I Remember JFK

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Wing Vent Windows

Wing vent window on a NovaAnybody up for a good conspiracy theory? The makers of automobile air conditioners have teamed up and made wing vent windows disappear!

Hey, it's a little plausible. After all, I remember a dramatic difference in the interior temperature of a big Plymouth when those vent windows were opened to blast wind into your surroundings at 60 MPH.

Wing vents had all sorts of uses. I really miss them.

I don't miss that whistling noise that would inevitably appear as your vehicle aged, though.

So, what was a vent window good for? I remember watching cigarette smoke miraculously get sucked out of the barely-cracked wing vent as mom would drive down the road. Every trace of smoke went straight for that vent window.

It was also perfect for sticking a seven-year-old foot through on a hot summer day.

And then there's access to a locked vehicle. My first car was a 1965 Falcon. I remember leaving my keys in the ignition once with the doors locked. No prob. A strategically placed pocket knife blade pried up the vent window's locking lever and I was able to reach in and grab the keys.

Vent windows on a pickupYeesh. It's a wonder nobody stole my $29.95 underdash eight-track player.

If your wing vent was unlockable from the outside, it was also the cheapest window to break if all else failed.

There's no doubt about it, though. The air blast you got from wide open wing vents on a hot summer day when your thrifty Norwegian father was driving down the road with the air conditioner turned off kept you cool. And if another window was open, it also kept the interior of your car completely free of small lightweight objects.

Wing vents disappeared gradually. The 1968 Camaros and Firebirds were released without vent windows. Hey, who needed them when you had Astro Ventilation and 29 cent gas?

See, I told you it was those A/C manufacturers behind all of this! ;-)

As the 70's went on, more and more carmakers did away with the diminutive windows. My 1973 Celica didn't have them. However, Toyota did put them in pickups until well into the 80's.

Today, though, there is nary a vent window to be seen. Lock your keys in the car and you're better of forking over 50 or more bucks to a locksmith than breaking a big window. And it just doesn't seem as cool inside on a hot summer day with regular windows rolled down.

Curse that A/C manufacturing cartel!

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Comments (5)

Ron Enderland:

Ed. note: I published this a bit quickly by mistake. Look for my next column on Friday.

Yah! Right on brother! Bring back wings.
We used to hang our wet bathing suits on them, by the time we got home - nicely dried.

I am so excited to find this site about wing windows. I've been working on a new invention for over two months to bring back the wings. My 67 Firebird had them. As of Sept.6th I have Patent Pending statis and hope to have my product out by Thanksgiving. Wing windows had so many functions like saving money on fuel, getting read of that unwanted smoke, breaking into your own car because you locked your keys in after you smoked. Anyway this was a great find. Vent Wing Air will be returning soon to a vehicle near you. Long live the wing window.

Becky:

Hey Rod,
I remember the vent wings on my 55 chevy. Why did they stop useing them? I wish you the best,
Becky

Mike:

My first car was a 1968 Buick Special Deluxe. It had those little triangular vent windows that operated with little cranks. I thought they were great! I could get a little air in the car without my hair getting all messed-up and I hardly remember sweltering in the summer despite my car's lack of air conditioning. Do you also remember the oval-shaped vents with the diagonal louvers in the kick panels under the dash board that were operated by sliding levers? They also contributed to cooling the car even in the hottest weather.

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on September 5, 2007 12:37 AM.

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