is this origional?

[TD]

Here's some pictures of the rear floor panel behind the drivers seat of my 29 town sedan. I think it actually had a heat vent for the rear passengers. I assume a hose from somewhere. Is this factory? Any one know if there is a replacement available?
TD

[Richard Wilson]

I think that the vent would have to be aftermarket. Ford would never waste screws that much to long to install anything.

[jkelsh]

Thats pretty neat even if it is aftermarket. Are you planning on keeping it in the car?

[TD]

The car was owned in the Dakota's and I think it may have been an add on - trying to figure where they tunneled the heat from. I'd like to keep it as origional as possible.

[MrTube]

Originally Posted by TD

The car was owned in the Dakota's and I think it may have been an add on - trying to figure where they tunneled the heat from. I'd like to keep it as origional as possible.

Maybe the muffler?

[jkelsh]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Could a manifold heater put off enough heat for it to be sent to the rear of the car?

[1930artdeco]

I have seen pics of aftermarket items where heat is plumbed off of the muffler for the front of the car through the floor. There may have been a splitter so that heat went to both places. Either way that is a really neat item and you should keep it in the car-hooked up or not.

Mike

[Steve Wastler]

I would not run either, manifold or muffler for heat, a small exhaust leak in the winter with the windows up could result in passing out while driving or a permanent nap!!

[Bruce]

For a brief time I had a '29 Town Sedan that had an ornate chrome grate in the floor of the back seat. The heat box below the floor was similar to the one you picture. Whatever collected the heat from the exhaust was gone. I sold the car, which was truely a "needs TOTAL restoration" example. It went to Atlanta. I regret letting the heater go with the car. I've watched for one on eBay and at swap meets and shows and have not seen another.

[Aerocraft]

Several of the early "aftermarket" manifold heaters allowed for a duct to go under the floorboards and left the decision to the installer as to where to put the vent. Most of the installations I have seen ducted the heat throught the slanted front floorboard. It would make some sense for the duct to go to the rear seat floorboard since there is some heat radiated from the firewall. If you ran the duct close to the muffler, it may intensify the heat. Risky, of course.

It is not an item that would have been installed at the factory. Gar Williams

[MrTube]

You know I understand wanting to keep things original or era correct.
But at the same time for those who love driving their "A"s in cold climates I have yet to see a single hot water heater setup. I've seen A\C systems installed which is a lot more difficult but not a single real heater with a blower.


And by hot water heater, I mean a heater that uses hot water. Not a 40 gallon AO Smith mounted in the back.

[CarlG]

Several guys in our club have "hot water" heaters in their Model As. And as far as A/C goes, Ken Davis offers a heat/cool unit that uses hot water for heat.

[29ModelA]

Originally Posted by Steve Wastler

I would not run either, manifold or muffler for heat, a small exhaust leak in the winter with the windows up could result in passing out while driving or a permanent nap!!

There are very small battery operated CO detectors if your worried about it. Mine in my house is smaller than a smoke alarm.

[Joop]

Maybe something like this.

..

[fordfixer]

I have a very nice manifold heater that was probally used for that set-up. The outlet has a turn in the casting so it won't go through the fire wall. The tubing would run down under the floor boards and then go to the rear floor or the front floor boards. Jon

[J Franklin]

Here is one I had been selling for a while that could have been plumbed to the back seat.

[montanafordman]

Originally Posted by Steve Wastler

I would not run either, manifold or muffler for heat, a small exhaust leak in the winter with the windows up could result in passing out while driving or a permanent nap!!

Originally Posted by 29ModelA

There are very small battery operated CO detectors if your worried about it. Mine in my house is smaller than a smoke alarm.

Piston powered airplanes have manifold heaters also. Since they are primarily air cooled engines even the most modern piston airplanes use either heat ducted over the exhaust manifold or they utilize a combustion heater that creates a sort of cyclone of fire in a metal tube and duct air around it. There is obvious risk of carbon monoxide from either of these heaters so the key is to periodically inspect for cracks. If you go to a pilot supply shop they have very small sized carbon monoxide detectors that are about 1-2 inches square and have an adhesive backing - they have an orange dot in the center that turns dark if there is carbon monoxide. no batteries needed. They are about $5 dollars each.

http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/product/13078

FWIW I'm not too concerned about CO - there are also physical warning signs and if you are attuned to them you will know you need to act and get fresh air and get away from the source. The danger is if you are sleeping or ignorant of it and ignore the signs. That is when it can be deadly.

[Aerocraft]

I agree with montanafordman. When you see how many of the aftermarket manifold heaters are available in swap meets one realizes how many Model A's have used them. I haven't ever heard any stories about Model A drivers having a problem with CO. I personally use the Autolite heaters in my three closed A's since I drive them year round.

As has been said, most small airplanes are heated with exhaust manifold heaters and, as an aircraft inspector, it is a requirement to carefully disassemble and inspect the components on at least an annual basis. Many of the airplanes that have gone through my business have had the "spot" CO detector on the instrument panel. If you have concern, use it, its cheap insurance.

Gar Williams

[mass A man]

Here's another heater valve from an Early Dodge Brothers car. Rusty, but you'll get the idea. It has a "remote" control lever that opened a valve similar to a carburetor butterfly in the cast iron body that mounts to the exhaust pipe, routing the hot exhaust gasses through a flex-pipe underneath, to the floor grate, or register. There was a coil there to augment the heat from the exhaust. This one has a register mounted in the toeboard. That must have been nice.