I was told that the cowl vent on the cab should be welded in. A guy told me you can put a brand new rubber seal and it will still leak in the rain. Is that true, do they leak air, I would think it would be nice to have especially since I don't plan on having air.

 

Yep, a brand new one will indeed leak if you drive through a typhoon or aim a water hose right at it for 5 minutes, but it's a lifesaver without air conditioning. There's no way I would seal mine.

 

Hey Armyaviation,
Welcome aboard! We've got a 1950 F1 with a cowl vent - you'd be surprised by how much air comes through your cab when its open.
Very refreshing - I've never had any problems with the cowl - very cool & looks right on the old truck. Makes it different from the modern trucks - not sure why we got rid of these things.

Ben in Austin
(I've got A/C & I love riding around with the cowl open instead of air conditoning).

 

Mine doesn't leak.
What experience is your expert basing his observation on?

 

Don't know may be pulling it out of his ...

 

Mine has shown no signs of leaking and it still has the original seal on it. I really think you would regret welding it, it brings in a tremendous amount of air flow. With the vent windows pointing in, side windows down you get decent flow, but with the cowl vent open you get air from the bottom up, your legs will thank you. Nothing else I have ever driven brings in as much air, as long as you are in motion air conditioning isn't needed. Plus its extremely cool and vintage, its one of my favorite features on the truck, as unique as big round fenders. Leaks can be dealt with if they ever arise, but the cool factor on it alone is well beyond worth it, let alone its cooling factor. My vote will always be to keep it.

 

I totally agree with what the others have said. It's cool, and it's cooling. I've had mine since 1975 and it has only leaked when I left it open.

I would give you one piece of advice before you use it though, make sure the floor is clean of loose rust and dirt. Just trust me on that.

 

never really used the one in my 53 as it just allowed so much air in it blew everything in the cab up around , in your face and out the window usually . however like stephens it had the oe seal and didn't leak a drop even in hard rains . mine however is going to be filled in, as it is going to get a mild customization . i was going to leave it in it's survivor garb just get rid of the rust but the high winds one day added a few dents so ......

 

Mine will leak a tad in the rain, but it's not in the rain much anyway. My handle doesn't pull the vent down tight enough to compress the rubber gasket so a push from outside does the trick. I'm going to put a/c in my truck next year but the vent will still be used more often than not. Plus, it's kind of cool to have.

 

Mine's even converted to power. IMHO it's cooler to see it go up and down with the push of a button than the power windows!

 

I second that!

Mine has the original seal on it and I've never had any leaking issues. Of course its kinda hard to tell right now since my windshield rubber leaks....LOL

With the windows down and the vent open these trucks can be pretty comfy....until you have to sit at a red light

Bobby

 

Personaly I love the vent, as for leaking mine does need adjustment, Im pondering converting it to moterized. But I would never weld it shut. It makes driving on HOT days fairly comforteble, in tandem with the wing windows (ventilaters)

 

last summer the temp control switch malfunctioned on my 53. At highway speeds the evap would freeze up. I would open the power cowl vent to defrost it, then resume comfortable driving in 100 degrees. It is great to have open in the spring and fall. I love it.

 

Keep it! The cowl vent is part of the F1's character.

 

..it's looking like personal choice...mine is to keep it functional for airfow..and it just looks cool to me,Some may weld it shut for the cleaner body look, more power to them, if welded shut at least you won't need to worry about water leaking thru..