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Hot Rods Electric heaters for cars

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by elba, Aug 18, 2018.

  1. elba
    Joined: Feb 9, 2013
    Posts: 628

    elba
    Member

    Is there anybody that makes an electric car heater for the interior of a car ? I am just looking for something for 30 F and up . Just to knock the chill off .
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  2. I use it in parades when it's cold helps with windshield mostly

    Sent from my VS996 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  3. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,853

    goldmountain

    I have an electric vest for riding motorcycle.
     
    blowby likes this.
  4. AngleDrive
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 1,166

    AngleDrive
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Florida

  5. Ebbsspeed
    Joined: Nov 11, 2005
    Posts: 6,479

    Ebbsspeed
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Make sure your electrical system is up to the task of running one of these. The one that @AngleDrive linked draws 30 amps.
     
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  6. AngleDrive
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 1,166

    AngleDrive
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Florida

    That's true. Neat thing about this one is it has a high/low switch as it has 4 elements. Low is 2 elements and draws about 20 amps. Needs to be wired to battery direct. I would stay away from a heater that plugs into accessory socket.
     
  7. scrap metal 48
    Joined: Sep 6, 2009
    Posts: 6,128

    scrap metal 48
    Member

    Heater ^^^ didn't have very good reviews...
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  8. AKCJ
    Joined: Jan 9, 2014
    Posts: 16

    AKCJ
    Member

    I tried one once but didn’t get enough heat out of it to do any good. Took it out and built a real heater using a core I found at the dump.


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  9. HOTRODPRIMER
    Joined: Jan 3, 2003
    Posts: 64,746

    HOTRODPRIMER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    You will need a long extension cord! :D

    Seriously, I used one in my flathead powered 4 door but if it's below 50 degrees they are worthless. HRP

    6f2a1da1-44c4-41cc-9d2b-1df29a436cdc_3.3e09aa314b8877bc172552c6a60de486.jpeg
     
  10. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,036

    belair
    Member

    I have one that runs on gas.
     
  11. tb33anda3rd
    Joined: Oct 8, 2010
    Posts: 17,583

    tb33anda3rd
    Member

    i put electric seat heater panels in all the cars i build, puts the heat where you need it. keeps me and my car warm [along with engine heat] to temps as low as the 30 degrees
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2018
    Bowtie Coupe, dan griffin and 3340 like this.
  12. You got that right. You'll burn up the plug or the socket in short order.
     
  13. tjm73
    Joined: Feb 17, 2006
    Posts: 3,675

    tjm73
    Member

    Never used them, but seat heaters should get the job done as long as you wire them properly and have enough juice coming from the alternator.
     
  14. tb33anda3rd
    Joined: Oct 8, 2010
    Posts: 17,583

    tb33anda3rd
    Member

  15. I put those heated seats and everything I built, even my model A with a generator. It's never been a problem and they work great.
     
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  16. Kiwi 4d
    Joined: Sep 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,885

    Kiwi 4d
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    The little square electric ones are as useless as ***s on a bull. Pulled mine out its in a dark corner somewhere forgotten about. All my cars have a hot water heater now. Gut a vintage heater and fit a modern core and fan. One car we used a vintage Columbus radio to fit a heater into . Demister is a 12V hairdryer in one car.
     
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  17. japchris
    Joined: Apr 21, 2001
    Posts: 363

    japchris
    Member
    from England

    Like the hair dryer idea. My Mercs not on the road yet, but no longer has a heater. I'm not bothered about my comfort, (can always put on more clothes), but it would be nice to have a de-mister. Rigging one of these under the dash to the existing ducting might do the job. Its not a very big windshield to de-mist!
     
  18. Kiwi 4d
    Joined: Sep 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,885

    Kiwi 4d
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yep the hair dryer works , but its a kinda little noisy. Ever tried driving driving a mountain road in a 3 speed wiping the screen in below zero weather . Its kinda like rubbing your head and patting your big old belly. So came up with the hair dryer idea.
     
