Technical Source for defroster vent tubing ?

I've been using my Shoebox as much as possible lately , and with the cold Pennsylvania mornings, I realize I need to hook up my defroster vents to help keep the windshield clear. Do any of you guys have a source that you've used to buy this stuff. Can be either cardboard/paper or plastic. The Shoebox uses 1 3/4" i.d. tube , BTW.
I checked at the local parts joint, no luck. I just did a quick internet search, and came up pretty slim. Maybe I'm not calling it the right stuff ?
I realize a lot of you guys remove your heaters, or think they're not traditional out whatever, but i use the car quite a bit, and here on PA at this time of year you need a heater in a closed car- even a custom . Can anyone point me in the right direction ? Thanks in advance !

 

Hannah Rubber in KC,MO. they ship and your order can be handled by phone, I don't know that you can handle it on line or not.

That is where I buy that sort of thing anyway.

Also if you want to stay close to home NAPA or other suitable parts store should have it. it is pretty universal stuff sold by size as opposed to application.

 

The NAPA Store here has it

 

its called duct hose. if you cant find it locally look on mcmaster carr they have all different kinds.its kinda pricy and over kill what they have .

 

When I did my '61 Lancer wagon I found some tubing at the vacuum repair place in town. Might be a place to start. I have also found some at a Car Quest here in town also. Good luck!

 

Vintage Air does 2" stuff if that would work. Maybe one of their distributors has it.

http://www.vintageair.com/2015 Catalog/2015 VintageAir Catalog 57.pdf

 

Summit Racing shows it as well.

http://www.summitracing.com/search/Product-Line/Dayco-Autoflex-Defroster-Duct-Hoses/

 

Wow, thanks for the quick replies ! I stopped of at my local autozone this morning (drove the Ford) - usually have good luck there ... No dice . As it turns out, when I bought my heater setup for the Ford (car was missing it), it had tubing with it, but wrong size (1.5") - bummer !

I will try Napa and see what's up, since there's one pretty local. If not, I'll keep running down the list.

 

go to a real parts store, not autozone. Four Seasons brand has lots of that type stuff, NAPA probably does too.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...ap?ck=Search_N2655_-1_3090&pt=N2655&ppt=C0331

 

http://www.southernrods.com/heating-and-cooling/air-vents/a-c-vent-hose.html

I have this stuff in mine. I don't see a 1 3/4" version, but maybe creating a simple adapter would work? I want to re-route mine to get it out of the way of the cowl vent lever.

 

HAHA You said autozone.
Napa will make you cozy and able to see.

 

Bob Drake, Part No. 01A-18491, one and three quarter hose by 24". This set comes with the "nozzles" that bolt under the dash for the defrosters and two hoses but perhaps you can get them with out the nozzles.

 

Lol, I agree , but our local autozone is frequented by loads of rod and custom guys, and has a couple rod guys working there, so there's usually more "oddball" stuff there than normal stores. I was suprised when they didn't have it . Definitely going to try a few of the suggestions given here.

Thanks for the additional links, guys

 

I had the same problem finding 1 3/4" cloth covered defroster hose locally for my '40. Two inch was the smallest at NAPA etc. I found it on E--y.

 

look in the Gates catalog...they list many sizes

 

Last time I bought it through grainger or mcmaster, cant remember, cheaper than the parts houses but still expensive for what it is. Then I found a guy selling lengths of 1 1/2" on ebay for dirt cheap, I also needed 1 3/4" but the price was so low I tacked in a couple pieces of 1 1/2" tube and went with that size hose. He may be selling it, was like $2 for a 5 foot length.

 

Yogi's, they are a Vintage Air distributor

 

Go into the closet and check out vacuum cleaner hoses or pool cleaner hoses- they come in all sorts of sizes . And cheap/free

 

Ask your local stores for pre heater hose, similar to what goes from your exhaust manifold to the air cleaner . Dorman #96022

 

Lots of advice here to answer your question. Just wanted to add one suggestion. Some of this stuff has a plastic spring inside to help it keep it's shape and others have a metal spring. When I had my Ragtop, my friend noticed a dash bulb out and thought he'd help me out by replacing the bulb. In doing so he pressed the (paper-like) tubing hard against the connector on the back of one of my gauges and shorted the spring to ground which caused a fire under the dash ruining my radio and the carpet and bubbling the paint on the dash. Just a word of caution.

 

Log onto McMaster- Carr.com, type in duct hose and you will find any type sand size you could ask for.

 

I needed 2 short pieces for my Ford. The first went between the heater and defrost plenum and it was an oval hose. I would up with a Jeep hose, square but fit with some massaging. The second went between the right air intake and the heater box. The old one just fell apart as I took it apart. I made a new one from a strip of rubber made from a piece of wheelbarrow tube, held it together with 3M black adhesive.

But anything round should be available, check home centers for dryer hose.

 

Great ideas . In reading the last post, I was reminded that the lower part at the heater is round, but the upper tube at the defroster vent is oval. I was assuming it would take the same size house, just squished to make it round. Might be false logic though, ha-ha ! If it's different, I'll figure something out

 

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Actual duct hose is usually pliable enough to conform to either round or oval shaped ducts. The stuff that came with my vintage air heater had no problem fitting over the round outputs on the heater and the oval ducts supplied with the kit. This is where stuff like vacuum cleaner hoses or flex hose for other applications may not be as user friendly.

 

Plumbing supply house ,air intake tubing for gas heaters,a little stiffer and the bends stay put when warmed up.

 

I have seen a lot of radiator hoses used.

 

My local hardware store carries plastic flex hose for swimming pool applications that was the right diameter for my '55 Ford. Hooked up the defrosters on my '38 Ford pickup with the hose from a dead vacuum cleaner picked up at the local recycling place.

 

I got mine at local large truck supply house.

 

Tons of fantastic ideas ! I knew in addition to a supply answer you guys would also have clever ideas. That's the power of the H.A.M.B. ! I'm sure to come up with a solution from all of these suggestions.

 

Your shoebox probably won't have the collector doohickey ( insert technical word) to gather the air and direct it through the vent slot below the screen. We used a vintage air heater demister , and while the dash was out we simply used a short length of exhaust tube and laid it parallel to the slot . Cut a slot in the exhaust tube to match the screen slot and screwed it to the body and slid the flexible duct tube over the end and it all clears the wipers etc.