What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

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TorontoMD
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What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by TorontoMD » Sun Oct 25, 2020 8:22 am

Anyone have pictures of all the variations of heater options?

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perry kete
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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by perry kete » Sun Oct 25, 2020 8:33 am

This is what kept drivers warm in the winter

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1922 Coupe & 1927 Touring

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Humblej
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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Humblej » Sun Oct 25, 2020 8:36 am

Exhaust manifold heaters ducted to the floorboards were the most common.

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CudaMan
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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by CudaMan » Sun Oct 25, 2020 8:48 am

Mark Strange
Hillsboro, MO
1924 Cut-off Touring (now a pickup)


Norman Kling
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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Norman Kling » Sun Oct 25, 2020 8:50 am

Long underwear. Sweaters, Overcoats, Wool hats. scarves. :lol:
The heaters usually were connected to the exhaust manifolds. You needed to be sure to have some ventilation in the car when using a heater, because of possibility of exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide coming in if you have a leak. :o
Norm

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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Steve Jelf » Sun Oct 25, 2020 12:40 pm

I've never used an exhaust manifold heater in a Model T, but if it's anything like the one in a beetle it's less than wonderful. In my 1968 VW when driving in freezing weather you would start to get comfortable after an hour or so, even with the J.C. Whitney blower installed. It always struck me as ironic that a country that gets as cold as Germany would come up with such a miserable excuse for a heater.

I haven't tried this, but I've read that an effective way of getting heat in a T is to drive with the top floorboard removed to let air warmed by the radiator and the engine into the car. The radiator is just a larger version of the core used in most car heaters.


Screen Shot 2020-10-25 at 11.32.13 AM.png
A Model T era holdover from horse & buggy days is the foot warmer with a drawer to hold burning charcoal. This isn't as rare as you might think. I see them occasionally at estate sales and farm auctions.
The inevitable often happens.
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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Les Schubert » Sun Oct 25, 2020 12:51 pm

Another option was installing a water pump and a heater inside the cab and a insulated hood and radiator cover. A thermostat was a useful addition in the upper radiator hose just above the connection for the cab heater.
A electric heater installed at the bottom of the windshield helped visibility for the driver.
I have seriously considered installing all this on a closed cab “pickup”(coupe with the trunk chopped out to install a useful size box) project vehicle. I now have a Scur-Lok in a Ruckstell with hydraulic drum brakes. Maybe install the front brake front axle I have and could have a year round vehicle!!


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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Les Schubert » Sun Oct 25, 2020 12:54 pm

Steve
Up here almost every old VW had a gas heater installed. I actually have one and it would be another option for a T as it is 6 volts


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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Burger in Spokane » Sun Oct 25, 2020 1:03 pm

I use shop skates. Put the truck up on them, push it sideways into the back corner
of the shop, and there is sits from November to whenever I feel like getting it out
again when the weather gets nice again. I use the Swedish approach to the car hobby:
do all the heavy repairs and upgrades while the snow blows outside, have it ready to
go when the birds return to sing.


DSC05522.jpg
More people are doing it today than ever before !


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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by DickC » Sun Oct 25, 2020 4:18 pm

60 years ago we referred to it as an "armstrong" heater. It required your best gal sitting close beside you. It works better when you are young and full of energy and stamina!!!!!

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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by RajoRacer » Sun Oct 25, 2020 4:40 pm

I've had this on the '19 Centerdoor for many years - works great and the floor "kick" register is on the wife's side so she can can control the cabin
temperature !
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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Rich Eagle » Sun Oct 25, 2020 4:44 pm

We were glad to have the heater this morning. It got down to below zero last night.
When did I do that?

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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by CudaMan » Sun Oct 25, 2020 4:49 pm

I found a floor grate with a flapper door that I liked on eBay, so I installed it on the passenger side floor board and used some of the wrapped aluminum manifold heat tubing available at most auto parts stores. I slit the tubing part way and wrapped it around a section of exhaust pipe to send the heated air into the body of the floor grate. I used some aluminum duct tape to help seal things up. The ductwork doesn't interfere with the factory carb air pipe.

Works better than nothing and looks neat (to me)!

When winter is over I remove the factory carb air pipe and install my air filter. I also remove the heater tape and ductwork, but leave the grate in the floor for an extra fresh air vent. :)
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Mark Strange
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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by StanHowe » Sun Oct 25, 2020 5:33 pm

I have a couple manifold heaters, one will go in my Coupe. They throw a lot of heat compared to nothing.

I'll try to post a photo of two.

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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Rich Eagle » Sun Oct 25, 2020 6:09 pm

When did I do that?


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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Jerry VanOoteghem » Sun Oct 25, 2020 6:30 pm

Remove the top floorboard. Let's in a surprising amount of heat.


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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Allan » Sun Oct 25, 2020 6:43 pm

You fellows need to convert to RHD. Plenty of heat coming through the pedal slots in the floor!

Allan from down under.


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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Bud Delong » Mon Oct 26, 2020 3:42 pm

I only know about our 14 but i removed the piece of tin covering the lower dash! Bud. :D

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It's getting cold outside.

Post by Novice » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:17 pm

FYI. Goggle car heaters for sale. a number of small low profile hot water operated heaters for sale. small enough to be mounted under the dash or under the seat out of sight in most model Ts and As some have a cable operated defrost damper. in a touring or a a sedan could be mounted under the front seat with flex air tubes providing warm air to both the front and rear seat passengers. would require a T with a water pump or a small electric high temp in line water pump just for the heater. they all are 12 volt. but fans are small computer type fans that could be swapped out for 6volt.


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Re: What “heater” options did T’s have for the cold months?

Post by Jim Eubanks » Sun Nov 01, 2020 4:22 pm

I have a two grate heater on my 26 touring and a one grate on my 27 cpe. Both work from heat coming from the exhaust pipe and have a fresh air intake funnel behind the radiator. The touring has a piece of flex pipe surrounding the exh pipe with a alum. split housing at the head of it and the rear that has a opening for the floor grates. The cpe. unit is made up of a split sheet metal housing bolted over the exh. pipe with a outlet for the floor grate and an inlet for the fresh air. Both of my units are period accessories and somewhere I have the original instructions for the touring version. Since these units attach well behind the exhaust nut and are fed by fresh air there is little danger of fumes coming in.

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