Something I always wanted to know......

[General Lee 01]

I Don't know what they were called. But what were those triangles for in the front part of the side windows?

And why did the truck makers stop putting them in trucks??

[Guest Friz]

Vent windows.

You could angle them to get maximum fresh air in the cab. They pretty much have gone away since A/C is standard in most trucks now.

[Kania2k1]

I think you're referring to the vent windows.  I'm not sure why they got rid of them though.  I think maybe when A/C became an option or even standard equipment they might have been phased out.  I have them in my '70 C10 and like them alot when I'm on the highway and have enough air flow to cool the cab off.  They also don't cause that much wind noise as a full size window does being open all the way.  Just my opinions.

[MountaineerTom]

Those are just a little vent window that you can open up.  You can just barely crack it open or you can spin it around and you get kind of like a "ram air" effect in the cab.  I don't know specifically why they quit making them, but they might look a little out of place on newer trucks.  

[DigUout]

When driving his mid 70's Blazer, Dad called them his smokin' hole.  Can't tell you how many times he droned on and on about no more vent windows! Finally vent visors came along to pull his smoke out so we all didn't gag or develop black lung-

[bowtiefan]

I think it would look kinda ugly if they but the mwindows back on the newer trucks man it looked ugly back then to.

[NewbieZ71]

With the new lines they would look kind of out of place but they did give some good air flow control....used to be on every vehicle.

[MountaineerTom]

Quote: from bowtiefan on 10:44 am on July 14, 2001

I think it would look kinda ugly if they but the mwindows back on the newer trucks man it looked ugly back then to.

 

I still think they look good on the older trucks.  But they just fit with te styling on todays trucks in my opinion.  

[wolfie]

My dad still complains about not having his vent windows.. I thought one of the reasons that they got rid of them was because of the air drag... it seems they went out about the time of the evergy crisis.. I really doubt they hurt fuel economy much though... Maybe I should get my dad some vent visors...

[LT]

I've had many vehicles with vent windows on them. I always liked them. I think that two things contrbuted to their downfall. A/C is nearly standard on all vehicles now and the second thing is the cost involved in manufacturing. It's cheaper to produce a single window for the side of a truck that two windows. One being triangular. I miss them.

[BIG BLUE]

I had the vent windows on my 68 Cutlass and loved them!  Of course no A/C on the car so they were used often.  Don't know when GM quit on the trucks, but my father-in law has a 94 F150 (it's a base model without AC) and has the vent windows, just drove it the other day!

Regards,

BIG BLUE

[MountaineerTom]

When the C/K chassis came out in '88, they didn't have them.  The R/V cassis still had them until they changed the body style to the same as the C/K's ('92? I think).  The '87's and below had the vent windows.

(Edited by MountaineerTom 99Z71 at 11:51 pm on July 14, 2001)

[Pastmaster]

They're demise hit hard for alot of people.  I don't care for them, mine leak all the time.  Never been in a truck with them that hadn't leaked...

1973-1980 Gm trucks w/o ac had fresh-air vents below on each side of the dash.  Those work great, but bring dust in from outside if on a dusty road.

[76BBSub]

My '76 Suburban has them, and they leak.  I have A/C so they don't get alot of use in the summer, but in the 'tween months when the humidity and temps are nice I prefer them to A/C or open windows...

Jeff

[General Lee 01]

My granddad's RamCharger ('92 model year) has them and when he let's me drive, he flicks stuff out of it ( like Bugs). I just wondered what it was and what pirpose did it serve.