I've been looking around the internet and I'm quickly realizing all the people that I had saved as contacts for South Wind heater parts are gone. There was a guy in Canada that had a good website but its nowhere to be found. The phone numbers I do find on old threads or websites are "no longer in service". Does anyone know someone that has parts or works on the old South Wind auto heaters? I've got a few, but am looking for a couple parts (a good jet tube for one). I know I can just keep searching ebay or wherever but am hoping someone still specializes in these things.
I’ve got a bunch of NOS parts in cold storage. Send me a list of what you need and I’ll see what I can find.
...Looks like the ones from Vintage Air are hot water heaters styled with a nod to the S/W South Wind heaters. They look good.
I can't say a thing on the Southwind heaters except they look great and a few guys have converted them to work with a heater core in them. As usual, curiosity got the best of me and I had to look up the Vintage air heater Lothiandon40 posted and it is their Streamline heater not a real low buck item at around 300 for just a heater but it would sure look great in a lot of rods. Vintage Air » Blog Archive VINTAGE AIR RELEASES NEW STREAMLINE HEATER FOR 1930-1940 CARS AND TRUCKS - Vintage Air
Here's mine, converted to H2O. Blower fits up under the dash and can't be seen. The original Southwind knob controls the 3 speed blower; small black knob on the right is the heater valve.
Fortunateson... I didn't take pics while building but the black housing is just plywood. The heater core is Ford pickup, copper as I needed to modify the inlet/outlets slightly. Blower is a Spal; only a couple dollars more than a chinese copy. It's pretty simple. I did need to split the top of the housing and widen it about 3/8" to cover the core. Southwind heaters came in at least two sizes and you want the larger. Finding a suitable core was the biggest challenge.
Thanks for the input everyone. I guess the old "instant email replies" feature isn't working for me these days. I just logged in thinking I'd have to rattle the cage for a response and I find a list of replies. I really appreciate the info. That new water version looks cool, but I'm hoping to go old skool with mine. I've got a NOS unit in the box with all the paperwork but I'm missing the "jet tube". I'm hoping someone chimes in to this thread that still works on the South Winds. I think the guy I had found in Canada had some good stuff at a reasonable price, but his website is gone so I ***ume he's not in the business any longer.
Hey fellas, I have a south wind instant heater model 8316 and I have no idea what this thing is about or what it would’ve been mounted in or what era it’s from can any of you provide a little information? thanks! Gary
What you have there is a heater for inside the cab of some sort of heavy equipment. When I worked on air cooled German vehicles, we installed a few of them in '68 up Transporters in the p***enger area. It won't be of any use in a HAMB era vehicle ...
@adavis I just got one of these just like the one in your lead photo. Model #781. I don't know anything about it. How do I check it out to see if it works? Please and thank you to anyone who can explain how these work?
..You would need the accompaning hose kit that draws fuel from the engine intake and burns it in an enclosed tube inside the heater. The heaters are pretty easy to find, the hose kit not so much.
Yes @lothiandon1940 that is the part that is the "needle in a haystack" for these Southwind heaters. I'm surprised no one has remanufactured the "jet tube"......or have they? Anyone ever come across an aftermarket version or know someone that has made one? I talked to a guy several years ago who said he had a few made but when I asked if I could buy one he said that guy had p***ed away. I actually have one of the "jet tubes" that is NOS but I don't want to take it apart to see how it works for fear that I'll break it. Maybe someone on here has seen the inside of a "jet tube" and can supply a pic or drawings. I will ask my machinist friends and see if we can figure out a way to make them. If no one else has done it I think it could be a popular item.
Hey, Gary; The stuff inside the box is reminiscent of the gas htr used in Karmann Ghias. Multi-piece vs the one-piece bug-style, due to not enough room under the hood for a one-piece. IIRC, there is some info on the Samba about the Southwind htrs, VW-style, of course. You could also sleuth around the cal-look.no site. I think they also used something similar on Weasels. Marcus...
The Jalopy Journal
