Andy White
Well-Known Member
I was just curious if anyone has welded their cowl vent shut. Maybe list the pros and cons. It seems to me that they just gather leaves and small sticks and let water in. Please post your opinion.
Any one get rid of thier cowl vent?
- Thread starter Andy White
- Start date
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Frankie
Member #9641
It's also the inlet for your heater and defogger/defroster, and for your AIR setting if you have factory A/C.
Wylde1
"No Value Added" Member
Questions.....
Do aftermarket a/c systems (like Classic Auto Air or Vintage Air) still pull air from that area? If not, do you have to block it off? How do you plug that gaping hole? ( You know what I mean, perv. )
Wylde1.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
How bout something like this instead?
Pull the vent boxes out,
Get some lengths of various size flex hose, like clear plastic. Work that up in there with your shop vac attached.
Then find some hose/ motorcycle inner tube, etc, whatever you can clamp to the outlets of the cowl. Take a short length and plug first one side, then the other. Hook your "hose" to the other side.
Make a nozzle for your pressure washer, like, say, 3/16 brake tube, IE something you can bend and work down through the cowl slots and direct pressure down to the low end.
Or alternatively, work a bent nozzle up into one end, with your "hose" on the other end, then reverse the process.
You have of course removed the seats and front carpet, and laid some old towels/ old rags down on the floor.
After you get it all clean, test for leaks. Take short lengths of your hose/ inner tube and plug the outlets, fill the cowl with water and look for leaks. Then just get a bucket up in there cut a hole in your "plug" and drain out the water.
It took 40 years for 'em to get that dirty, it'll probably take that long to get AFU again.
I LOVE cowl vents. Best vent ever put on a car.
Pull the vent boxes out,
Get some lengths of various size flex hose, like clear plastic. Work that up in there with your shop vac attached.
Then find some hose/ motorcycle inner tube, etc, whatever you can clamp to the outlets of the cowl. Take a short length and plug first one side, then the other. Hook your "hose" to the other side.
Make a nozzle for your pressure washer, like, say, 3/16 brake tube, IE something you can bend and work down through the cowl slots and direct pressure down to the low end.
Or alternatively, work a bent nozzle up into one end, with your "hose" on the other end, then reverse the process.
You have of course removed the seats and front carpet, and laid some old towels/ old rags down on the floor.
After you get it all clean, test for leaks. Take short lengths of your hose/ inner tube and plug the outlets, fill the cowl with water and look for leaks. Then just get a bucket up in there cut a hole in your "plug" and drain out the water.
It took 40 years for 'em to get that dirty, it'll probably take that long to get AFU again.
I LOVE cowl vents. Best vent ever put on a car.
Frankie
Member #9641
No. After market a/c does not pull from the cowl vent, but your heater still does, and so do the under dash vents.
crossram383
Well-Known Member
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On my 70's Ramchargers and trucks I silicone screen to the backside of the vents when I rebuild/eliminate the plastic wiper bushings on the wiper assemblies .
mopardude318
Well-Known Member
or...you could cut them out, and build them to where they are removable with some flush mount screws...
Project 65
Well-Known Member
My cars cowl vent was welded in before I purchased the car.Guy did a nice job.
I welded mine watertight from underneath so as to still have the look of it still being there.
Additional info: Filled the cowl vents 1/2 way w/epoxy resin as well, no way for water to enter......no need for large drain hoses........or fresh air LOL
Only photo that remotely shows the cowl vent.
Additional info: Filled the cowl vents 1/2 way w/epoxy resin as well, no way for water to enter......no need for large drain hoses........or fresh air LOL
Only photo that remotely shows the cowl vent.
WildCat
Well-Known Member
Classic auto air does NOT use the outside air thru the cowl vent. It comes with a block off plate.
I left mine in and still have my fresh air vent on the left side and glad I have it.
But if I were doing another with ac, MIGHT fill it in
Martythetrimmer
Well-Known Member
I'm fitting Vintage air to my 62 and will block off the vents. I was going to weld in a plate but it's a compond curve and I can't fabricate a steel panel so, as I've cut out the plenum chamber to fit the A/C, I'm going to tape over the vent on the inside with masking tape and make a mix of Vinyl ester resin with a large amount of industrial talcum powder and fibre glass strands from a chopper gun (1/2 inch in length). This gives a very strong end product and the vinyl ester resin has a very low shrinkage level. When the car goes on the rotisserie the under side of the repair will have a layer of fibre glass applied to cover a couple of inches wider than the vent. A small amount of filler will finish the out side. Simple to do and no distortion from welding. One of the down sides of the 62s was very thin sheet metal!!
View attachment 2.jpg
View attachment 2.jpg
Andy White
Well-Known Member
I guess being in fla you dont need heat, I definitely want my heater to work. I will be using vintage air.
If you remove your fresh air boxes, where are you going to hide your weed when you get pulled over??? :dontknow: [-o< :-$ :scratch:
Andy White
Well-Known Member
Its funny you say that, In 1982 I was 19 and owned a 69 Dart, That little door saw a lot of action.
Andy White
Well-Known Member
Even if I dicide to block of the cowl vent Ill be keeping the vent/stash box for posterity. lol
Dart_Doctor
Asa style
For looks yes i would ,for the usefulness of it no .
johnparts
Slammed 1
Shaved mine. Looks cool and I'll be running a vintage air so not really worried about it.
quartermilepass
Well-Known Member
on a 1972 duster how can u seal up the cowl from the inside? does not have stock dash its aluminum, can i get easy access to it from the inside? udner dash ?
WildCat
Well-Known Member
Have classic air on my Dart. The air box does not use the factory air intake from the cowl, so not a problem to close it off. There is a block off plate to block the right hole for the vent.
I still use the fresh air on the drivers side.hardly ever use the AC
For a custom cutting the vents out and welding up might be OK, but for a driver even with AC loosing the drivers vent would be a MISTAKE.
Don't like leaves and stick? Don't park under trees
WildCat
Well-Known Member
Might want to check Classic Air in Tampa. Their system uses the stock heat control to turn heat, air and defroster on. Was planning on vintage air until I seen I could modify my stock control, and YES YOU DO NEED HEAT IN FLORIDA, you need defroster and when I was there this past Dec it was cold enough to use the heat.
Actually the past few years when we go to Florida there is a cold snap. Think it is happening right now too from the weather report last night.
green1
Well-Known Member
Why not clean it out, go to local sign store(since you seem to park outside), get a magnetized strip, and put over the top for parking? As far as water leaking, it won't if cleaned out. If it does, reach up the vent boxes and feel the lip; if rusted, ospho and jb weld-without removing anything.
PentaAggression
Member
I bought my second dart and I’m so pissed I forgot to check for them. They did a great job shaving them but I want those nut blowers/fun cubbies. They shaved the hood turn signals too! Pretty sure they just filled the plenum, I can’t tell because it’s nice. Any ideas what I could do to replumb those vents, maybe keeping the shaved wiper bay? Was even thinking of good old Venturi and hiding some conical intakes (with bug screens) behind the grill like a ram box sort of setup/ I’ll take anyone’s doors/vent boxes for a 69 and happy to do a post mortem Pictorial once the bugs are worked out (or screened/filtered)
Martythetrimmer
Well-Known Member
I've just finished doing this to an Aussie 1967 Dodge ute, similar body to US 63-67. Opened the plenum, repaired the rust and filled the floor vent openings. I'm running Vintage air so the area is now filled with Fuse box and relays on one side, all electronics for push button start, auto head lights, wiper intermittent control etc mounted to the other. I then filled the outer vents. Ready for a skim of filler and priming.
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