64 Riviera center console gets HOT while hwy drivng

[Guest trunkmatt]

Took my rib on a long roadtrip. After an hour of extended hghway drivng above 50... The center console gets very hot near the drivers and passengers seat. There are 2 metal vent plates and they are too hot to touch... Also it gets hot near the gas pedal.

Any ideas?

[Jim Cannon]

I am going to assume that you have already checked the heater (hot water valve) and it is off.

Going from there, there is a rubber boot inside the console where the shifter linkage goes down through the tunnel. See if it is split, letting hot air in.

You are going to get a lot of heat conducted up through the floor if you still have the original insulation. It has gotten flat and less effective from age. That will make it hot up in the console and down by the gas pedal.

There are hot air leakage openings at the bottom of the steering column, on the outside (if the original seal is missing or broken) and on the inside where the factory never sealed it. I think there is an article on the ROA website on how to seal the inner opening.

You may need to remove both front seats, the console, the carpet and the insulation, then start over with modern insulation and seal everything up.

[bb1970]

I think it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep hot air from coming into the passenger compartment. I have put foam around the column. A boot around the shifter linkage. Silicone on every crack and hole I can find in the fire wall. Completely disabled the heater core. And still I get hot air. Saving pennies as we speak to buy an aftermarket A/C system. I can't wait to rip out the antique unit with all of the snake nest vacuum that controls it. I might re-enact the printer scene from the movie Office Space when that day comes.

[Jim Cannon]

I think it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep hot air from coming into the passenger compartment. I have put foam around the column. A boot around the shifter linkage. Silicone on every crack and hole I can find in the fire wall. Completely disabled the heater core. And still I get hot air. Saving pennies as we speak to buy an aftermarket A/C system. I can't wait to rip out the antique unit with all of the snake nest vacuum that controls it. I might re-enact the printer scene from the movie Office Space when that day comes.

It is not just HOT AIR leaking in (convection) that is killing you... it is CONDUCTION (the metal conducts the heat up through the floor and into the passenger compartment).

Even a modern A/C system will have a hard time balancing this heat gain if you keep one small center vent and 2 small eyeball vents. That's the problem with the stock system... not enough cold air flow to offset the heat gain... Look at the number and size of vents in your modern car to see what I mean.

The A/C expectations back in '63-'65 were not what they are today. Anything cooler than hot was a gift.

You really need to insulate everything really well if you are going to be comfortable with stock vents. I cut an opening in the tube running over to the driver's side outlet. It puts cool air down on my feet. And I run the fan on high most of the time.

[RivNut]

One of the nicest things about the 79 - 85 Rivieras was the vents. Four rectangular ones on the dash and the best ones, at least in my opinion, are the two on the bottom of the dash. The one under the steering wheel is pointed directly at your crotch. That one will keep your entire body cool if properly aimed.

Ed

[CTX-SLPR]

One of the nicest things about the 79 - 85 Rivieras was the vents. Four rectangular ones on the dash and the best ones, at least in my opinion, are the two on the bottom of the dash. The one under the steering wheel is pointed directly at your crotch. That one will keep your entire body cool if properly aimed.

Ed

Hmmm... I might need to do some restromodding of that vent when I'm done monkeying around with the rest of the dash... I like the idea for sure!

[Bill Stoneberg]

You really need to insulate everything really well if you are going to be comfortable with stock vents. I cut an opening in the tube running over to the driver's side outlet. It puts cool air down on my feet. And I run the fan on high most of the time.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

I can say even with a brand new Vintage air system, dynamat everwhere and stock vents the car still needs help at the 100 + days I have in Central Texas. I can get the car to the comfortable range (80 degrees or so) but I can't freeze my wife out like I can in my modern car.

Even with air coming out the central vent of 38 degrees, there is too much area and too much sun coming in.

Next step for me is to replace the weather stripping along the doors and tint the windows. I will also take Jim's suggesting and point a vent towards my feet or at least on my legs.

[Jim Cannon]

<!-- google_ad_section_end -->I can say even with a brand new Vintage air system, dynamat everwhere and stock vents the car still needs help at the 100 + days I have in Central Texas. I can get the car to the comfortable range (80 degrees or so) but I can't freeze my wife out like I can in my modern car.

Even with air coming out the central vent of 38 degrees, there is too much area and too much sun coming in.

Yup. My center vent blows colder than that.

The problem is too much heat gain from all directions and not enough cold air coming out of the 3 small vents.

A tough problem for a hot environment.