The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk “The Cab That Breathes” ???

“Fresh air enters thru the cowl vents and exits via a long slot at the base of the rear window on the cab models.”

This was one of GM’s marketing claims for the advance design series of trucks. Since I haven’t had the seat frame and fuel tank striped out of my 1950, 3604 I may be missing something. But I haven’t been able to find any “slot at the base of the rear window”, has anyone else seen this or was it only on the first models then eliminated on the later ones.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny I had a smart *ss answer all ready to go but low and behold I couldnt come up with a picture of the back of a cab with bullet holes in it. darn, hate it when that happens!

Happen to ya often Jeff?? Just wait till you're an old duffer like me, that perfect come back always comes back about 10 minutes to late.

That there might be the only rear exit for that I could think of.
Denny G

Nope, that ad must have been written by a use car salesman.

I think they are just talking about all the air that the truck leaks, (at least on mine). They should have marketed it as "the perforated cab".

There are small drain holes stamped in the bottom of each cab corner although I'm pretty sure these weren't what was being described.

Stuart

maybe they were talking about panel trucks/suburbans?

Don't remember seeing any slots way down at the bottom of the cab when I put in the other gas tank. My cab sure does have enough places for it to breath though.

I guess they considered it breathing when the air enters through the side vents and center cowl and then exits through the windows.

Maybe the typical rust out in the cab corners was something they designed in (4 Fe2+ + O2 → 4 Fe3+ + 2 O2−) for better "air flow".

You have heard of Astro Ventilation, this would be Rusto Ventilation.

A fresh air slot. mmmm. Sounds like a good idea. Where's my sawzall?

Isn't there a gap at the top of the center "strainer rail", underneath the belt rail? The strainer rail goes down to the floor panel behind the gas tank, but where it goes from there I do not know...
Bluedawg

I think this article was written by a technical writer who never opened the door of an advance design truck. He was probably taking a rough stab at what he figured GM meant by the term. It was however used in the ad campaigns but it was just that, advertising hype!
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1947-1955-chevrolet-trucks.htm

However, I do have to say that it really taint to bad as long as you’re not stuck in traffic. In fact my “big old wife” and me are gonna take a little trip over this evening to the Dairy Hut for their cruise night about 25miles away. It’s over 80° today and mama isn’t to nuts about riding with out air conditioning, she’s spoilt you know. In other words, the old rust bucket has to have pretty decent ventilation or I wouldn’t get her to take these long trips just for a malt and a hotdog.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny try driving a COE. Holy crap, even on a cold day your cranking that windshield open to get a breeze through the cab. Blew me away how warm it gets sitting on the engine!

Jeff

There are air vents down by the cab corners. Most people think they are drain holes, but there isn't anything there to drain (if your window or gas tank isn't leaking, that is). If you flip through the AD catalog on Jim Carter's web site, there is a period ad in there that shows the air flow with a bunch of arrows. The cowl vents really do work without the windows being open, this is why.

here is the ad 4onthefloor is talking about it is kinda hard to see but it is there..
http://www.oldchevytrucks.biz/47_55/full.asp?page=32

Imagine driving one of those eight hours a day in the middle of July and then having to unload your cargo by your self. Must have been some real men back in the day.

But we stayed till about 0730 last night and “my big old wife”, she made me roll up the windows and close up the vents last night on the way home. Big Red was just "breathin" to heavy I guess! Who needs vintage air anyway!

Yep, that’s where I saw that diagram before J’and Chevy had a similar ad and theirs did say “The Cab that Breathes”. Must be DejaVu but I would swear that we’ve had this same conversation a while back. And your 100% correct, if there is anything draining from those “drain holes” then you got a problem, lets call them “vent holes” from now on.

The guy that wrote that article also got the interior colors wrong.

Ah those little details!

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I started driving in the 50's and got a commercial drivers license in 1959. Texas did not have hours of service laws until 1989. An 18 hour day was considered normal. We didn't get air conditioning that worked until the mid 70's. If you haven't seen it any better, you just do it.

I thought these were farm and construction trucks...hose the entire cab down to get rid of the manure and dirt, no carpets and drain holes for the little swimming pools in each corner.

Stuart

Im with Stuart, Ive heard those small holes were for hosing out the mud tracked inside the cab. Who knows...

I saw in my Jim Carter Catalog a picture showing the improved air circulation and the oval holes in the back cab corners are where the dotted lines go from the vents, so they must be outlets for the the air to escape(and rust to begin)- So on my nightly drive I closed the windows and opened the vents and felt a decent amount of air flowing still.
I would like to drive the art deco model since it pre-dates the cab that breathes to see just how much of an improvement the ad cab is.