I'm building a sort of bloated Locost with a Lexus V8, and I'm looking for suggestions of what heater to use.
The old Mini heater ticks all the boxes, but I'd like something a bit bigger. I've got the space above the transmission, and if I can find
something that helps the radiator keep the engine cool, then that would be a bonus.
The Mini heater has the right sort of 1960's look, and is a convenient unit to fit. Is there anything from that period (1950's to
1970's) that is much the same only bigger?
Cheers,
Matthew
vw polo are small, easy to remove the bit you need and quite efficent
quote:
Originally posted by dave r
vw polo are small, easy to remove the bit you need and quite efficent
If I had any sense, I would just install the Polo heater, but the Mini one looks the part, being a folded steel box with the fan motor sticking out of
it. Maybe I should use 2 Mini heaters, one for the drivers feet and one for the passengers!
Due to design shortcomings, I didn't leave much space at the front of the car for a huge radiator, hence why I'm trying to find a suitably
large heater to make up for it.
One option I'm considering to to use the radiator and fan from a motorcycle, and fold up my own box for it.
To be honest if you're after an old looking heater, just look at larger cars from the 50s-60s. There are loads that are the simple metal box
style you're looking for.
Don't expect performance that would be better than the polo though, heaters have come on leaps and bounds...
If you want the little heater - instead of paying those prices, go to a computer supplies place and look at the water cooling solutions for processors. It looks identical.
Thanks for the suggestions.
The Mk2 Polo (as suggested) was never sold new in New Zealand, so they are pretty scarce here, and probably not worth the cost of posting one from the
UK. Same with the CBS heater, which looks good, but not so locost by the time it's landed here.
I'm now thinking of building a heater box around something like this:
which is the radiator and fans from a 750cc Honda motorcycle.
[Edited on 14/12/11 by Matty Dog]
MGB heater might be suitable - in fact any "BL" companies may have something similar - variation on a theme - to the Mini
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/ah/heater.htm
ATB
Simon
Nawww.. just route the exhaust tubings, catalytics and or mufflers under/near the driver's area.
Or you could use a matrix, and build it yourself, locost - style. I made my own due to lack of space, but you could use the motorcycle one in the same
way to get extra engine cooling - however, you need to think of your own comfort - you don't want the equivalent of a fan heater blowing at you
in the summer months - lets face it - that is when your engine will need the most cooling.
Mine is a new mini (classic, not BMW!) matrix, with 2 folded sheets of ally......
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Then I attached a cut-and-shut blower off the Sierra. It works a treat!
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[Edited on 14/12/11 by stevegough]
That's a hell of a nice job, and roughly the sort of thing I've got in mind.
You're right about extra cooling being most needed when you least want a heater.
I wonder if I could set up a bypass, so I can shut off the hot air going to the footwells and direct it down into the transmission tunnel.