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I have a VW Fiberfab without heat. Any easy ideas to add heat into the passenger compartment? I have all the control levers and cables to the heater boxes on the car, just need some suggestions as to how to run ducts forward to get hot air into the car. Has anyone run ducts under the pan forward to the front “firewall”? The boxes underneath the seats right now are storage areas, like for tools and a jack, but ducting into there would be another option? I would like to be able to use the car in the cold weather without freezing my a** off.
mrlmd 40885.4409722222 Easiest is to use insulated VW tubes and run the heat out under the seats.
Next easiest alternative is aluminum flex tube, from the heater boxes to under the seats.
Trust me, you can bake the passenger compartment this way.
The Speedster guys usually cut into the center tube, and run the heat though the tube to small outlets near the driver and passenger feet. I guess they have to do it this way because the alternative would be blowing the hot air into the seat backs. But they HAVE to be losing most of the heat as the warmed air cools off in that center tube.
Re: the VW heater controls, one of the two levers controlled the stock VW defroster. That lever simply opened or closed a dflector that routed air up to the dash. All that duct work is gone in your VW, so that lever can be disconnected and removed. I think it is the one on the left of the handbrake.
The other lever is connected to a dual cable that runs through small tubes in the enter tunnel, exiting on either side of the trans and connecting to the flapper valves on the heater boxes. A small detail that many miss is that there are supposed to be rubber caps on the outlet end of the control cable tubes. They keep water and road grime out of the control cable tubes.
For a defroster, all you really need to to be able to circulate air across the windshield. I have a small one speed blower under the dash. It connects to four one inch round vents spaced along the cowl. it will clear a foggy windshield in seconds. It will not de-ice a windshield.
PMOSSBERG40885.4754861111
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Mark,
Check out the instructions for heat in the fiberfab manual in the download manuals section here on the left. It shows exactly how to do it.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackMy seat bases are fiberglass boxes that have a speaker mounted in the front, facing forward, underneath the seats. Where do you have the entry of the heat ducts into this space, from behind through the rear wall? If I blew the hot air into there it would heat the seat up nice, then I need another opening into the passenger compartment, or I relocate the speakers and put a grill of some sort over that opening. Or do you run the heater duct right through to the front of the base and the air goes out through a grill in the front of the seat base? What about running the heating ducts into the rear storage compartment, near the top, so that the air would blow into the car? Is that easier? The heat would be more efficient coming up from the floor area under the seat, and if it’s as hot as you say, it might soften the vinyl rear window (lol).
Is there a size of aluminum flex tube that fits right on to the heater boxes and is there a readily available grill with pipe attached, or a drain fitting or something similar others have used, to connect to the hose, like from Loews or Home Depot or similar place?
You need the VW heater Flexes. You can find them on Ebay. Then you need a piece of pipe to go through the wall to under the seat. If you use PVC get some that is rated for Hot Water, or else it may get soft. I would recommend relocating the speakers, the sound will be better.
Thanks, I found it in the download, I hadn’t seen that before. Can those rubber heater rings for the tubes be obtained from any place, or is there anything else commonly used? I guess I can look in a hardware store for something that may fit or can be adapted if those are not to be found anywhere.
I installed a gas heater from wabasco made for semi sleepers. It is
about 12inches by 6 by 6 inches. I put under the hood in front of the
gas tank. It puts out great heat quick and not dependent on the motor
running.
Mid America and CIP1 are two places I know of that sell the rubber pieces for the heater boxes that connect into the body. They also sell the little rubber boots that go over the heater box cable ends. And lest you think we here in the south don’t need heaters….it was 23 degrees when I left for work this morning here in middle Georgia. Had to scrape my windshield!!!
newkitman40906.4090625
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackBeware of used VW heater boxes. There is an asbestos gasket inside that compresses with time and allows exhaust gas to enter the car. It cannot be replaced. Granted, a TD isn’t as well sealed as a Type 1. But you still don’t want to breathe carbon monoxide.
The Wabasco heater is interesting. I had a 1960 Corvair with a gas heater. Turn the key, punch the button and you had heat. Just the thing for a Long Island Railroad station parking lot in mid winter. It would melt lead.
I Googled the Wabasto heater, but couldn’t find any information on cost, availability in the U.S. or how (or even whether) it could be used in a VW-powered vehicle like my Lafer.
1981 Lafer TI
1600 cc Type 1 engineAn old VW gas heater can be adapted for use if you want. Find a old VW Bus and it will run you out.
Eberspacher. They’re expensive, tricky to set up, and utterly unnecessary in a TD Replica.
A couple of the Speedster guys swear by these things, but those guys spend $30k just to buy their cars & they’re into bragging rights. Lots of them also have big bore/stroker engines with completely aftermarket, race-type exhausts on them, which eliminates most or all of the parts needed for cabin heat. For them, the gas heater maybe makes sense. If they live in the Dakotas or Chicago . . . .
The above-referenced Wabasco is probably a Webasto. Same idea, similar price points. Really excellent idea if you live in Alaska or McMurdo Station. Otherwise, c’mon, people!
Bottom line: Fix the heating system you have and you will have too much heat in that little cockpit.
BTW, my car has the heat running through the center tunnel. It was plenty roasty-toasty before I went and messed up the lever so it won’t stay up with the heater flaps open. (Happened during last year’s ebrake handle relocation). Now I’ve got to re-do that part–or figure out how to hold the lever up while driving.
edsnova40909.4361574074Ed,
Can you solve the heat lever problem by tightening the nut
on the heat lever just a little more?
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackYep.
Only thing is, then I gotta solve the problem of the bolt it’s on loosening up just a bit with every use, leading to the same trouble I have now.
I’ll probably just glue it in with some permatex….
P.S., just got back from running Bridget up to town. 52 degrees today; I was plenty warm enough. Saw an old Beetle, a 64 Impala, some kind of hot rod and a green TR7 on the trip. Nobody else running without their roof and windshield though . . . .
Happy New Year, car people!
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