getting warm

I bought a 1986 IM roadster for my daughter's first daily driver. We are full on car nuts here, but it is New Jersey and winter is cold and long. There in lies the problem. We need to make real heat in the car. Luckily I have good fabrication skills and quite a shop if anyone has had any success. I am willing to augment comfort with heated seats, but warm air for the defroster and some comfort would be great. I remember gasoline heaters from the old days, have even seen some small electric quartz heaters that they use in equipment like bobcats. Is there anyone out there that has had sucess with the true daily driven car?? Some sacrifice to have a cool ride is reasonable, but freezing will probably kill the joy for her. As for the choice...what do you say to your daughter who says to you "Daddy I always wanted a car that smiles at me!"

Mike,

Here you go!

https://www.speedsterowners.com/knowledge/article.asp?id=209

https://www.speedsterowners.com/knowledge/article.asp?id=209&subid=1


Karl

Mike,

You are a very cool dad! What a great 1st car. Anyway, I had a CJ5 Jeep, back in high school as a beater and I used a back up heater called back seat heat. I hardwired it and mounted it on my trany tunnel. It worked great for the many years I kept the Jeep. Here is a link to what I am talking about:

http://www.autobarn.net/3000c.html

sorry mike i don't remember the mfg (but it would be easy enough to mock up) but one company routed engine oil into the compartment and blew air across the heat exchanger.
Added oil capacity, cooling, cheap and easy. But you can't beat a gas heater. If you were
really a caring Dad you would go this route (gas htr) with the heater timer option so the car could be preheated for her for her ride to school. good luck with your project.
P.S...where in nj are you? we're due to get 10"/snow by morning==park the speedster

Hi Mike
I used my speedster for 5 years as a daily driver-rain or shine,warm or cold. I use the stock heater boxes and the OEM factory doghouse fan shroud because it pushes more air through the heater boxes than the
36hp style shroud I see on most cars. I've put approx. 80,000 miles
on my car in about 8 1/2 years.

Have heater boxes? YES, then on the cheap use couple of inline boat bilge blowers under the dash to pull hot air from the heat exchangers to defrost or with addition of diverter valve to heat too - $75. A better solution (if it is driven frequently in nasty weather) is a gas heater - BN2/BN4 Ebersparcher ($150-400) or Stewart-Warner (VW) Instaheat ($150-250). BN2 (4" diameter) is from T1 Bug and the BN4 (6" diameter) is from Thing (sidecurtains and convertable top just like speedster) and Bus. BN4 had a timer to preheat without starting car - don't believe T1 did as stock. Couple pictures are below. I'm planning on installing one - probably the BN4 unit. Just have to decide if its in front trunk or between rear seat and firewall - suspect front trunk.

My first car was '57 beetle with big fabric sunroof (same color combo as my speedster - black ext/red interior). It has same lack of heat problem --- by time I drove 10 miles to collegew in traffic there was a peep hole defrosted on windshield! Would ice inside from breath moisture.

thanks to all. I live in randolph n.j and work in paterson. I'm leaning in the direction of auxillary electric heat. I found a buggy guy in California that makes a 75 amp alternator which would likely handle the heater, headlights and a stereo at the same time. I have the system working as originally installed by henry in the car with the auxillary fan which blows like hell (cold air) but the dog house was replaced with a thing dog house with no ducting. Expect I'll just tap off it and weld bungs on it. Any advice on this would be appreciated. Good time to do the work as I have a drive in basement which is warm and dry.

