Cockpit ventilation

[moodster 55]

I believe Ford kept this same vent all the way up into the late 70's ...plus they probably used it on other models as well.  

 

david

[Mach1 Driver 634]

I think Eddie Motorsports makes the only "replacement" to these vents and they are machined billet pieces.  I have always wondered why someone hasn't made decent repros of these after all these years.

At Eddie MS they go for $110-140 and do not have a rubber flapper to prevent air from going back into the car, as Ridge Runner describes. I've seen the stock parts for $50-100 each on ebay and both don't seem to be available. Ouch!

[Mach1 Driver 634]

It is a plastic louverd vent in the b pillar with a rubber flapper in it if i remember corectly ,been a while since i worked on a 70 .It should be easy to fit to a 69 if you had the placement from a 70 to go by .

Ridge Runner- the pictures of them make it look like the flapper just lays on the back side of the vent. This seems to indicate that it would shut closed if air tried to come out- is this your recollection? I thought air had to exit through these, not go in.

[MikeStang 247]

Yeah I'm a bit confused also LOL.

Here's what I don't get.

 

1. I know the cabin area to trunk is not sealed up tight but with the rear interior pieces all in place and the seats in and the package tray in place its not like its swiss cheese and air moves freely, so this stale air they mention in the cabin area, how does it get pulled into the trunk area with ease.

I for one tried to do my best to isolate the trunk from the cabin by installing a divider and sealing it up behind the seat.

 

2. That vent in the door area is on the outside of the door seal so I'm assuming this would be the EXHAUST portion of the vent system after air is moved to the trunk area it would exit the vent, BUT I know there is a rubber flap in there and I think I have seen one and it just hangs there which would mean it would stop air from going out which would them mean that this vent it the INTAKE on the air system and the little holes in the trunk drop off area are the exhaust holes... In order for the vent in the door area to be an Exhaust vent the rubber flap would need to be on the outside of the vent I would think because positive air pressure from the cab would push the flap closed if it were hanging from the inside.

 

3. How much air can really enter that area of the door to flow through the vent if it is the intake side of the system "Im pretty sure it is the intake side" and it moves the air behind the inner passenger panels and into the trunk and creates a draw in the trunk which pulls air from the cabin and out the vent holes in the drop offs.

 

4. I wonder If one were to place rubber hoses in the trunk drop off vents and extend them down slightly would it help aid in providing somewhat of a road draft effect and magnify the effects and suck more air out of the trunk and thus the cabin as well?

[Ridge Runner 1,226]

I don't remember exactly how the vent  worked but i do remember my 69 doors would not close easily with all the windows closed ,and the 70 i had never had a problem . The rubber flapper may have been more to deflect water coming in from the out side  than stop air transfer one way or the other

[Ridge Runner 1,226]

The ford F150 have two vents of this type in the back of the cabs ,mine is a 2000 F150 .They may be possible to use somewhere in the trunk area . They also have a rubber flapper in them but i think it is to keep water out and not to stop air from coming or out of the cab .

[Vicfreg 801]

The Ford brochures say that the air flows under the rear seat into the trunk, and out.  This was done for the small and mid size Fords.  The Lincolns had some kind of crazy active system with a damper of some type.

 

Here is the link:    http://www.mustangtek.com/Library6/PDF/ShopTips8-1.pdf

 

I think the flaps are for moisture intrusion also.  They are not like a "check valve" as they are in the wrong orientation for that.

 

I also sealed up my 1968 with Dynamat, etc.  Since I have a 1970 Convertible, I am not worried so much about this, but agree for a coupe or fastback that sealing it up would defeat this feature.

[buening 69]

The pillar vents that you guys are referring to is a vent with rubber flaps to prevent air from entering the cabin, essentially creating a check valve to only let air escape the cabin.  Assuming the cabin is airtight in the 69s, you would have increased air pressure especially when shutting the door.  The pillar vents allow this pressure to escape the cabin and makes shutting of doors easier. If you were to open the kick panel vents with the windows rolled up on a 69, you likely won't get much air coming into the cabin.  With these vents, air will enter the cabin from these kick panel vents and exit the cabin through these pillar vents. Since the pillar vents are located behind the interior quarter panels, air comes from the kick panels towards the rear seat and into the trunk, then goes behind the rear quarter panels and through these pillar vents.

 

These are not reproduced at the moment, only used ones can be purchased (at least with OEM style type).  You can see the rubber flaps in the pictures below, and are angled as such to only open to the outside of the car. The flaps are longer than the opening, and the flap is connected at the bottom. Since the flaps are larger than the opening, they will only operate the one way they are angled at (which is to the outside of the car).

 

 

[Vicfreg 801]

Great pics Buening.  You are exactly right.  

 

I guess the Cougars had the same vent, and maybe even the Mavericks.....    I can't find any used that are decent anywhere.

[RPM 1,278]

Thanks a lot for another project guys :(

I picked up a used set yesterday for 50 freakin dollars. It was the last pair my local go to Mustang guy/yard/shop had. Apparently when Earl Scheib painted the car they didn't have a screw driver to remove the vent.

[Mach1 Driver 634]

RPM, so now that you've got one to examine what is your opinion- does it slam shut when air tries to come out, or is the flapper just there to prevent water and stuff from going in?

[RPM 1,278]

The air goes both directions equally.

[RPM 1,278]

Well, a bit of a correction. The air on mine goes both ways, as the flap material is kinda hard and past its expiration date. It looks like it's designed for air to travel from inner quarter panel to the door jamb outside air area. It has 7 individual flaps that run the full width of the vent. Some of mine were stuck shut, warped open and working properly. I believe in theory and maybe when new they would only allow air to escape the cabin.

[Ridge Runner 1,226]

Earl  Scheib ...HAHAHA ,i haven't heard that name in a while HAHAHA. I have repainted a few of his $99.95 paint jobs though .

[Mach1 Driver 634]

Earl  Scheib ...HAHAHA ,i haven't heard that name in a while HAHAHA. I have repainted a few of his $99.95 paint jobs though .

Heck I remember when it his slogan was "Any Car Any Color, For Only $29.95"

[buening 69]

Trust me guys, it is designed to only flow out of the cabin (when the rubber is new and in the closed position). As they age and constant use on windows down for cooling the cabin (constant air thru these vents), the rubber hardens in the partially open position.

 

RPM, look at the vent from the door jamb side and look inside at the pockets formed in the plastic for the rubber flaps. When the flaps are closed they are larger than the opening and they will fill this pocket. Its not something I can easily capture in a picture unfortunately

[RPM 1,278]

Yes buening, I agree with you fully. I meant to mention this in my last post, but I sometimes get ahead of myself when typing and leave out stuff.