The Ford Barn

Pat Martone · 12-26-2012, 10:09 AM

I live in New England and enjoy driving my Model A in the winter, prior to our roads being covered with salt, sand, and snow. (BTW - I am really impressed at how well my car runs in 30-40 degree weather.)

I have a '31 Slant Window Fordor with an Autolite heater set-up, but my car's interior is still cold, even with the tremendous amount of heat coming from the Autolite. It seems the car really never warms-up even though you can melt your shoe sole if it touches the heater vent on the firewall. Again, when the car is in motion, there is a great amount of heat being thrown into the car with the Autolite. However, there is simply way too much heat "loss" in the cabin area for the heater to "keep-up".

Specifically, I feel a draft of cold air coming from somewhere above my head when driving the car, and I think somehow I am losing heat through the roof or getting a draft from the outside into the roof/headliner area.

My rubber/vinyl roof is relatively new, in great condition and does not leak, even in the heaviest rain, but I somehow feel cold air movement overhead when the car moving. My headliner is not in the best condition and I was wondering if insulating the roof area in between the roof bows with a thin layer of fiberglass insulation prior to installing a new headliner might help minimize the cold draft that I now feel?

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks.

12-26-2012, 10:09 AM	#1
Pat Martone Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 495	Cold air coming in from the roof/headliner area? I live in New England and enjoy driving my Model A in the winter, prior to our roads being covered with salt, sand, and snow. (BTW - I am really impressed at how well my car runs in 30-40 degree weather.) I have a '31 Slant Window Fordor with an Autolite heater set-up, but my car's interior is still cold, even with the tremendous amount of heat coming from the Autolite. It seems the car really never warms-up even though you can melt your shoe sole if it touches the heater vent on the firewall. Again, when the car is in motion, there is a great amount of heat being thrown into the car with the Autolite. However, there is simply way too much heat "loss" in the cabin area for the heater to "keep-up". Specifically, I feel a draft of cold air coming from somewhere above my head when driving the car, and I think somehow I am losing heat through the roof or getting a draft from the outside into the roof/headliner area. My rubber/vinyl roof is relatively new, in great condition and does not leak, even in the heaviest rain, but I somehow feel cold air movement overhead when the car moving. My headliner is not in the best condition and I was wondering if insulating the roof area in between the roof bows with a thin layer of fiberglass insulation prior to installing a new headliner might help minimize the cold draft that I now feel? Any advice is welcome. Thanks.