Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Hello, on my 42 Clipper's fresh air vent. There is a 3/8" hole in it. What is suppose to go there ? Been scanning thru pictures on Google but not one shows the vent. Is there a chrome strip or molding that is missing? TY

The only Packard photo I have ever seen of the fresh air vent is in an accessory booklet and the option appears to be entirely hidden on the interior. The info says it consists of a flexible tube with a 3 inch door in the intake to close off the outside air and a shield in back of the heater or defroster which I believe might be used as an outlet or deflector. On the short metal tube portion mounted to the firewall there would be a hole for the air control door mechanism.

Other than that I believe the only part visible inside the car is the chrome push/pull knob in the Clipper dash center switch section labeled FRESH AIR in cars not heavily optioned or, I believe a control mounted under the dash on conventional bodies and on Clippers where other option switches have taken the extra dash spaces.

Could you post a photo of what you have and the hole you are asking about?

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Good morning Howard, my Clipper's fresh air vent is on top in the middle of the cowl forward the windshield. The hood has a long chrome strip going down the middle of it ending at the hoods edge. I'm thinking maybe there is a short piece of chrome that attaches to the air vent door finishing off the long strip on the hood ?

Ahh, you meant the cowl ventilator and that is a good question. None of the prewar Clipper photos in the archive have a decent view from the top to see any molding detail nor does Packard show much on the brochures. Hopefully someone else has a 42 and can answer the question conclusively and if present, how it fastens.

Unless the molding has some kind of wrap around or an end drops below the edge of the cowl vent cover if factory I would wonder if a single bolt would be able to keep if from twisting. There are some good photos of 42 conventional body cars with the strip down the hood hinge area and nothing continuing on the cowl vent.

For what its worth, cowl covers were the same for all Clippers thru 47 and unlike some of the conventional bodies that did have a strip on the vent cover I don't find a mention of any molding or extra hardware called out in the Clipper manual for prewar cars. Postwars did not have any molding on the hood or cowl vent. The different length hoods were also the same for all pre and postwar Clippers but the molding strip for the prewar hoods and the needed fasteners is listed in the parts manual.

I'm guessing you're speaking about the rain drain on the cowl ventilator.

Assuming your cowl vent is similar to those going back a decade or so the vent has a small hole to drain away rain water that can collect while driving in the rain with the ventilator open. In earlier years the opening is connected to a metal tube which runs down the cowl and allows the water to drain away beneath the car. Perhaps by the time of your car the drain was a rubber hose, the parts list should clarify that.

Guys the single predrilled hole is in the door/lid to the ventilator. I see the drain hole inside. I thought if it was to have a piece of chrome it would have 2 holes to hold a chrome strip in place. It appears to me that this single hole was factory drilled TY

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