I used the original cowl vent rubber on my 55 for over 11 years with no problems however, I never opened it although it was functional. About two years ago I put a new gasket on it and have driven with it open several times (I do have AC) and has never has any leaks that I have noticed. Most of the time when it rains my truck is in the garage unless its dirty just because I don't like to wash it.
Jaye

 

my vent in my 54 isnt working right now but hope to fix it this spring that with the rear slider i shouldnt need ac lol

 

I would like to add one thing, like I said in my post above, my vent doesn't leak but my windshield does. When I installed my windshield I forgot to apply rubber cement to my windshield rubber seal to seal the windshield glass, so everytime I drive in the rain the window leaks in the lower corners. I just don't want to go through the hassle of taking the window out. The last time I took the window out to repair the paint in one of lower corner I ended up buying a new window. On the other hand, when I wash the truck you should see the bubble show for the first couple of miles until the water drys

 

For your windshield leaking check the screws holding your trim piece in (inside) the bottom of the windshield. I had mind too tight and it pushed the bottom of the windshield out causing it to leak , just have the screws snug. Just a task that might save your winshield frame from rusting out.
Jaye

 

I've driven my '56 F-100 in all sorts of weather from sudden SoCal rain to a Blizzard in New Mexico to week long rain in Viginia. Never Leaked!

Word of warning: don't ever open the vent at freeway speeds with the windows open. The voice of experience says "nothing that is not FIRMLY attached to truck or occupants WILL remain".

Jim

 

BTW: I like Effies stock, mild hot rod, AND wild hot rod! I appreciate anybody who saves one!!! Although, with the availability of a fiberglass '56 cab there is no good reason to "chop up" a solid original truck. The 'glass cabs are much nicer in person than I expected!! And given what purchase, repair and paint prep will run on a "real" one, they are actually pretty reasonably priced.

By way of comparison; a good friend of mine has a '29 A sedan hiboy (no fenders) with a nasty old sbc in it. He's driven it in primer for years. He's constantly told "If it was my car I'd....." or given grief by the restoration crowd for "ruining" the car.
The truth is no one but a lunatic hot rodder would have saved this car! He brought it home as a roof and sides with out a floor, cowl or doors. The doors and cowl are from three different junk piles, the frame is two "bad" frames spliced together. He titled the car in '79 and drove it (with fenders) for several years. It spent several more years in a gargage after being t-boned so hard the engine wound up laying in the street.
The second rebuild and third (new engine and real paint just getting applied) are even more remarkable than the first.... they were done from a wheel chair! Less than a year after the wreck in the '29 he was severly injured in a motorcycle accident.
His car is a 'decent weather' driver. It's not a trailer queen show car. It'll probably never get photographed for a magazine. ...but it's his. Done his way.

The whole point: appreciate the other guy's work for what it is. If you have to judge it by any standard, go by the look in his eyes when he (or she) talks about it.

My 20 cents worth,
Jim

 

RMF;
The vent in my 1950 is original; rubber, paint, etc., and closes tight and doesn't leak; but I haven't tried it "at speed" in a rain storm, yet. Keith.
PS....I drive through Carleton Place mondays and fridays...live near Belleville....am staying in Almonte during the week and am working in Antrim.

 

Keep the vent! Mine needs a new seal (one of these days) and in a really hard rain it leaks a wee bit. But I'll happily wipe up a little water for the HUGE amount of air it allows into the cab. I think it's part of the charm of these trucks. My two cents for what it's worth!

 

So it seems that most folks do manage to keep the vent and without a lot of leaking. Great! Don't realy want the expense/hassle of real air conditioning so I will definetly keep the vent.

Keith 50,

Cool! That a fair haul every weekend - Almonte-Belleville-Almonte. (although i did Toronto-C.P.-Toronto every weekend for 14 mths a few years ago) I'll drop you a line (off-line) sometime. Maybe when the weather's better you can stop in for a beer.

Later,

 

Here is how I see it... why add extra stuff to the engine which steals a tiny bit of power and adds weight... when the cowl vent has more airflow than A/C? And don't forget the cowl vent looks real mean aswell

Last summer I was cruising around with a friend on a nice scorching hot day, so hot that people's cars were overheating and they had the windows closed and A/C cranked... I had the cowl and side windows open and we were nice and cool... arm hanging out the window having a great time.... AND the ole flathead ran like a charm, even the engine temp was normal!
I don't know what it feels like to be sitting on the side of the road in a brand new overheated Acura and see a 50 year old beast drive by which is running great... but it probably sucks.