Hi Mike, i totally understand your pain, or should I say your daughters, I am in PA, so I completely understand the problem, its tough to grasp if you don't reside on the east coast, other people think we are whiners, but not so, quite the opposite, I am a total die hard, giving up almost anything for a cool car such as an IM, BUT i won't go as far as to sacrifice heat. That being said, please if you would share with me when you have a solution for this, and also if I may ask you, since I'm not that for from you in NJ, I am hunting an older IM, so if you'd happen to see one for sale, knowing you already have your would you kindly pass it on to me , the info that is, I'm having a tough time finding one, thankyou,Jane

I have done the research as some of you have. I have found "THE GUY" and as luck woulds have it he's local to me. Ark Maris has been rebuilding and designing combustion heaters since the 1960's. I talked to him today and am convinced that the only satisfactory solution is a gas heater and he has them. So hopefully this week a NOS will come home with me. I started the energy calculations for an adequate output from an electric heater and figured by the time I was done I'd need well over 100 amps (be warm or go!). POM be hopeful mine came out of Florida and it's really solid just needing some TLC. Porsche blue with grey interior and blue top my daughter just loves it. I saw the pictures of your mercedes they look nice. My other vintage car is a 1957 thunderbird that was my daily driver for college but it had real heat. Leaked like hell but could get warm. Thanks to all and I'll post some pictures of the install when it's done. MIKE

Kurt, 80,000 miles is very impressive, but being able to survive in California with heater boxes isn't all that surprising. I mean how cold is it there now?

22 degrees this morning, high 30's this afternoon=nj

Hi Steven
I'm not going to argue with anyone from the mid-west because
I was born there and yes, it's colder. I have however, had both
of these fan shrouds and the OEM one works much better. 32 degrees
in the morning is, I concede, about as cold as it gets around here.
But I do still take the speedster to work. :)

Mike - I would not waste time moding the Thing shroud as used T1 ones are inexpensive. You actually could reduce normal engine cooling by altering it. Look locally (Englishtown VW events?) or on ebay or Samba for a used shoud and perhaps other engine tin to get OEM heat system back. Your daughter may show up at school/work smelling like burnt engine oil though - eau de Castrol.

That is very cool....no pun intended. I have to say that with the IM setup and the good sealing on my IM D, 32 was still warm enough to be comfortable and very useable.

got my heater today. NOS e2 from Ark Maris 973-398-6363. Great Guy and really really knows combustion heaters. Has been working on them since the 60's and has the parts, know how, and equipment to really make them work. Gave some great advice on installation pitfalls and I will post pictures when I'm done. It was in the 20's today and I have no heat hooked up. The ride to see him was a little chilly today but, now I have a good solution for the future.

Do take step by step photos to help us all. I'm always cautious about venting hot heater exhaust gases next to fiberglass as well as exhausting the carbon monoxide fumes. Tying into your IM blower system would be nice so you can divert to defrost or heat as needed. If you do a google search you'll find copies of original install and maintence manuals online.

mike, That "973" area code, where in jersey is he? I have bought and
refurbished a bn2 but have yet to "mount it". What pitfalls did he mention? My "common sense approach wuld be to use supply air, heated
air and exhaust tubes the same size/or bigger as original as to not restrict air movement. Also my other question was how critical the
mount angle is and if it shoud be "tipped" one way or the other
allowing fuel to run out in case of inadvertant fuel pumping
without ignition. Just some thoughts.

Ark - the heaterman - advertises on The SAMBA all the time - Hopatcong, NJ. Prices are high but there aren't a whole lot of parts sources still available (hence the ned to buy a spare for parts).

I was told to be careful about not angling the mount it will work better in the proper orinetation. To make sure that the intake and exhaust see the same pressures to prevent reverse flow thru the combustion circuit. My daily driver plan means that the car must have a defroster for the windshield so my current plan is to put it behind the rear bulk head. I will tap into the existing duct work and use the internal blower. It does blow like hell now but is all cold air. I will make a metal box to hose the unit away from the elements in the space above the trans. If is all works out should be really good and allow recirculating cabin air to be icreasingly warmed. Expect to begin the install right after Christmas. For now sorting out a few details on my daily driver, 1930 Mosel A streetrod in all wheel drive. Would post a picture but can't seem to figure out how. Luckily I'm a better fabricator than computer guy.