What is(are) the reason(s), why so many carb converted cars have all the heat hoses, blowers, etc. removed? Mine is like that and so many carb cars I see on eBay (for example) have been gutted in the same way. Really curious.

I wondered that also, mine does not even have heat exchangers - looks a lot cleaner, I suppose, and easier to work on!
- however in San Diego lack of internal heat is not a real concern for most of the year!

I took that all off as heat was not in my build plan. Why do you need heat for a car that will be driven only when the temps are warm?

It removes weight and clutter from the car. Lots of it.

And if you have headers instead of heat exchangers, then the heater stuff i dead weight anyhow.

Also, carbed cars are a bitch to start in the winter cold, as there is no choke circuit.

If its nice enough to drive when it is cold out, and the roads have unsalted themselves, I'll just wear a jacket. Or wait for spring.

There were two types of HE's. Soft steel and stainless.
The more common one was the plain old steel ones with steel outer casings.
Well, those casings are long gone back to earth...they rust fast.

Most people just gave up.

I had to do this on three cars...start hunting on ebay and here in the classified for all the parts...you need the HE's, the Jtubes, the flappers, and the other pipe for both sides...
then whatever else is missing.

the nice part is that these parts are available and can be had for a decent price.

Remember that the 2.0 liter HE's only work with the 2.0 liter muffler and muffler bracket.
The 1.7/1.8 liter HE's only work with the 1.7/1.8 liter muffler and bracket.

Either system will bolt up to any of the motors at the heads...

Rich

I have my heat working fine and use it as I drive year round. We don't salt the rounds here, but it gets plenty cold. It's the owner's preference. Heat comes in handy to defog the windows, if you get stuck in the rain.

The reason is spelled I-D-I-O-T-S.

The heating system is part and parcel of the engine cooling system on a type 4. I have been told, but have no proof, that removal of the tin portion of the heating system and plugging of the outlets on the blower housing disturbs the air flow in the blower housing and lends to less effecient cooling of the engine.

Anyone with concrete knowledge can step up if the want to.

Ken, talk to me if you want some of this stuff.

I was planning on just taking it to Hershey next year, but I'd rather it go to a local in need. Stuff it taking up space. Come up one day and pick through what you need.

I have j tubes, I think I still have the fans, and I have flappers (functional???) and other heater stuff. I don't have the tubing - that all rotted. You want to get a set of the SSI stainless heat exchangers if you can find them. (sorry, sold mine last year).

Zach

For what its worth, my head temps (on a Dakota Digital ambient compensated gauge with the sender on #3) sit at ~350 and oil temps at 210. On big hills, my head temps get to 370. My cooling is stock, but lacking all the heating stuff. my engine is not stock, and I use ceramic coated headers and I know that counts for more then a little in cooling.

I also did not plug the blower outlets. I left the tin flaps on them, but did not seal them.

Zach

there are days when it's 'cool' in the morning that is perfect weather on the way home... those are the days I want heat back for... 50s in the morning, high 60s in the afternoon... thats top-off cruising weather, fo shizzle... but a bit nipply at 6am when the dew is still all around. so heat in the morning and defrost sounds really good, and you get a feww more weeks out of the year behind the wheel...

Keep tuning..that seems a bit to hot on the head temps still.

More fuel...less advance. Knock the advance down one degree at a time, then test it.

Rich

You have to discount the guys who race, or DE their cars, or live in warm climates. They don't need heat and would rather simplify and lighten their cars.

I think the reason for the lack of heating equipment is the relative complexity of the system (Heat exchangers, hoses, heat flappers). These items tended to rust out and it was easier to just remove than to repair and replace.

The same goes for FI converted to carbs. Excluding those who build big engines, the factory FI works good with stock motors. Once the FI gives trouble, it is easier for many folks to rip it out and put in carbs.

I drive my 914 year round and enjoy driving it more in the winter than the summer. Summer heat sucks with no AC. We don't get that much snow that the roads are covered in snow and salt all the time.

I did drive my 914 a couple of times without heat and realized that sitting in a 40F, 50F, or even 60F car sucks big time. I don't like to wear a coat, hat, and gloves in a car anyways so I need heat.

Thanks...not sure I even want heat, just wondering why they're all gone.

Maybe you could use just defrost? I need to install defrost in the car in my avatar.

my previous 914 had no heat, but the DAPO hooked up a on-off fan that looked like a bilge pump and wired it in behind the gas tank.. worked pretty well as a defroster

I live in the UK and have spent the last two years trying to trace all the parts to replace/renovate my heating system The last thing I have recently sourced (through you guys ) is a pair of SSI He's.

So far I have had to find and replace the following..

Blower in the front trunk (full of leaves and knackered)
Front pipes (holes in)
Heater control panel (broken = no contact on electric 'slider')
Passenger flapper (missing)
Passenger He tube (missing)
Heat exchangers (original and rusted through)

My god - any more!!??

I may as well ask for a divorce if the heater doesn't work. My wife can feel a draft from across the room.

Funny...my ex wife WAS a draft felt across the room.



"I may as well ask for a divorce if the heater doesn't work. My wife can feel a draft from across the room."

No heat and no fans. I use Fog-X to combat windshield fog, and try my darndest not to drive in the rain. It works well on paintball masks too.

Zach