rear deck vents
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,675
Likes: 13
From: Sudbury MA
It's part of the Flow Through Ventilation system.
On A/C cars like mine, they are riveted shut but on non A/C cars, they are vacuum operated I believe to allow exchange of air in the cabin.
That's how it was explained to me, anyway.
On A/C cars like mine, they are riveted shut but on non A/C cars, they are vacuum operated I believe to allow exchange of air in the cabin.
That's how it was explained to me, anyway.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
If your windows say Astro Vent, then the doors will open and close. What controls them is the temperature dial. As long as the temp setting is as low as it will go the doors will be open. Turn the temp dial up and the doors will close to keep the heat in the car. 
Mine did not work when I first got the car but I found the vaccum line had just came undone at some point and needed plugging back in. Works like a champ now.
Mine did not work when I first got the car but I found the vaccum line had just came undone at some point and needed plugging back in. Works like a champ now.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,135
Likes: 1
my windows say ''astro ventalation'' and i have a factory air car W those vents on the back deck,,,,,never really knew if they functioned or not. i know there is a drain tube that dumps water out of the rear wheel wells but as far as floe thru vent do they work on a a/c car?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,675
Likes: 13
From: Sudbury MA
Eddie70,
My windows say Astro Ventilation but when my car was in being painted we checked and the doors were permanently sealed at the factory becasue my car has A/C from the factory. It was explained to me that only the A/C equiped cars have the doors permanently sealed/disabled. I do have the drains for the vents that dump over the rear wheels on each side, (the rubber tubes).
My windows say Astro Ventilation but when my car was in being painted we checked and the doors were permanently sealed at the factory becasue my car has A/C from the factory. It was explained to me that only the A/C equiped cars have the doors permanently sealed/disabled. I do have the drains for the vents that dump over the rear wheels on each side, (the rubber tubes).
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Originally Posted by carl a
my windows say ''astro ventalation'' and i have a factory air car W those vents on the back deck,,,,,never really knew if they functioned or not. i know there is a drain tube that dumps water out of the rear wheel wells but as far as floe thru vent do they work on a a/c car?
I may have made a misstatement. I always assumed if it said Astro Vent on the window that the vents opened and closed. Some are saying AC cars are fixed shut. I can only verify my car is not AC and how the vents work. Sorry if I caused some confusion on this one.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,248
Likes: 48
From: westland mi
Originally Posted by ksbunting
Eddie70,
My windows say Astro Ventilation but when my car was in being painted we checked and the doors were permanently sealed at the factory becasue my car has A/C from the factory. It was explained to me that only the A/C equiped cars have the doors permanently sealed/disabled. I do have the drains for the vents that dump over the rear wheels on each side, (the rubber tubes).
My windows say Astro Ventilation but when my car was in being painted we checked and the doors were permanently sealed at the factory becasue my car has A/C from the factory. It was explained to me that only the A/C equiped cars have the doors permanently sealed/disabled. I do have the drains for the vents that dump over the rear wheels on each side, (the rubber tubes).
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 971
Likes: 7
From: roanoke va
On my 72 with a/c the rear vents were blocked in the back by a metal plate and gasket. The doors were left off and the block off plates were installed from the factory. The rubber tubes were installed and drained water into the wheel wells from the rear deck. The vents were their for two reasons one was for ventalation for non a/c cars and to aid in removeing water from the rear deck to help keep water from running by the rear window.
If you look very close on the inside of the rear window it has a channel and drain holes that goes into the box the tubes hook into to catch any water that leaks by the rear window seal. If you think about the way air comes across the top and forces water towards the rear window it only make sense you had to have a way to remove the water from the removeable window to aid in preventing water leaks.
If you look very close on the inside of the rear window it has a channel and drain holes that goes into the box the tubes hook into to catch any water that leaks by the rear window seal. If you think about the way air comes across the top and forces water towards the rear window it only make sense you had to have a way to remove the water from the removeable window to aid in preventing water leaks.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 839
Likes: 0
From: Lewiston, Maine
Damn, besides a removable rear window I'm missing out on this air flow action:
full size:Modified 1969 Corvette
I can't wait until I get to the stage when I am ready to put the stock rear upper deck on my car.
full size:Modified 1969 Corvette
I can't wait until I get to the stage when I am ready to put the stock rear upper deck on my car.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 15,133
Likes: 477
From: NM
Originally Posted by gator79
what is the purpose of the vents on the rear deck of my 71 vert?
tom...
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,176
Likes: 7
From: Jennings LA
Originally Posted by Tom73
One question, when you look into the vents what do you see? Are they blocked solid or can you see through to the ground?
tom...
tom...
I can see the ground and my sway bar
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 15,133
Likes: 477
From: NM
Originally Posted by gator79
I can see the ground and my sway bar
An interesting side note on the rear vents on the convertibles. For 68-70 the vents are over the interior storage compartment. Starting with 71 the vents are behind the storage compartment. And the vents did not move. For some reason, the factory moved the rear wall of the of the storage compartment forward a total of 4".
Why, have no idea.This resulted in being able to look into the vents and see the ground on 71 and new convertibles that had a/c. For the 68-70 conv with a/c you have a solid blocked vent.
Just another odd fact about the C3
tom...
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,352
Likes: 787
From: Redondo Beach, California
Originally Posted by Tom73
tom...
I bought a vacuum solenoid Astrovent sytem on Ebay just to see what it looked like. What year were they really installed on non-air con cars? (I've assuming that mine came from the factory with Astro vent missing.)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,655
Likes: 19
Same here on my 68, another 1 year only feature (on non-AC, converts).
BTW, That IS "Astro Vent" on non-AC 68s. You only got the vacuum actuators with AC installed acording to my AIM.
BTW, That IS "Astro Vent" on non-AC 68s. You only got the vacuum actuators with AC installed acording to my AIM.
Originally Posted by 68/70Vette
I have a 68 Convertible W/0 air. The windows do say Astrovent, however, the rear vents do not, as far as I can tell, have a vacuum solenoid to open them. It appears they have rubber strips that act as flapper valves; i.e. supposedly when cabin pressure builds up, the rubber strips open and allow air to flow through the cabin. A quicker explanation of their operation, is to say they don't work. For my car, it appears the advertised Astrovent feature is just a joke.
I bought a vacuum solenoid Astrovent sytem on Ebay just to see what it looked like. What year were they really installed on non-air con cars? (I've assuming that mine came from the factory with Astro vent missing.)
I bought a vacuum solenoid Astrovent sytem on Ebay just to see what it looked like. What year were they really installed on non-air con cars? (I've assuming that mine came from the factory with Astro vent missing.)
