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I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!

18065 messages,  Last post on Dec 08, 2009 at 8:26 PM

You are in the Classic Cars Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright

What is this discussion about? Classic Cars


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#16734 of 18065
Re: cars without air... [hpmctorque] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Jul 11, 2009 (7:27 am)
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Jul 10, 2009 9:47 pm)

The real reason, I think, is VENT WINDOWS. These were marvelous little devices...you could direct a blast of air on your face, you could discreetly discard various items, and they made great defrosters. I really miss 'em.
#16735 of 18065
Re: cars without air... [Mr_Shiftright] by kyfdx HOST
Jul 11, 2009 (7:30 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 11, 2009 7:27 am)

In our neck of the woods, we called them "cozy wings"..
#16736 of 18065
Re: cars without air... [Mr_Shiftright] by hpmctorque
Jul 11, 2009 (7:44 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 11, 2009 7:27 am)

You're right. I'd almost forgotten about vent windows. This is a feature that should be reintroduced.
#16737 of 18065
Re: cars without air... [hpmctorque] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Jul 11, 2009 (7:56 am)
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Jul 11, 2009 7:44 am)

Another nice feature of 50s cars was a large vent on the windshield cowl. You just released a lever under the dash and a hurricane of air came down on your feet. Also, vents in the front fenders did the same thing. You flipped a lever by the kick panel near your left foot. You could also buy a swamp cooler from JC Whitney and hang it under your dash, and a little 6 V fan that you plugged into the cigar lighter and suction-cupped onto the dashboard.
 
But if you were driving in the desert, or on a crowded city street with 90 degree humidity, you just suffered.
 
Most 50s and 60s cars also put out a tremendous amount of engine and transmission heat. I remember T-Birds were notorious for this.
 
I also recall one time sitting in traffic in my old Jaguar, on a 20 degree winter day. The engine was overheating and starting to boil, and yet, just on the other side of the firewall, my feet were blocks of ice. I often wondered why the British couldn't get that amount of heat up front, good enough to melt steel, just a few inches backward into the passenger compartment.
 
#16738 of 18065
Re: cars without air... [Mr_Shiftright] by british_rover
Jul 11, 2009 (8:20 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 11, 2009 7:27 am)

I loved the vent windows on my old Cherokee. They were great when the AC finally died in it I didn't get it fixed for years cause just the vent windows would be plenty of air.
#16739 of 18065
Re: cars without air... [british_rover] by fintail
Jul 11, 2009 (8:24 am)
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Replying to: british_rover (Jul 11, 2009 8:20 am)

I don't see why these can't exist again as a soft pillar, like was used on some Lincoln Mark Vs. My fintail also has vent windows (always called "wing windows" in my family), and they are very handy for ventilation, even on a cold day. The car also has a large vent in front of the windshield, on the cowl, but it doesn't seem to let a ton of air in - not like in the various 1960s Fords my dad had when I was younger - opening the vents on those could let in a huge amount of air, especially at speed.
#16740 of 18065
yes, those were nice.... by ghulet
Jul 11, 2009 (11:29 am)
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....last car we had with ventipanes was the aforementioned Econoline, also had them in mom-n-dad's '72 Chevy pickup. Great if your mom is a smoker, too. I also remember cars with vents that let in so much air, were not filtered, that you'd get things like bugs and leaves through them. Not so nice, but gives you an idea of how much airflow they had.
#16741 of 18065
Re: cars without air... [hpmctorque] by andys120
Jul 11, 2009 (12:57 pm)
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Jul 10, 2009 9:47 pm)

although excellent A/C systems were available on all domestic cars, many, especially in northern climates, considered A/C a luxury. Among those who considered A/C a luxury, there was a sub group who felt it was only appropriate on luxury cars and high end medium priced ones.
 
I agree that was a common attitude. Don't forget that city and town dwellers don't use their cars that often. That explains a lot of the reason why I never bothered getting air when I was a New Yorker but I didn't hesitate to order air con once I was doing sales routes and commuting by car.
 
I knew a woman from Vermont who as recently as the early 90s bought cars without air. I had no idea you could even order a '92 corolla without it.
 
A lot of people might be surprised to learn that most residents of Northern New England, like myself, still do not have air conditioning in their homes. We don't even have (or need) a window unit. When it gets too hot/humid like today I just head for the basement. For the life of me I don't understand why homes in the hot, arid Southwest are built without basements, It's always cool below grade level.
 
 Cars and trucks are a different matter being metal boxes that heat up quickly, cool down slowly and have no basements.
#16742 of 18065
Re: cars without air... [Mr_Shiftright] by andys120
Jul 11, 2009 (1:09 pm)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 11, 2009 7:27 am)

The real reason, I think, is VENT WINDOWS. These were marvelous little devices...you could direct a blast of air on your face, you could discreetly discard various items, and they made great defrosters. I really miss 'em.
 
Not me, I hated those things, not only did they spoil the line of the car but they weren't all that efficient at cooling the interior (or at defrosting). About the only thing my old TR-4 was better at than the Fiat 124 that followed it was top up ventilation.
 
TRs didn't have little vent windows, they had (what a concept) in-dash vents that resemble those on air-conditioned cars>
 

 
Those got air from a simple flap forward of the window, simple, bullet-proof and a lot more effective than a couple of puny little windows.
 
'Course they were the only thing on a TR-4 that worked every time.
 
 See my previous post for a tale of how piss poor vent widows were.
#16743 of 18065
Re: cars without air... [Mr_Shiftright] by hpmctorque
Jul 11, 2009 (1:55 pm)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 11, 2009 7:56 am)

All true. And going back to pre-WWII years, you could crank the windshield open, maybe 3-5 inches, on some cars, and have the air blow straight in your face.

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