Fifty years ago I was on a road trip in my same ol' '51 pickup with two friends looking for a festival venue. We visited all the back-to-the-land homesteads in northeast Washington. It was February during a cold snap. Snow driving was easy, like driving on sand. At the end of every day I took my old army blanket and threw it over the engine, lit the kerosene lantern and put it under the oil pan and took the battery in the house. Started right up every morning. It then had a Carter YF carb on it with manual choke.
After five days of this I was tired, so on the last day I didn't take the battery out. It's heavy. It was a long way to the house. Well wouldn't you know, that night it went to -40F. Next morning went out, stepped on the starter and unnh.... That's all. Well, take the battery out and into the house to sit next to the stove. Half an hour later put it back in the truck. Same result. Four of us tried to push the pickup on level ground. Wouldn't budge. Gear oil is stiff at -40. About that time the county road crew came by in their van and I talked them into giving us a tow. Threw out a chain to rap around the trailer hitch and off we went. The county guys looked really doubtful that there was any hope of getting started but as soon as I let out the clutch it was running.
We all cheered and went back to wait for the motor to warm up enough for the heater to work. It was then I understood why GM had offered a recirculating option for their fresh air heater. At forty below the best you can hope for is warm dog's breath from the heater even with cardboard in front of the radiator. I still think about that recirculating heater I didn't buy in the wrecking yard that time long ago.
But now with two 228 Zenieth's and 12 volts running through that 6-volt starter it starts even in the coldest weather which last winter was -15F.
