FINAL OPINION.... Fresh air vents

[bbayliss]

I just want to summarize the debate on the need of both fresh air vents.
You guys tell me what you think. I want to completely remove both of them. I live in south Texas( the best place to be)where it is only cold about 1 month of the year. I do not intend on putting a hard top on, full soft top maybe sometime. I really like the clean look of both removed and covered in plate or something. Does anyone see a problem in the long run with this? Let me know what others have done. I am trying to have the simplest looking setup. Thanks.

 

[Scoop]

Shouldn't be a problem in the TX hill country to eliminate the vents. I have my driver's vent removed on my 66 here in VA and it's not a problem with the soft top - I just roll up the side windows when I want more air.

But I am not following your clean look comment - are you refering to a clean look under the hood when you block off the vent opening? Or are you talking about covering the vent slots on both sides of the hood? I run a f/g hood and I did not cut the vent slots into it. I do have a sealing plate on top of the fire wall. I still have the heater in place and working so I have not changed anything on the passenger side.

 

[74BroncoCO]

Drop in a toolbox in the holes and you're good to go. A vendor is selling them, I just don't remember which.

J.D.

 

[bbayliss]

Yeah I am just talking about under the hood. I am going to go with a new hood and dont want the vent holes in it either. Does anyon know where i can find some covers for the vents on the cowl

 

[knack]

I was thinking about leaving the holes in the hood, but blocking the openings into the cab (while taking out the heater vent box and driver's side rubber seal,) hoping I could get some hot air from under the hood to flow out through the slots.
Knack

 

[Scoop]

There is only one hole in the top of the fire wall / cowl - on the driver's side. the other hole is in the passenger kick panel. Both can be covered with flat peices of sheet metal, alum, diamond plate, etc. Really easy to make - I've never seen any for sale by a vendor. I just used some flat sticky-back weather stripping to seal it up.

The drop in tool box, as suggested above, is a good idea, too.

 

[bbayliss]

Do you think leaving the holes in the hood makes that big of a difference with the temp?. I need a new hood anyway. I was undecided if I would get one with the vents or not. What do you think?

 

[00gyrhed]

I would at least leave the one that serves the heater. It will help with defogging the window sometimes and can be used a a fan power vent to put cooler air right on to the hot floor board. With the heater fan upgrade it will move more air than the combination of the two ever did with both vents.

I welded up the drivers side and placed my EFI ECM directly under that area. My vent was broken and no way to fix it.

 

[nephic2]

Dang, I must be smarter than I thought, cuz I put my ECU there too, I'm hoping that I don't have an issue since I removed the opposite side as well, my theory being that the heater will still work, just not with air from the leaky engine compartment/hood.

another intersting note, if you like stereo sound, and most of us do, I actually used my vent hole on the passenger side for a speaker. I made a box by tacking and sealing a small steel doggie bowl under teh fender, I cut a whole behind the emergency brake on the other side and did the same. Vwalla, I now have nifty little pockets stuffed with speakers that does't require me to take up interior space or have my doors on.

 

[meckanik]

Drop in a toolbox in the holes and you're good to go. A vendor is selling them, I just don't remember which.

J.D.

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-Jeff