  19. 97
    Joined: May 18, 2005
    Posts: 1,983

    97
    Member

    no amps heater

    [​IMG]
     
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  20. G-son
    Joined: Dec 19, 2012
    Posts: 1,490

    G-son
    Member
    from Sweden

    12V powered heating fans are kind of useless, the amount of energy you need to produce enough heat to make a difference isn't practically available from a normal 12V system. A normal domestic 1000/2000W 230V heater doesn't supply very much heat at the 1000W setting, but if you'd want to get 1000W out of a 12V system you'd have to draw 83A. Your old DC generator won't keep ut with that, your modern alternator probably won't either, and it could probably drain your battery on its own in about half an hour. You'd also need some seriously thick wires to power it, perhaps bigger than the ones to the starter.

    12V electric heat can be fine for seat warmers and similar things, but rather useless for heating air. The good news is that you've usually got a big internal combustion engine right in front of you, and those mostly produce waste heat. With just a bit of plumbing, a heater core and a fan you can use some of that waste heat to get as warm as you like.
     
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  21. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 35,977

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I've got a 12 V electric blanket that I carry in my OT daily Looks like a car robe our dads or grandads had in the car and works the same except it is pretty nice when you plug it in with it over your legs. Not worth a damn for keeping the windshield clear though.
    I travel over mountain p***es too much in my rides and while it can be 80 something when the sun is out it gets down pretty chilly at night.
    I've not seen anything good on that HF unit. It might defog a small area on your windshield but that is about all. The one that Angle drive posted should get the job done but at that price you can put in a heat only universal heater/defroster from Vintage air or a couple of other outfits.
     
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  22. Don't swim against the current (pun intended) with electric heaters. Go with hot water core types. Stewart Warner produced a small "South Wind" heater made to retrofit those old-timey cars back before we was pups. I think they mounted any place flat, high on the firewall, with a simple circuit for the small blower and copper tubing for the hot fluid. (I think they fired straight down.) You can find a lot of them between $25 and $50. Not a bad idea for hot rods with tight spaces.
    SouthWind.jpg

    For more heat and cars with more space, there were plenty of add-on heaters produced. Just search the 'net.
    heater3.jpg heater5.jpg
     

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  23. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 59,934

    squirrel
    Member

    finally...someone explains why 12v electric heaters don't work :)

    simple physics.
     
  24. Anything that gets hot electrically will require a lot of current (you can't get something for nothing).
    Being the ultimate cheapskate that I am, my heater core ended up with a hole in it, so I byp***ed it, and used a mains powered fan heater running inside the car before I left in the morning. Turn on before breakfast, unplug before leaving. My drive to work was only 20 mins, and it was one of those new-fangled new cars where you had to dis***emble the car to change the core, so that job had to wait.
     
  25. bigdog
    Joined: Oct 30, 2002
    Posts: 808

    bigdog
    Member

    Every winter people come into the store looking for an electric heater because somethings broke on the one in the car. I always carefully explain that the electric heater might defrost a spot on the windshield but it is NOT going to keep them warm. 99% of them buy one anyway, then return it saying it doesn't work. Find a hot water heater.
     
  26. leon bee
    Joined: Mar 15, 2017
    Posts: 1,237

    leon bee
    Member

    I don't like to admit it, but I bought one of those little chineseium hot water heaters for a car not to be mentioned here. Small enough to hide up under the dash. About $60 and I can't hardly believe how well it works. For how long it works remains to be seen.
     
  27. lothiandon1940
    Joined: May 24, 2007
    Posts: 32,411

    lothiandon1940
    Member

    ...............Those Stewart-Warner South Wind heaters weren't hot water heaters. They were actually designed to siphon a tiny amount of gasoline from the engine and burn it in a "controlled" manner inside the p***enger compartment. I'm not saying I like the idea.:D
     
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  28. lothiandon1940
    Joined: May 24, 2007
    Posts: 32,411

    lothiandon1940
    Member

    You can gut them out and put a small core inside and turn them into hot water type heaters.:) 20180316_072510.jpg
     
    The Shift Wizard likes this.
  29. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 15,988

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    But you can get 10,000 BTU's for a 50 amp draw, Maybe your generator wont hold up to the draw but my 100 amp power gen does. I bought it, installed it off the battery on a dedicated circuit and it works well.
    upload_2018-8-20_11-6-32.png
    I wouldn't want to sit around idling for extended periods of time with the heater on high and the lights blazing but then again, that is not what it is there for is it? Not perfect, but better than some make them out to be on here.
     

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