Model a Heater

Not all heater manifolds and their covers will line up with an existing hole in the firewall. I searched for a heater to line up with my Victoria firewall hole and ended up welding up the hole and cutting a new hole to line up with a good manifold heater I bought at Hershey. I was restoring the car at the time and made it easier to do than on a car not being torn apart.
 
I have a heater in my 31 roadster, use it a lot on summer evening drives, and early cool mornings. Well worth the effort to get one mounted up proper.
 
Back in '69 my daily driver was a '29 standard coupe with an era-appropriate hot water heater. In really cold weather here in Kansas City it just didn't cut it because the coolant system wasn't pressurized and the water from the block just never warmed up enough to heat the cab. My solution was warmer, layered clothes. I took a date for a nice, long ride through the city's boulevards and parks. We froze our asses off. My apologies, Joan.
 
I have used serveral of these vintage original accessory Manifold Heaters, and yes there were several different makes, and the fitting to the firewall is a concern to be aware of.

However, in-between the end of the heater and the firewall, there is a space that needs to be filled, which connects the heater to the firewall. It generally is a piece that can (if carefully selected) be used to 'adjust' for any mis-alignment, if not too far amiss.

Flexible Aluminum Ducting is what I have most often used to adjust for the mis-alignment. It will probably work on 80% of the ill-fitting heater/hole alignments.

And, oh yes, a heater on an Open Car DOES make sense - especially if that is the only car you have. For short trips in 'coolish' weather, a Racoon-Skin coat will work fine. But on longer trips in COLD weather, with a full set of Side-Curtains to enshroud your cocoon, my Otwell Health Heater worked wonders !

- Doug Vieyra, Eureka, California
 
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Heaters that clamp onto the manifold typically have a flexible hose that connects to a door mounted in the hole on the firewall. The flexible hose avoids transmitting engine vibrations and accommodates a lot of leeway in the location of the hole in the firewall.
 
Good luck finding the correct unit to fit your existing hole. I have a collection of 13 different manifolds for aftermarket heaters.
 
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