Hey all, I was just wondering what the general consensus was on leaving your windows cracked or closed in the summer heat.

I know the rule of thumb is to leave them cracked to allow the interior to "breathe" so there won't be as much heat buildup, but I have a high quality car cover for my 72 Supreme, so I close them up tight when the cover is on, but I leave them cracked when the cover is off.

Thoughts?

 

Let it breathe! I open the hood to let it cool off too, once arriving at a show or whenever I drive it. What's the sense of letting everything I've worked so hard at detailing cook which = oxidation? The only time I contradict this is when its windy/dusty/cotton woody, (google cottonwood trees)
Side note I open the hoods on my daily drivers I the summer to let it cool off. Batteries tend to last longer if they aren't being cooked.

 

In my garage, all the windows on both of my Cutlasses are wide open with a car cover covering it. My daily driver, I have those vent shades so I crack all 4 windows open about 1/4".

 

Unless rain is forecast, I crack each window about 1/2 an inch, and hope for a slight breeze to keep the hot air circulating out of the car. This and fold-able/removable windshield blinds help keep the interior a few degrees cooler than Hades while inside work during the summer.

 

Dave, follow your rule of thumb no matter what the situation. Do you have rodent or spider problems? That's the only time I would keep them closed.

 

I have my DD outside with a good cover. I leave the windows cracked when covered and I've not noticed any dust or insects in the car; rain never gets in. It keeps the interior cooler when the car is in the sun.

My Olds is inside with a cotton cover. I leave the tailgate window and a front window completely open. It helps dissipate the interior smells (vinyl, glue, etc.) from the restoration.

 

Thanks all for the input. It's good to know what others do in the same situation. I guess I've always just been concerned about making the best decision when it comes to taking care of my Cutlass.

 

I park my 70-442 in my garage which has overhead water sprinklers mounted at various points on the ceiling. I keep the windows rolled up out of fear that they malfunction and then flood my interior (unlikely, but you never know).

 

Here in Phoenix you can bake cookies on the dash board in the summer (there are actually competitions for this) so unless you are wanting fresh oatmeal raisin cookies for a snack on your drive, leaving the windows cracked is mandatory.

 

Yes please Kenneth! My favorite and maybe add a dash of cinnamon??