Vent type kick panels - used

[1986F150Six]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-81-82-83-84-85-86-ford-truck-f150-bronco-floor-blue-kick-panel-air-vents/303500378270?hash=item46aa08409e:g:TcQAAOSwITVeVv2w

plus

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80-81-82-83-84-85-86-ford-truck-bronco-f150-f250-f350-interior-kick-panels/303486516104?hash=item46a934bb88:g:tv4AAOSwcuNeRjA-

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80-81-82-83-84-85-86-ford-truck-bronco-f150-f250-f350-interior-kick-panels/303486515677?hash=item46a934b9dd:g:qdkAAOSw7iZeRi8y

[Gary Lewis]

Interesting!  I've often thought of adding those to a truck with A/C, and those would be right for Big Blue.  But, I've often wondered if they seal tightly, or if you have cold air leaking in around your feet in the winter.

Anyone have any experience with these?

[grumpin]

Gary Lewis wrote

Interesting!  I've often thought of adding those to a truck with A/C, and those would be right for Big Blue.  But, I've often wondered if they seal tightly, or if you have cold air leaking in around your feet in the winter.

Anyone have any experience with these?

I’ve wondered about that too.

[1986F150Six]

Gary Lewis wrote

Interesting!  I've often thought of adding those to a truck with A/C, and those would be right for Big Blue.  But, I've often wondered if they seal tightly, or if you have cold air leaking in around your feet in the winter.

Anyone have any experience with these?

Some information: read posts #28, 35 & 41

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/772508-good-old-fashioned-floor-vents-for-fresh-air-3.html

And, another link:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1343670-kick-panel-vent-install.html

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks!  I'll read those later as I'm winding down for the evening......

[Ford F834]

Gary, I pulled a set of these but have never installed or used them. While I don’t have any user experience to offer, I will say that there is a healthy foam ring that seals the vent port against the hole in the cab panel, and the sliding plate seems very tight. I don’t expect they would leak cold air much if at all. They are a little uglier than the smooth non vent panels, and I recommend buying the correct color for the interior since you can’t very well paint the sliding plate and expect that to last.

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

Anyone have any experience with these?

I have them in my truck, and they do seal well. Like Jon says, they have a good foam seal, and the door is pretty tight anyway. The one on the driver's side is a pain to remove due to the park brake mechanism being in the way, but it's not impossible.

I had to remove mine to repair/replace my door switch mechanism and to run wires to the door. I haven't done the passenger side yet but will take some pictures when I do.

[grumpin]

Rembrant wrote

Gary Lewis wrote

Anyone have any experience with these?

I have them in my truck, and they do seal well. Like Jon says, they have a good foam seal, and the door is pretty tight anyway. The one on the driver's side is a pain to remove due to the park brake mechanism being in the way, but it's not impossible.

I had to remove mine to repair/replace my door switch mechanism and to run wires to the door. I haven't done the passenger side yet but will take some pictures when I do.

Do you get good airflow Cory?

[Rembrant]

grumpin wrote

Do you get good airflow Cory?

I haven't used them very much so I can't really give you a very good review, but back on Christmas day I took the truck for a drive while the driver's side vent was removed and I darn near froze my feet off...lol. So...I was getting very good air flow that day, but it was cold out, so it probably seemed like more than it was. You'll have to have a window open a little bit for them to work I think.

[grumpin]

OK, thanks!

I forget which truck it was, but had one that when you opened a window or the rear slider it came in good.

After it hadn't been opened for awhile you would get pummeled with debris!

[Gary Lewis]

Ok, I've read up on the kick panel vents and am interested.  But, Jonathan had a good point about getting them in the right color, and Ford had four different blues: 1980/81; 82; 83/84; 85/86.  So I sent the seller this message:

I'm interested in your kick panel vents and a pair of kick panels to match, and you have two sets listed.  However, you don't say what year of truck any of those are from, and Ford had 4 different blues in the 1980 - 86 years.

But, on the backs of your panels and probably the vents should be ID #'s that will tell me which ones you have.  They should look like:

Panel Right: E0TB-1002344-AW
Vent Right: E0TH-1002104
Panel Left: E0TB-1002345-AWG
Vent left: E0TH-1002105

And it is actually the 2nd character that will tell me which blue they are.  So, can you turn them over and tell me what you find?

Also, the shipping on the kick panels themselves is a bit high at $31.30 on a $20 or $25 item.  If I buy the vents and a pair of the kick panels can you do better on the shipping?

Thanks,
Gary

We shall see.

[kramttocs]

I am planning to install them in Camano although with an 86 I've had a hard time finding the exact color since all of the tan 86 trucks have had a/c around here that I've looked at.

Back when I sent off the HVAC gaskets to the Detroit guy, I included a set of of the floor vents since the gaskets on the sets I have a pretty dry and crusty. There is a gasket that goes against the cab metal and then there is a gasket that the door slides against. The two halves are held together by melted pins which are easily ground down and the halves split apart. He made gaskets for them that you can purchase but the problem is that I think one of my emails to him got lost because he didn't realize that the inner gaskets are different for the sides. So the set has two of the same which I think can be made to work but aren't right. I can't recall the specifics and the gaskets are up in storage right now. I've emailed him a couple times over the past few months and resent him the needed gasket but haven't heard back from him.
I want to use them in combination with the rear slider on nice days.

[Gary Lewis]

Scott - I may need a set of those gaskets.  So can you get me the guy's email address?

I got this response back from the guy.  But if they are from an '86 they'll be the right color of blue, so I may well buy them, although I hope he can get the shipping down a bit.

ok ill check the numbers on them one set come out of a 86 the other a 83 .i can combine the shipping .not sure if i can get the prce down r not tho. they upped shipping prices on larger items a few months back .i can see if i can squeeze them into a smaller box .this set of vents here is from the 86 and the nicer kick panels listed is from the same truck. .ill get the numebrs for you

[kramttocs]

Yeah, let me put together what I've got regarding what is missing and I'll send it your way.

[Ford F834]

Gary, the sliding plate does not show a whole lot. You choose how particular you want to be but I would say close counts if it looks like your shade of blue in the pictures. You could re color them with the plate retracted and you probably couldn’t tell unless it was light blue vs the really dark blue or something like that, or if someone was trying to use red vents on a tan interior etc., what is your interior color code for big blue?

[kramttocs]

Some photos. Note: the 4 new gaskets are two identical sets but the outer passenger and inner passenger are similar enough to make work.


Driver against cab metal

Passenger against cab metal

Driver between halves (this is the missing gasket)

Passenger between halves

[kramttocs]

Here is the gasket I mailed to the gentleman in Oct that is the missing one.

[Rembrant]

kramttocs wrote

Here is the gasket I mailed to the gentleman in Oct that is the missing one.

So are these being made by somebody now?

Mine were in pretty good condition, but still, be good to know if they are available.

[kramttocs]

They are or at least they were. I don't see the fresh air ones on the Detroit Muscle Technologies site anymore so they may have been pulled until they get the last one sorted. This is the same company that makes the HVAC kit. They do excellent work.

[Danny G]

how exactly do these integrate with the AC/heat system?