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A/c, defrost and heat(maybe)

RangerBEH

RangerBEH

Member
I looked through previous posts and may have missed my answer but Here it goes; Im looking for some help finding options for a heat/air/defrost system. I found a nice under dash unit that does air/defrost the same unit cames with a heat option but it's for a water system I don't have.

So I'm looking for one of 2 things either an a/c system that includes an electric heat unit or an electric water heater I can pump through the evaporator in lieu of a radiator system. Thoughts?

If it's unsafe or gets ridiculous I'll just stick with the a/c defrost system I'll be picking up everything I don't have already in 2 days.

Thanks in advance

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=111704367518&globalID=EBAY-US

This is what I was thinking of using it also comes without heat hookups.
 
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letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
Been covered quite a bit before, Brian. The Vintage Air systems are nice and compact, so you shouldn't have an issue there, as long as the evaporator gets the airflow it needs. In terms of heat, without delving into what I was researching - and it did work even though it needed fine tuning - stick with the OE VW heater boxes. Correctly installed and insulated, they will bring plenty of hot air into the car. Your other option is a BN2 gas heater, which will cook you out in a matter of minutes.
 
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ydeardorff

New member
Oh, and dont forget,...
The sterling more than halves the interior space of the bug. So you don't need both heat exchangers!
Just having 1 in the car will nearly melt the soles off of your shoes.*thumbs up*
 
RangerBEH

RangerBEH

Member
Thanks but I don't have any of the components for the VW heater boxes, so if I'm going to spend a few hundred I'd rather go with an electric unit. Though I just realize the one I posted isn't an a/c system. So it will probably be more for an all inclusive unit. I'll do some more research online worst case I just forgo the heat and save myself a few hundred bucks. The a/c for summer is what I really care about.
 
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ratrog64

ratrog64

Well-known member
Brian, when you're here later this week I'll give you 10 sets of stock heater boxes for VW motors. I think I still have the pair off the #114 car laying around the shop. You are are welcome to them.
 
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ratrog64

ratrog64

Well-known member
or

$14.99 and a cigarette lighter gets you all this awesomeness!

I have actually used one of these a few times in one of my rat rods. If it weren't for all the rust holes and air coming in it may have kept more then just my nads warm.
 

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ratrog64

ratrog64

Well-known member
I just looked through your build again. You would also need a fan shroud with duct pipe outlets to use conventional VW heater boxes. I have the old one off of #114 if you want that also.

If you are doing a remote oil cooler. You could make a simple heat exchanger - oil to water system for heat as well. Would require a small 12v circulation pump and a small heater core and fan like the ones pictured in the systems you are looking at.
 
letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
Oil to water heat doesn't work, at least on a grand scale. Best I could eek out from a Mk1/2 exchanger plate was barely warm at best. When it's cold enough that you need heat, oil in a VW just won't get hot enough to make a difference.
 
RangerBEH

RangerBEH

Member
ratrog64 said:
Brian, when you're here later this week I'll give you 10 sets of stock heater boxes for VW motors. I think I still have the pair off the #114 car laying around the shop. You are are welcome to them.
Click to expand...

I don't know about 10, but might take you up on a set. My biggest concern with this system is there are no tubes in the tunnel for the cables or heat levers and I don't have any of the hardware to make them work. Do you need to use the cables and levers? is there such a thing as an electric heat flap that I could wire a remote switch to use? Then I could link that to the heater air blower and turn on the whole system with one switch or adjust the heat flap with a momentary rocker switch.
 
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ydeardorff

New member
Ive picked up a 12vdc ceramic heater from goodwill once. Figured it wasnt much of monetary risk at 3 bucks.
Anyway, it looked pretty new, and in my garage workshop I wouldnt even call it a glove warmer.
Also, overtime the cig lighter power cord got pretty hot.

