Restoration
Print this Email this diggDigg this! del.icio.us

Maybe it's because we're spoiled from driving our comfortable and reliable late-model vehicles, but it would be nice to have some of the creature comforts in our older, restoration project cars as well. To help make your old favorite a little cozier, here's a low-buck heater and defroster. It's fairly easy to install, works great and will fit almost any vehicle.

The Part
A little warmth and a fog-free windshield are well worth the time and money (slightly over $100) for the cost of the unit. It's called a 13,000 BTU Auxiliary Space Heater. Featuring a copper hi-temp core, plus a 6-inch diameter 4-blade fan (150 CFM), the heater runs on 12 volts and draws 1.5 amps. It actually takes up less room than many of the older factory units.


As you'll see in the accompanying photos, a bit of fabrication and custom fitting may be required, depending on the vehicle type. If you plan to add a heater into your project car early on, this will make any modifications easier. So plan ahead to stay warm.

Resources
J.C. Whitney Co., 800-529-4486, www.jcwhitney.com


Finish Line, Inc., 888-436-9113, www.cobraaccessories.com


Copyright autoMedia.com 2000-2008

 
Photo Guide

The unit measures about seven inches square. It has three doors that can be used to direct heat. The two round plastic plugs can be removed to plumb in the defroster pipe. The heater can be mounted in the center of the car, under the dash. We mounted it all the way to the right since it would not clear the glovebox in this particular car.

The backside of the unit has three bolts for mounting and two copper pipes for the water hoses. An easy way to determine where to drill the mounting holes is to make a cardboard template with the holes cut out.

Using the cardboard template, find a suitable place for mounting the heater. In this roadster, the cockpit's cowl brace was in the way. Instead of mounting the heater to the underside of the brace where it would hang too low in the footwell, we decided to modify the brace.

In order to mount the heater up out of the way and against the firewall, we made a new brace out of 1x2-inch steel tubing. After welding the brace in place we cut an 8-inch wide section out of the existing cowl hoop to accommodate the header/defroster unit.

Next we placed the template on the firewall, checked for overall fit and marked the holes where the heater hoses come though the firewall. Then we drilled the two water pipe holes and the two top mounting holes.

After fitting the heater through the holes and were satisfied with the alignment, we bolted the heater in place. The bottom bolt came out below the firewall, so we used a 90-degree brace and mounted it through the top of the footbox, so the unit was secure and would not vibrate.

On the engine side of the firewall, carefully measure and fit the heater hoses. Be sure to leave them long enough so they don't pinch. (If desired, a manual cable-controlled cutoff valve can be installed at this time).

Now we are ready to work on the defroster pipes. These under-dash vents are out of an '87 to '93 Mustang and work well for this application. If you get these from a salvage yard, be sure to get the small piece of flexible hose that connects to each defroster pipe.

Cut off the three protruding fins, so that the vent will fit flush under the dash.

For the defroster ducting we used PVC plastic pipe. After measuring the required distances and checking for fit, we glued the pipe pieces together. We took one of the plastic plugs from the heater and cut a hole in it and fitted the plastic pipe through the hole, then reinstalled the plug in the side of the heater (see lower right area of photo).

Here is the finished unit, painted black, ready to be installed. (No, you probably don't have to paint it, but we just felt better knowing that it looked good.)

Next cut the cowl vents. Mark the area to be cut by holding the under-dash vents in place and marking the two bolt holes. Once the holes are drilled, then mark the slots and cut them out. (We used masking tape to protect the paint.) Ideally this install would be done before the car is painted and the windshield is installed.

The finished holes should look like this. Use a chrome louver cover (available from Finish Line, it's called a "de-mist vent") to cover the hole and direct the hot air onto the windshield. When the dash is installed, wire the heater fan to a toggle switch, and the job is done.

Here is the finished unit, tucked up out of the way, leaving plenty of foot and legroom. Wire the switchgear to a convenient spot and you'll be warm and toasty in no time.


Related Articles
Bring It To A Grinding Halt
Positraction Install
Carburetor Classics: The Notorious Stromberg 97
Exhaust System Insulation
How to keep Drum Brakes cool


autoMedia Car Blog
Ouch! Small Pickup Truck Crash Tests - Painful Results
As gas prices soared past $4/gallon nationwide, and full-sized pickup trunk sales plummeted by double-digit percentages, some corners of the auto indu ... more...

Official: 2010 Lotus Evora 2+2
Lotus’ first all-new model in 13 years was unveiled at the British International Motor Show this week, the Evora. (We’re partial to the “Project Eagle ... more...

Car Sales Reaching the Lowest Levels Since 1993
It can’t be ignored that on the same day J.D. Power and Associates spreads doom about light-vehicle sales being expected to drop to the lowest levels ... more...


Forum Highlights
Need help putting brakes on 1961 Ford Ranchero
 I can't remember how my passenger side rear emergency brake attaches to the rear shoe. I know it attaches to the top with a pin and a horsesho ... more...

Re: engine smoke
he is right. Piston ring migth have not been the same. are they genuine parts? or its timing belt was'nt did right.   ______________________ ... more...

Re: 2000 Ranger front brake pads and rotors
don't worry about the sound. Tha's a good sound, it means the pads are working well, soon it will be gone. New pads ussually does that. Because its st ... more...


Car Buying Guide

QUICK SEARCH:


Specs, prices, photos & more
SEARCH BY BODY STYLE:
FREE New Car Price Quote
Get the best price - it's easy!

Used Car Buying Guide


2000-2008 autoMedia.com Inc. All Rights Reserved.