Hot Rods What heater is in YOUR hot rod?

that's nice. Is it new?

I'm not finding it on their website

 

My heater box is a Harrison for a '37 Oldsmobile, new internals and controls. Car is '29 Ford cabriolet.

that center strip and knobs will be Ni plated and the body will be the exterior color.

Still have to get it all connected and everything wired up and running so I can test it out.

 

Some of you guys are making too much work of this. NAPA has a book with several pages, literally hundreds of listings, for various fans. I have emailed my copy to many folks. (I do not have a current scan). I have a Chevy heater that I converted.

Updated with PDF 12/15/2021

 

I put a auxillary unit from J.C Whitney in our '47. It's just a square black box and has holes to run defrost. Puts out alot of heat. I was trying to use the original but it was too expensive to get the core rebuilt. I mounted it where the original was and it really doesn't look out of place. In fact you really don't even notice it. I'm just getting ready to head out in it to the store.

Current Conditions

Partly Cloudy

44°F

7°C
Humidity35%Wind SpeedN 15 G 20 mphBarometer30.36 in (1030.0 mb)Dewpoint18°F (-8°C)Visibility10.00 miWind Chill37°F (3°C)Last Update on 26 Nov 11:54 am MST

 

I built my own heat exchanger for my Tropic Aire heater out of copper tubing and aluminum flashing for about $15 and quite a bit of time. Works pretty good but would be better if I had side windows.

Blue

 

Same here

 

Nice. So it heats even freezing cold outside air?

 

My headers....

 

A 1946/7/8 Ford heater rotated 90 degrees with a 1951 F-1 "Magic Air" Script housing cover massaged over the upper half. No choice as the Magic Air fan motor is in the right fender.

Next , move the defrost port over and VOILA...

A correct sized, Ford script heater in my 34 coupe. Courtesy of Rex Rogers at Custom Auto in Loveland, CO.

Regards,
George

 

This old Arvin heater has done a good job in my '35 Chevy coupe through Colorado and Idaho winters. Originally it had a 6v motor that I replaced with a 12v. No defrosters means a rag for wiping the inside of the windshield. It's been going strong for 25+ years.

 

Not in a hot rod but in a pair of 1931 Chrysler Imperials I assembled. Period correct "Tropic-Air" brand. They work well but no defroster option. Had a hot water shutoff valve in the engine compartments.

 

Here is my new old heater I scored off ebay. I will be installing in my f-1 this winter . I don't know anything about it other than it looks olde tyme and will look great in my truck

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Heater? Heater? We doan need no stinking heater!!!!

 

Two hotrods; no heater in either. I just bundle up.

 

The heater in my old 38 was a distinct lack of firewall insulation and the exhaust running directly under your feet!
I also had air conditioning in it, built into each door! It worked great, the control was a crank like handle and to vary the temp you simply turned the handle. The more you turned it the cooler it got!

Doc.

 

I'm always on the fence with heaters but the NW gets pretty chilly at times especially in an open roadster. JohnnyA

I bought this from a restorer with a keen eye for the cool. It's a "Redhead" which I hadn't heard of until I found this one. The little knob to the right opens and closes slats reminiscent of a pines winterfront. Super Art Deco vibe...kinda architectural almost.



It's even got an offshoot for a defrost which is a huge plus...this one might find its way into my coupe.

 

I have found that an old chamois works great for wiping the condensation from the inside of my windshield. Doesn't streak as much as other items and it's reusable.

 

That ^^ "redhead" heater is from another world. Would like to see it once restored.

 

Pulled this out from under the dash of my Pierce Arrow parts car last night. If it isn't to far gone I'm thinking I'll use it in the 39 pickup.

 

Have used the vintage air heat/defrost unit in a couple of 40's--tucked up under the dash on pass side--works well.

 

I had one like that but seemed like no matter what I tried, it never got warm.

 

Heater ???????

 

I had a heat & air unit setting on the shelf and decided to install it in the Deuce pickup,the only problem with that was the limited amount of leg room and being 6' 4" and 230lbs. I couldn't sacrifice any leg room so my solution was to mount it under the seat.

It has worked great for the past 7 years. HRP

 

That's me

 

I haven't seen another one- anybody else have a "Motorola" heater? I know the company isn't rare, just haven't seen any other old heaters from them.

 

The heater in my truck is a Hot Wave brand aftermarket unit, guy I got it from at Hershey 20+ years ago said he took it out of a '35 Olds. Core was good, 6 volt motor worked through a resistor switch for a few years. When the original blower motor died, I adapted one out of a '70s vintage Dodge truck, pulled the squirrel cage off of it, mounted the squirrel cage and fan from the 6V motor on it. Works great, more heat than I've ever needed.

 

Yikes- just found another Motorola doing a search. It says they are gasoline powered heaters. I'm thinking that I'll probably change my mind and not use it.

 

Forgot photos. HRP

 

Just wondering...anyone have experience with hot air heating off the exhaust manifolds?
I know at times in the Roadster I'll get this wonderful waft of hot air off the pipes while stopped at a light and it makes me think how easy it would be to make a couple of small plenums to go around the headers and run back thru holes in the firewall.
Air flow from driving would likely be enough to heat the interior...or a couple of computer fans even, right at the firewall openings.
No hoses or interior space lost and I know from standing next to the running engine that the issue might be too much heat into the car as opposed to too little!
I remember seeing a 50's Bentley that used a manifold heater as "instant defrost" for the windshield while using a water heater under the floor for regular cabin heat.
I'm thinking it could be viable and look good if some care is used in construction.

 

It sounds like a great idea to me, as the manifolds get hot soonest. And no more dangerous than aircooled VW's heat exchangers. As long as there aren't any holes, there's no danger from carbon monoxide.
This idea might be even better if you could design a "divorced" system than could transfer heat and not gases/odors. Maybe insulated copper tubing circulating liquid from the exhaust manifolds to the interior?