The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk I have a heater question on my 51

I was wondering if there is a heater out of a vehicle that i could pick up in a junk yard that has everything in it (ac/heater) that i can convert to use in my 52. There is a money
issue here and I can't shell out 800. for a V.A. Any suggestions or thoughts?

To my knowledge there were no RPO or aftermarket AC/Heater combos for 52. There are several options for heater/defroster. Not so much for AC. There are underdash AC setups for the time period. And unless it is a very rare heater/ac setup I don't know of any. I think if you want an original heater/ac unit you might put a post in the swap meet forum. If you find one that is original let me know as if it is out there I would like one as well. And if there is something like that out there I gotta hunch it will command a price well in excess of $800.

Just something to think about and take some time researching. Years ago there was a heater/defroster called the Southwind. For $250.00 there is a guy in Canada that restores and reconditions these, and sells them with the install kit and all of the instructions needed to make it work.southwindheater.com Great looking units, very retro/art deco in styling, and they put out a lot of heat in very little time. Some folks wouldn't want them as they run off of the fuel from your carb, but I've known of several folks that have them, use them, and swear by them. It's not like it is actually burning gas to operate, but runs on vapor and shuts down if there are any problems. They operate on 6 volt, but can by used with 12 volt with a reducer. I'm planning on using the one I have in my 38 when it comes time for heat. For A/C, I have my choice of the floor mount ice cooler from Sears, or the Thermodor bullet unit that mounts in the window like a swamp cooler. I'm sure there are some posts on this issue, and again, this is just what I've decided to go with for my project.
Tramp

you could just forgo the a/c, that ought to reduce the price considerably. Even with a stock heater it cost me about $200-$300 to get it operational, but it is nice. I have only had one car with a/c in my entire life, and if I had known what a piece of junk the car was going to be. I wouldn't have had that one. If you want a/c in one of these you are going to spend a lot of money. The heaters are all over ebay. Otherwise the original a/c (window, and cowl vent) works fine for me.

Being from Texas we don't worry a millisecond about heaters but know about a/c units. The cheapest on the market I know of is from Lucky's Rod and Kustom in Ennis, Texas. You can get a turn key heat and cool unit for $600 or as I did for my 37 Buick just the under dash part for $200. It only hangs down about 2" so not in the way of anything.

Thanks for the replies. I will consider your suggestions

I live in Texas, and in the winter there are times I enjoy my heater in my 58. Today is one of those days.

I love the looks of the Southwind units, and I see them on Ebay for $25 to $50 for one in good shape. A restored one runs a lot more as usual. I would like to have one of the original Thermodor units, but one, if you can find it, that is in just fair condition is really spendy. If you find one that is restored (at least the ones I have seen) it will run you as much or more than the Vintage Air unit.