57 Cowl Vent "V" Cut-outs

[William B.]

My 57 cowl vent assembly has two "V" cut-outs, made with a cutting torch, in the same area as the 58 and later cowl vents but those later ones are cleanly cut. These "V" cuts allow fitting the cowl to the body more accurately I assume, since I bought my car as a basket case, not assembled, so I'm not sure. Does anybody know if the factory started cutting these "V's" into the mid to late 57s with a torch...... before the redesigned later ones came along ???
Bill

[Gary C.]

Re: 57 Cowl Vent "V" Cut-outs

Bill, rough cut clearance slots for the new metal under dash bracing started approximately 57 VIN 4360 and on. What is your 57's VIN # ? Gary....

[William B.]

Re: 57 Cowl Vent "V" Cut-outs

Gary, The vin is #4841 and that would explain why my 57 has these rough cut-outs and not the cleaner cuts I've seen on later ones. Thanks for the help and explanation!
Bill

[Ted S.]

Re: 57 Cowl Vent "V" Cut-outs

Bill, the ones on my '58's cowl vent are pretty rough. I don't think they were cut with a torch but they sure look like they were an after thought.