On my 603, there's a driver side foot level air intake
 

with a rotating circular cover one turns by hand, in the outer foot-well wall.

Is this simply there to let in supplemental ambient air in the foot-well area, that at some point someone decided would be helpful or was often necessary?

Thank you.

My Willie's Brigand has a similar vent. His vent looks very similar to the eyeball at each end of the dashboard. It provides a good blast of low level air to keep the feet cool. Even an Englishman shod with Goodyear welted brogues requires a modicum of cooling air for podiatric comfort.

Cassian

On my 603, there's a driver side foot level air intake
 

In the 412 S1 and S2 with the hard rear top fitted you need to leave the lower vents open if you want the heating to work effectivly as there is no rear ventilation venting. The Beaufighter hard top has vents inserted to do this though.

But, would that be the case in the 603, with its rear fender vents?

I'm sure it's simply providing additional foot level intake for the driver and in general and I would guess from the OS front wing, to avoid it coming in over the engine.

It somehow look anomalous though.

I think you will find that the air comes through a plenum chamber under the windscreen - at least it does on our Brigand. No car manufacturer would consider air coming direct from the engine bay as engine fumes would pollute the passenger compartment.

Our Polari really loves the air the low level vent provides when he sits in the footwell as it really eases his car sickness, still this is a problem with Toy poodles - such rugged little dogs but very poor at travelling.

Cass

On my 603, there's a driver side foot level air intake
 

The primary purpose is to provide diffused fresh air ventilation into
the car at your feet, the 412 is a special case but only with the hard
top in situ.

On my 603, there's a driver side foot level air intake
 

The air comes from the wheel arch lockers on either side, rather
than the engine bay

On my 603, there's a driver side foot level air intake
 

Lou,

I remember talking to Mr. Crook about this and he said it was one of the
reasons he thought that the Bristol didn't need A/C as there was a
tremendous amount of fresh air available from the dash vents and the foot
well vents. Not sure if he had sampled the summer heat in the Southern
States! I do however find the heating and ventilation system in the 412
better than most modern cars, as long as the rear window vents are open (or
the top off!)

Peter

(Please do what you like below this line!!)
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:rolleyes::D:eek:


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(Please do what ever takes your fancy above this line!!)

It's not anomalous, they are really useful even in my 408. Try them in summer. You might like them.

Greg

__

On my 603, there's a driver side foot level air intake
 

I use them all the time as I like a lot of fresh air. You never get a draughty feeling from the rotating style ones. I know Bristol experimented with the same effect from the rear wheel arches venting into the back seats on the Blenheim 4 but I don't know how successful this was. You certainly notice the effects of the large glass area in summer in a Brigand with the air con off.

Paul

On my 603, there's a driver side foot level air intake
 

Perhaps someone could explain what my air ram lever does? It isn't
relates to the lower vents.

Having been slightly dissapointed that the rear guard button fails to
raise a bullet proof shield on my car I am hoping that the air ram
lever will revel some sort of booster rocket.

Paul

This sounds like an excuse, probably because it was a pain to fit air con and some of the competition were offering it as a standard option.

You don't need to be in warm climate to benefit from air conditioning. If the ambient temp is 25+ deg C in the shade and you're sitting in traffic in the sun, it's going to become uncomfortable fairly quickly, especially when you take into consideration the heat soak from the engine bay and from beneath the car. This can easily be experienced in the UK.

On my 603, there's a driver side foot level air intake
 

Paul,

I posted a scan of the 412 owner's manual explaining the function of the ram
air lever. For some reason it didn't get through. If you send me your email
address to mcgou@msn.com I will send it to you.

Peter

On my 603, there's a driver side foot level air intake
 

Kevin, My 412 has A/C but I don't use it too often, except in the
circumstances you mention, being stopped in traffic. Ottawa in the summer
can be very hot and humid and we use the A/C in my Subaru and my wife's BMW
all the time. It doesn't seem as necessary in the Bristol. It is a separate
system ( see page 336 in Balfour's book) and yes it would have been very
difficult to incorporate as a combined system. If it's very hot we are
unlikely to have the roof on anyway.

Peter

I've known for a long time that 412 owners are persistent, from Phillipa on through the roster.

Now, they've highjacked this thread.

{;>)

412 ventilation instructions
 

Peter, you can't post attachments via email, it has to be done via the web interface.

I have attached your scan to this post.

Regards,
Kevin

412 ventilation instructions
 

Thanks Kevin.

Thank you.