gas heaters

Anyone ever mess with them.I ran across Southwind and I'd like to use it.

 

In your car or garage?????
I had a gas heater in a 1960 Corvair years ago and it worked good.I was always nervous about it though.

 

I'm sorry.In my car.How much of a hassel are they or are they?

 

very effective, in a greasy sort of way. a lot of stinky heat and exhaust like a stack of gas-soaked burning styrofoam.

a portable brush fire.

 

Now there's a confidence builder reply for ya!

 

I don't know but I wouldn't like the idea of gasoline in the passenger compartment with me. I still have mine in my 37 but I refer to it as my Firewall Art. There is a guy on one of the flathead boards that rebuilds them for a business.Check out the vendors list on the fordbarn I think.
Hell, when it gets that cold that i need some heat in the 37. I just tell mommy to snug alittle closer. After that, the 37 is mummified till spring.

 

The cas is so cool looking that I'll figure a way to put in a heater core .

 

Only used them on class 8 trucks. Worked good for pre-heating the motor.About 15 min. and the truck motor was up to 110-120 deg.Keep in mind your talking 700 plus cu.in motors in the big rigs! Then I went to hydrolic quick connects on the heater hoses on my Chevy pick-up small block connected to the block of the big truck motor.Raise the r.p.m. of the Chevy up to about a 1000 and it heated the water just as good.Now that all the diesles are cumputerized, none of that is necessary anymore.

 

Yeah they are real kool looking i saw one last sunday at our uk swap meet...............but gas ewwwwwwwwwwww in a cab ?you may as well just poor a gallon of petrol over yourself and light up a match.I would stick to the core idea or buy a cheap cored one off of ebay there are plenty to choose from on there and some of the 30's/40's ones look real nice art deco jobs.Best of luck though,and don't forget your fire proof race suit..........Marq

 

I also had one in a 1960 Corvair, thought it was the greatest thing back then. I do remember working at a garage when I was a kid and servicing a Caddy(50'S) I think, and it had a gas heater..am I correct about that?
I don't think it is any more dangerous than pumping natural gas into your house!!!

CT.

 

we have an expression over here in the UK that sort of sums it up..................SOD THAT............Marq

 

i got one in my 60 corvair sedan700,it works great at low temps but the points pop at full blast,is this dangerous?also have a 60 sedan 700 for parts and looking for parts too,always iterested in talking with corvair guys,thanks bye

 

It looks like several of you have some false ideas about this heater.
I have a huge box full of brand new kits to install the fuel line for a Southwind in a flathead Ford.

Its simple.
There is a plate that fits between the carb and manifold and a metal line to the heater.
In other words, there is no gasoline going to the heater, just the gas/air mixture.
And no I dont feel like selling them.
Its more hassle packaging them and going to the Post Office than you are willing to pay.
Make your own.

 

In a worst case scenario, a hot water heater can scald you, but very unlikely be fatal. A gasoline heater is a time bomb.

 

Its just a vapor line

 

i have one in my roadster. i gutted it and used a heater core and blower from a plymouth mini van, the rear unit. it will roast you out.

i'll have to get some picts of how i made it all work. you can almost see it in the pic

 

School me! No gasoline to the heater. Gas / air mixture goes to the heater. Is there then a flame inside the heater for ignition and heat?

 

I'd mount one in plain sight for the cool look they have, but my REAL heat source is ELECTRIC & hidden!

 

Thanks 440: americanheritage and you have furnished me the answers.

 

I have one in my '39' It is great over the hot water heaters that I had before I found this NOS Southwind. The combustion chamber is cast iron and is sealed from the interior of the car. The fuel is drawn to the heater by engine vacuum and will not work if the engine is not running. Actually a very safe design. The only problem that I have had with it is too hot! Sure never had this problem when I was driving this car to college in the winter and the old water heaters.

 

the 1972-74 Volkswagon "Thing" had a standard equipment gas heater....worked great

 

There's also one for the old, early to late 1950's, VWs called an Eberspacher. Had one in an old Bus, and it always worked perfectly, no gas smell, no danger if, like everything else on your car, you kept it properly maintained. They worked just like a Southwind, but everything is Metric. There is a guy in Castle Park, CO (the name escapes me at the moment) that used to service all makes of gas heaters, never heard of any problems with one of his rebuilt units, again, if it was installed correctly and properly maintained.