top down. Boy was that car hot; the air was dead, nothing coming around/over the windshield. We both agreed the air was stagnant and mentioned it to mutual friend and he said did you open the cowl vent? Didn't know it had one!
The Jalopy Journal