The heat exchanger is using "waste heat" so its not a drag on anything. If you can get one in good shape, its your best bet. They warm up quickly, and put out more heat than youll want.
 
ratrog64

ratrog64

Well-known member
You could use a manual choke cable or a speed control from a lawn mower to operate the flap on the heater box. Mounted on the rear wall in direct path with the heater box would be the easiest. Do yourself a favor and keep it as simple as possible. Original VW's had a simple lever on the tunnel next to the ebrake. Don't over complicate your build and be realistic with how the car will be used. I'm not much for heat but then again I live in the Sunshine State. The 4 times each winter its cold, I just drive something else. If it happens to be cold on a day I want to drive my fun cars, I just rough it or do something simple like that silly harbor freight cig lighter heater / defroster. I highly doubt you will be driving your Sterling on the sub freezing days anyway. Most often we drive the cars we really love on the nice days. The shit days we save for our daily drivers. I have driven my Dune Buggies and Motorcycles on some pretty cold days and survived just fine without heat.

Photo: It was 30 degrees this day and my bro (bro in photo) and I drove around half the day. Part of the fun was the fact that 2 idiots were driving around freezing their asses off in an open air buggy that day. Ah the memories!


RangerBEH said:
I don't know about 10, but might take you up on a set. My biggest concern with this system is there are no tubes in the tunnel for the cables or heat levers and I don't have any of the hardware to make them work. Do you need to use the cables and levers? is there such a thing as an electric heat flap that I could wire a remote switch to use? Then I could link that to the heater air blower and turn on the whole system with one switch or adjust the heat flap with a momentary rocker switch.
Click to expand...
 

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Brett Proctor

Well-known member
Staying out of this for various reasons but I was curious where your going to install this. Its not that small of a unit. Maybe behind the seats.

Just trying to understand how its going to be installed so your questions can be better answered.

I like their statement that "it needs a compressor and condenser to work properly"*laugh* It needs that to work period, along with other parts their not telling you.
 
RangerBEH

RangerBEH

Member
I'm planning on installing the a/c and Defog unit under the dash passenger side. I'm hoping there's enough room to use the passenger side Defog vent but probably not. So worst case only the driver side vent would work. But there should be plenty of room to run to the vents in the dash.

Brett I liked the unit you installed in the side pod but I'm trying to keep the install as simple as possible. I'm not sure what would be involved with wiring a unit like that. I guessed a universal unit would be easier but A/c is not my thing so correct me if I'm wrong.

I was planning to build brace that runs from side to side under the dash to support the steering column and this a/c unit. That way nothing but the gauges are attached to the dash it self: that's the plan anyway.....
 
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letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
Just a suggestion from someone who actually has a/c installed: Vintage Air offers mock-up units for all their systems. Purchase one, and you can see where it fits before you commit major money to it. The under-dash is also an option. CCC had a custom underdash manufactured that fit right under the passenger pod. With a generic underdash, you could set it back further under the dash, but it's still going to be tight. You saw how mine was/is mounted - through the rear firewall. The downside to that is you're pushing outside air all the time since the fans aren't drawing from the cabin.. but that's the price of maximizing space.
 
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Brett Proctor

Well-known member
Just a suggestion from someone who actually has a/c installed: Vintage Air offers mock-up units for all their systems. Purchase one, and you can see where it fits before you commit major money to it.
Click to expand...

You can make your own out of a card board box.

There are smaller units out there also.

You may have issues with all of the outlets being on one side. if you need to make a 90 degree turn there might not be enough room.

Just something to think about.

I agree with Rick*yipes*that you should get a dummy one just to test the fit and give you an idea how your going to route things. Don't rush it, it may come back and bite you if you do.

Not trying to tell you what to do but I've been there.
 
RangerBEH

RangerBEH

Member
I appreciate the input, like I said a/c is not my thing. I didn't know they had templet for the units, depending on the route I go that's good to know.

That's an interesting thought about the under dash unit I'll have to do some more measuring hadn't considered that. One thing I did with my dash templet is extend the "face" 2" so it covers the slanted glass and lines up with the sides. I figured this would allow me to cut the angled glass under the dash if needed and would also make it easier to hide the evaporator inside the dash.

I just got to Tampa, so I'm going to check out the a/c shop Roger used and see what options they have. I needed all the hoses, clamps and other parts to the system anyway. I'll let ya know what I find.
 
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