Anybody doing a heater?

[cmcintyre]

My Roadster buddies here in town recommend making the decision early. If I get the top (likely), I'll need a defroster, too. When I took delivery, the FFR guys suggested Vintage Air, which looks do-able. Recommendations?

Thks in advance.

[K3LAG]

I'm planning to do one, but haven't thought much about it yet.

[da King]

^ same here, was kinda hoping one of the build threads will have an install of some kind.

Finn

[Silvertop]

I can't swear to it, but I think FFR is planning on putting some sort of heater option together for us sooner or later. I'm planning on some sort of heater too. I do have the HVAC stuff from my donor -- but I haven't really looked at it to see if it can be adapted in some way..... Really, I'm hoping FFR comes up with something. I might be able to get by without AC, but I gotta have a heater.

[Wayne Presley]

Plenty of room under the dash for a heat-A/C unit and the dash itself will be easy to install defrosters

[Frank818]

If we go with the top and heather/defroster, we also need side windows.

Besides it's great to have a top when it rains, but if you have no side windows when your top is on, defroster/heather working and it rains... you get the point. :)

Has anyone hear anything about side windows yet?
Don't need to be power windows to start with.

[Silvertop]

If we go with the top and heather/defroster, we also need side windows.

Besides it's great to have a top when it rains, but if you have no side windows when your top is on, defroster/heather working and it rains... you get the point. :)

Has anyone hear anything about side windows yet?
Don't need to be power windows to start with.

The top will almost certainly come with zip-in side curtains. Without them, it won't keep you dry - or warm - which is the point of a top. Roll-up windows? I think those are probably not going to be available any time too soon, and there is no guarantee they will align properly with the soft top. Just my .02

[C.Plavan]

The easy route would be it install good seat heaters/bun warmers. They make universal kits.

[RM1SepEx]

I'll be doing heated seats and longer term a heater. Basic with mechanical flappers, perhaps from a Miata

[cmcintyre]

Ok, I will make sure FFR is not going to come out with one soon, as I was told, then work with Vintage Air.

Wayne, is there room to run lines in the center tunnel? If so,and with no forward firewall cut outs, I guess it can be done later in the build. Inventory done, time to start actually building!!

[wleehendrick]

The easy route would be it install good seat heaters/bun warmers. They make universal kits.

That's my plan... seat heater and a soft top is all the climate control I need in SoCal.

Yes, we do get a bit of bad weather here, but that's what the Audi Quattro is for. ;)

[Frank818]

The top will almost certainly come with zip-in side curtains. Without them, it won't keep you dry - or warm - which is the point of a top. Roll-up windows? I think those are probably not going to be available any time too soon, and there is no guarantee they will align properly with the soft top. Just my .02

So what you're saying is that with the soft top and side curtains water will not leak inside if you drive under rainy conditions?

[Racebrewer]

New York state requires a defroster, but I've been told that a plug in Harbor Freight defroster will be sufficient................

On the other hand, there are all in one heater/defroster units for Hot Rods that are fairly small and light. Southernrods.com has one.

John

[Xusia]

So what you're saying is that with the soft top and side curtains water will not leak inside if you drive under rainy conditions?

To set what I think is a proper expectation, it's a roadster/convertible, and should NEVER be considered 100% weatherproof. If you drive in weather where rain is a potential, or if you wash it, you are GOING to get some water in it at some point. So just plan for it to happen.

That said, I think many will be surprised at how effective a soft top with side curtains can be.

[Frank818]

To set what I think is a proper expectation, it's a roadster/convertible, and should NEVER be considered 100% weatherproof. If you drive in weather where rain is a potential, or if you wash it, you are GOING to get some water in it at some point. So just plan for it to happen.

That said, I think many will be surprised at how effective a soft top with side curtains can be.

Yes, but it's also called the 818 "street" and on the street you face a lot of different weather conditions. I do not know the definition of "street" for FFR, so it's hard to tell about the expectations. It depends what FFR's goal is for that. If there is any.

That being said, maybe by definition a kit car is always leaking water inside. I do not plain on driving when it rains too much or at all, but if I get caught in the rain I want to know what to expect so that I can mitigate the effects or at least being mentally and physically prepared. :) Let's see about those curtains once the top hits the wet streets.

[Silvertop]

Yes, but it's also called the 818 "street" and on the street you face a lot of different weather conditions. I do not know the definition of "street" for FFR, so it's hard to tell about the expectations. It depends what FFR's goal is for that. If there is any.

That being said, maybe by definition a kit car is always leaking water inside. I do not plain on driving when it rains too much or at all, but if I get caught in the rain I want to know what to expect so that I can mitigate the effects or at least being mentally and physically prepared. :) Let's see about those curtains once the top hits the wet streets.

We do know some of the early and less expensive tops created for FFR Roadsters were not very watertight, and deemed by many to be not satisfactory. So FFR commissioned Hot Rod Tops to build premium tops for the Roadster and for the '33, and the results were much better. The Roadster version still uses side curtains, but reportedly does an excellent job of keeping the weather on the outside. Vehicle occupants stay dry. Since the same maker is being employed for the 818's soft top, I am optimistic this will be the case for the 818 as well. Of course, my opinion plus 3 bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks......:)

But I think we are getting a little off-topic based on the original thread subject..........

