I have read the past threads, (2009-2017) on this forum about the non-existent Thrift Air knob, and I've looked online for one without any luck. Has anyone ever come up with a good alternative that doesn't involve vice grips? If not, is there anyone who may have one? Thanks! Janine
Not even sure what a thrift air knob is and what system it may have been used for. Can you narrow down on a description? And once we learn more then we can take the trading off line or to a more appropriate section of SB.
~ HB 1966 Chevrolet K-10 | Ghost: formerly Flappy Fenders | In the Stovebolt Gallery 1962 Chevrolet C10 1962 Suburban
'Thrift Air' was the other heater used in 1964-1966 Chevy trucks. It was a cheaper version of the deluxe models. It used a single cable that when you pulled the knob it opened a vent door, and you could also turn it to turn on the fan blower. The knob was flat on 1 side, and had a set screw that fit into the end of the 'D' shaped cable. I haven't found anyone who reproduces these and the after market ones you can't rely on just a catalog pic, since you don't know what the cable end of the knob looks like, or what size it is. None of the other knobs for this year, ie: windshield wiper, cigarette, etc, will work either. I don't know about a choke or throttle knob, since I don't have either one. I was hoping someone might had fabbed 1 from something else that I could make my own.
Since I didn't get any answers on this subject, and in case anyone runs across this same issue, I was able to create my own Thrift Air knob from an old cigarette lighter I had laying around. I used an aluminum one, vs plastic, since you have to turn this knob & pull/push it to get the fan and the duct baffle to work, and I was afraid plastic would crack. What I did was to take out the screw/pressed in shaft that held the knob to the cigarette heating element, drilled the hole out a little larger to fit the cable end, then I drilled & tapped a hole for a set screw. Works great! Looks great, although it doesn't match the rest of my knobs.
Last edited by JDMich; 07/03/20208:55 PM. Reason: Adding photo
