The biggest problem I found was I've in the line between the tank and the
solenoids. A dryer is of no help here as it's placement would have to be
right next to the compressor which was under the hood (warm area) and for
the little (no moving parts) dryers used work best when the air is
cold(moisture condenses easier in cold). the bumper being the tank outside
in the cold easily condenses the cold moisture that was picked up in the
warm moist engine compartment (or warm gas station air) and viola, ice in
the line feeding the solenoids. I built a strong left arm those winters,
doors aren't any lighter in the winter when they are full of snow. The
winter was pretty tough on the acrylic too, there tons of spider cracks
after the first one (and a few before) but not that many more after the
second, except for an exploded fender after an incident with a truck. the
car was not a generally good to drive in the winter, something always needed
to be fixed (even more than usual) but it was an experience that has to be
lived to be believed. you get real good at getting in and out while holding
the full weight of the door with one hand, I may not even hook up the air in
my hotrod brick (just kidding). The best remedy that I have seen for the air
door system was on a car I worked on in '76 that was owned by the man that
owned the company that made the stamping dies for the Brick (he still has
them), he used the small forward strut as well as another in the rear (to
replace the ram). The rear one had a fill valve on it and he charged it with
nitrogen to get the balance just right. the doors were balanced so that they
would stay open but could be easily pulled closed, just like the hatch on
the back of a minivan. The beauty o fthis system was that if the rear strut
started to get weak (like the ones on the hatch always seem to do) you
simply got out the nitrogen bottle and gave them a little shot to achieve
balance. This car also had normal (Gremlin) door handles so opening the door
was an all mechanical affair and no electric or air was needed. This car has
parked in the garage for the last 25 or so years so I don't know how the
system would hold up in real life.
Rick 0539/2028
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