39 pickup heaters

[malpais]

I just read 66 posts on heaters, but still have a question or two. I've got 3 of 'em but only one matches the existing holes. Naturally its not the one I cleaned up and tested a few years ago.

Two of these are "Fords" but the pipes are different. Is one for a car?

On the small non-Ford heater, looks to me like the hoses went through the firewall, so the location was less critical. Did they sometimes do it that way? I'd use that one for more room, but it doesn't have a defroster.

Lastly, I stuck in the one that fit in the existing holes, and it's REALLY close to the gas pedal. Did farmers in 1939 have real small feet?

Thanks, Gordon

 

[bgarrett]

lots of cars and trucks didnt have heaters. From the number of holes in some of my firewalls, they must have installed many different ones over the years,
Maybe we should have a 'battered firewall' thread

 

[alanwoodieman]

two larger heaters are for 39/40 car and trucks, the small toe gard is 39 I think, the heaters in my 40 wagon and my 41 trucks are really close to the gas pedal, with my big feet I had raised it/moved over in my truck to be able to drive. I am not sure why the inlet/outlet pipes are so different-maybe mercury?

 

[Aquaroscoe]

I don't have mine in front of me, but I would think it is the middle picture, right hand side version. The inlet/outlet tubes are nearest to the defroster hoses, keeping everything up high. Did you match the mounting holes to the template on Mac Vanpelts site? Mine (coupe) isn't as tight at the pedal as your picture shows

 

[V12Bill]

I don't have a heater in my 1939 PU and don't plan to put one in as I don't intend to drive in colder weather. However, I did have a heater for a 1939 / 1940 and the outside looked like the middle and right heaters shown in first picture. I too don't know why the heater water tubes are in different positions. Could someone in the past have turned the core 90*? As far as foot room goes, someone could have drilled holes in the firewall without putting the template in the correct position. After 75 years of handy men and baling wire mechanics working on these cars and trucks, anything could happen.

 

[38bill]

I don't have a heater in my 1939 PU and don't plan to put one in as I don't intend to drive in colder weather. However, I did have a heater for a 1939 / 1940 and the outside looked like the middle and right heaters shown in first picture. I too don't know why the heater water tubes are in different positions. Could someone in the past have turned the core 90*? As far as foot room goes, someone could have drilled holes in the firewall without putting the template in the correct position. After 75 years of handy men and baling wire mechanics working on these cars and trucks, anything could happen.

Drilled? The heater tube holes in the firewall of my pickup were punched in with a sharp object. Looked like maybe a pick ax just like Red Green uses in his Handy Man Corner. PS: I don't have a heater in my '38 but the cab gets fairly warm from the engine and exhaust when the windows are shut.

 

[L78CHEVELLE]

I'm doing all this from memory but here is my story and I'm sticking to it. I had a 1940 Ford truck with the factory heater that looked like the two bigger heaters you have pictured. However, the hoses coming off the heater core were not in the same position as the car and the two doors on the front both opened the same direction. This worked for the truck and not the car because the truck shift was in the floor while the car was on the column.

 

[malpais]

Thanks guys - guess there were a lot of variations.

At 8000 ft in the mountains, I'm gonna have a heater.

Looks like the one on the right - Ford Script - came outta this cab, even though it has holes for the hot air heater. Seems there's a little room to move the gas pedal to the left and still clear the pedals.

Gordon