[Frank818]

Tnx for the info, SilverSanta. :)

[Kalstar]

I am looking into a few different EV heater options. These electric heaters are designed for Electric vehicles since they do not have heated water like gas engines. The output is 1800 btu, in comparison the plug in type you see at autozone puts out only about 120 btu's. 1800 will blast heat even in the coldest of temptures. They come with two dash vents and two defrost hoses. The least expensive I have found so far is 329.00 plus shipping for manual dials or up to 600.00 with touch screen controller.

http://www.electric-cars-are-for-girls.com/how-do-you-heat-an-electric-car.html

[Frank818]

*Only* for EV 818s? Does not fit gas engine 818s?

[cmcintyre]

Not a big fan of seat heat, need the feet. And fan, man.

It seems to me the implication of that electric heater (Post #18) is the use of onboard power of an electric vehicle to get that kind of BTU. (Ah, Post #24 proves all things are possible!)

Anyway, this is what I'm looking at:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vta-506101/overview/

I'll mock it up and put it in the frame, see if it is at least initially practical. Unless somebody beats me to it (Just call me Captain Slow-er).

[svanlare]

I just placed my order and am now working through what options I will want and need to design into the build. I figure the year wait gives me time to watch a lot of threads for ideas. Heat and a top is definitely on my list so I'm watching how this works out as these options look pretty doable.

[riptide motorsport]

The only problem with this manufacturers top is going to be the price..............it will be prohibitive.



We do know some of the early and less expensive tops created for FFR Roadsters were not very watertight, and deemed by many to be not satisfactory. So FFR commissioned Hot Rod Tops to build premium tops for the Roadster and for the '33, and the results were much better. The Roadster version still uses side curtains, but reportedly does an excellent job of keeping the weather on the outside. Vehicle occupants stay dry. Since the same maker is being employed for the 818's soft top, I am optimistic this will be the case for the 818 as well. Of course, my opinion plus 3 bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks......:)

But I think we are getting a little off-topic based on the original thread subject..........

[Silvertop]

Yeah, it's going to be a little spendy. We've been speculating that it will be somewhere in the vicinity of $3K, while vainly hoping it will be less. Gotta have it, though...........

[Silvertop]

*Only* for EV 818s? Does not fit gas engine 818s?

There's at least one maker out there producing all-electric 12 volt heater systems which could be used in a conventional car. They pull 40 to 50 amps and generate 500 to 600 watts of heat. Defroster components are available for them too. Figure on spending $350-400. Might require a bigger alternator. I have no idea whether the product is any good. Check it out at http://www.my12voltstore.com/product_p/sd12-5000.htm

[Xusia]

Either I'm completely ignorant, or everyone else is overlooking the obvious: Unless damaged (REALLY unlikely), the donor comes with a heater core, fan, and ducting (and in my case A/C). Why are we not talking about how to make those work??

[da King]

^ I like this idea the best

[AZPete]

Like Xusia, I'd like to try making the donor AC system work. If you are dissecting a donor and want to sell the HVAC parts (06 best for me) please PM me.
Pete

[blueafro]

Either I'm completely ignorant, or everyone else is overlooking the obvious: Unless damaged (REALLY unlikely), the donor comes with a heater core, fan, and ducting (and in my case A/C). Why are we not talking about how to make those work??

That FFR themselves haven't made this part of the core design concerns me and makes me wonder if there are some non-obvious roadblocks to reusing the factory HVAC.

[cmcintyre]

Originally, I was getting like serial #15, so I when I got my AJW pallet donor early, a lot of stuff was not on the list of parts to be taken off the donor. FFR included pulling the wiper in the first manual revision, but still not the heater. So donor not an option and this looks elegant. Got a bunch of other stuff I need, too.

[Unicoiman]

I got my heater/defroster from FFR when I ordered the complete kit. It is a nice fit and did not take long to install. One word of caution. If you plan on installing wipers be sure to follow the direction carefully in regard to the location of the box. The heater box goes on the passenger side of the dash but must be installed far enough toward the center of the car that there is still room left to install the wiper motor. If you desire I can forward pictures of my installation.

[cmcintyre]

Was this on a Roadster? Sounds like a good caution for anything you're building. On an 818, you'd be the first. Like to see it, whatever it's on!

[Mechie3]

I had considered trying to install the original heater core with some simple vents (maybe even vents from the donor?) and a fan. We'll see how far I actually go. Even considered having a small electric water pump to push water through the core as to not overtax the mechanical waterpump or detract from pressure trying to push water through the radiator.

[da King]

I got my heater/defroster from FFR when I ordered the complete kit. It is a nice fit and did not take long to install. One word of caution. If you plan on installing wipers be sure to follow the direction carefully in regard to the location of the box. The heater box goes on the passenger side of the dash but must be installed far enough toward the center of the car that there is still room left to install the wiper motor. If you desire I can forward pictures of my installation.

Sure, post the pic's of your heater install, everyone likes pictures.
Thanks