Compact, self-contained aftermarket heaters???

I know lots of places sell aftermarket air conditioning units that incorporate heat and defrost functions into them, but does anyone make a good, compact, self-contained heater?

I'm looking for an all-in-one heater core, blower motor and output ducting assembly here, WITHOUT any air conditioning. I know SOMEONE make's em, but who???

 

Here's one...........http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...02897/p-2002897/N-111+10201+600002307/c-10101

 

Here are some more......http://completeoffroad.com/wsm/c-46_off_road_high_output_heaters.html

 

Arvin. but that was 50 years ago.

I know someone makes them nowadays, not sure who....have you tried the catalogs? jc whitney, vintage air, etc?

 

check Mojave Heater, or go to the junk yard and get one out of a school bus, the kind that are under the seats. That may not fall into the compact category though

 

Summit has good prices, and they have the plenum box for the Mojave heater that has a provision for defrosters. http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=700+4294924500+115+4294839041&NeXID=5

 

I don't know what shows up at the swap meets around Detroit, but around here, I see vintage aftermarket heaters all the time. Arvin, Sears, Montgomery Ward, even Hadees--hotter'n Hades, get it?--and I've picked up a couple in nice condition for under $20. Just run a voltage drop in line to the 6V motor and you're set. NAPA still sells a vintage looking cream and maroon coloered rheostatic heater switch that clamps to the bottom of the dash.

 

The car has the defroster ducts in place still, so I'd just need to hook up the output on the heater unit to them. I never thought to check JC Whitney...I'll have to eyeball the next catalog that arrives here by mail more carefully!!

The Mojave unit looks like what I had in mind, and it doesn't seem to be unreasonably priced.

Thanks guys!!!

 

I know you were looking for new, but older British cars often had them. Right now I'm working on a '62 Autin Healy that has a nice compace heater unit up onder the dash. I worked on a TR3 awhile back that had something similar as well.

 

Vintage Air makes a nice one. I have used a couple of them. Available with or without defrost. Real small, put out good heat. (As of a couple years ago they carried them)

 

Napa still carries a couple nice little units in their Balkamp catalog and I havew used both ...they are reasonable and work well.

 

3 Off the wall sources are-older Sburbans have a rear heater seperate and not too big.
Older semi tractors have a nice one too so salvage yard trip!

any farm/tractor places have heaters to fit the cabs of tractors and combines etc..... that are damn nice units with a good fan and hi output.....
JC Whitney is online too -Greg... http://www.JCWhitney.com

I'm looking for an all-in-one heater core, blower motor and output ducting assembly here, WITHOUT any air conditioning. I know SOMEONE make's em, but who???[/quote]

 

That JC Whitney web site posted is now "for Lease" Not going to buy nothing from there.
Gene

 

I've never seen one, what years would that be?

 

another good (i think?) option i found is probably late 60's to early 70s ford pickups. i recently scoured the local yard looking for something to warm up my dailies without heaters, and they are about the only decent ones i found that had everything in one simple unit, no blower motor poking through the firewall. i picked up two of em, both from 70 ford trucks.three bolts thru the firewall and they're out, a nice simple plenum with two flanges for defrost ducts and two holes to blow hot air on your feet.

 

what about jeep< like wranglers and the like no big suvs >

there tiny cars, there in general tough built, they have no reason for ac, and the heat can give you 2nd degree burns from touching the vents lol

worth a look either way

 

Southwind!!!!!!

 

Throughout the '90s, Suburbans with the C36 option had an auxilary rear heater, but they're not very compact. They were in the passenger side rear quarter panel.

 

I'll have to check with Vintage Air also...I thought all of their units included AC. The smaller the better as far as I'm concerned, so if they have heating units that will fit behind the dash on a typical street rod application, I know I can make that work.

(I actually have a decent amount of room, but don't want anything big and bulky under there!)

My dad put an auxillary heater out of an old 60s semi truck in the back of his old 72 Ford van and it worked well. It was a floor-mount design though with just a grille on top for output, no ducts or provisions for them.

Thanks again for all the input...I'll have to work quickly now...it's fucking SNOWING here already this morning!!!

 

Southern Rods part #841h Hot rod heater. 7"x7"x7" cube. 2 speed fan motor all steel 109dollars.Made in the USA too.

 

Since anything electrical you find is prduced out of country,go to upull it, look at foreign cars, warm and defrosted for $20.00.I've got a unit from a toyota that measures 14"x4" total,fan,motor and.plenum.Under the dash that heater doesn't know where it came from.The warm air is American. later. SOT

 

oh, late models....no wonder I hadn't seen them.

thanks

 

Go the junkyard and look at the mini-pickups. I picked up a great little self-contained unit (core, fan, plenum, defrost and heat outlets) from an old Ford Courier, if my memory serves me correct. Like Ray's idea using the Ford truck heater unit, but maybe a little smaller. On half price day it was only about $15.

 

Southern Rods also has a small compact elecrtic heater that won't run ya outta the car but will keep ya from freezin' to death! HRP

 

check out the VW thing...they used a gas powered heater with a timer...really kool ,small & self contained ya could put it about anywhere..and it would blow ya outa a car in a midwest winter!

 

Could be dealer installs -Squirrell, but I have seen em in late 70 'sthru early 80's Sub's and Vans

EDIT GM PART NUMBER IS-996549
12" long 7" tall

 

This is all great info!
We tried the Vintage Air unit and were happy, try:

www.vintageair.com/cat2006/25.pdf

Looking at the morning news, looks like we'll need heaters as it seems to be an early winter.

 

The Vintage Air units look pretty simple, and are deffinitely small enough to fit where I need one to go. Anyone have any input as to how much HEAT those tiny jobs put out? (The car runs at 195 degrees or so, maybe a little cooler in the dead of winter, but it's a small block Chevy...plenty of hot water!)

I was also looking at the "Hot Rod" heaters from Southern Air, which are smaller yet and feature all electric controls. That one is only $119, but it looks like you have to buy a control panel seperately. Anyone tried one of these out yet??

Thanks for the tips so far...it's looking like the Vintage Air unit (part # 50616 - VUZ) is it at this point, it has outputs for heat and defrost and cable controls to switch between them or blend them. My only question now is, how much heat do they throw?

 

My JC Whitney link worked:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Browse/tf-Browse/s-10101/N-111+10201+600002307/c-10101

 

We put one of the southern rods heaters in my mom's '50 chevy. It works really well, although we really just use it for defrost, as we don't drive the car much in the winter. We hooked up the cable that controlled the door on the stock heater to the valve, so you just use the stock controls to open the valve. I made an aluminum switch plate that mounts below the dash with a three way toggle swich, as the heater has a two speed motor.