Thread: hot rod without heater??

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What do you guys who have "finished" hot rod's think about having one without a heater?
I doubt I'll try and drive it in the dead of winter (I'm in Pa), mostly because I doubt I could get it started, but I'll want to drive it on days over 50 most likely.
I'm not so much worried about comfort, but more window fogging.
Also, is a defroster a requirement for a street vehicle???

If it's an open car, a heater wouldn't make much of a difference. If it's a closed car you'll want the heat (and the A/C). Along with the defrost issue, it'll be a comfort issue, especially if you ever plan on having the wife/girlfriend go with you.

I run a 32 roadster year round as long as it's not raining or snowing.
My personal best in the low-temp dept. is 26 degrees F . . . and got passed by a lightly dressed Harley rider . . . but he wasn't going too fast.

Winter temps commonly reach the mid-high 20's and one low hit 15 in my area. (Kingman, Arizona.)

The car has a top, windwings and quarter windows that go on in winter.

It also has a heater - one from Big Al's Carponents and it works quite well.
Wear a good jacket with hood & knit cap and thermal gloves.
The heater does well in keeping your legs warm and works especially well for the passenger.
The heater has three openings and if the passenger opens the one pointing at her she gets a good flood of warmth.
If driving alone, the left side vent is open and the driver does ok.
You get a nice pool of warmth at the stoplights and a flow of warm air across the cockpit at speed.

Be sure and weatherstrip the door opening or cold air will flood in through the vertical gaps due to when the top is on, running down the highway creates a low pressure area in the cockpit that sucks air right in.

It's a problem in summer as well.
Hot air from the hood side louvers get sucked in and the cockpit gets too hot regardless of how much insulation you have on the floor and firewall.

You wouldn't think you have to weatherstrip a roadster, but you do.

I have an origional heater in my 37, but don't really need it as even though I have insallation, I get enought heat from my engine to warm the inside on a cold day.

we drove our 40 chevy for 10yrs b4 we put heat in it. u name it we drove in it. i can tell ya this yep it does get chilly inside there when there's 3ft of snow on the groundat about "ZERO" degrees, but hey when ur grinning ear to ear as ur passing or getting passed thats all u'll need to warm ya up...

&&&&&&&& who says ya need a stink'n heater, there for sissies & old people... thank God i'm old now....lol, cause my old bones needs at least a little heat......joe

It'll be tough to get your perdy gal to ride along in the winter without heat... And the windows fogging up will be a pita...
I live in Florida and have heat in my ride...
It's that important.
Jeff



[QUOTE]Originally posted by tcodi
What do you guys who have "finished" hot rod's think about having one without a heater?
I doubt I'll try and drive it in the dead of winter (I'm in Pa), mostly because I doubt I could get it started, but I'll want to drive it on days over 50 most likely.
I'm not so much worried about comfort, but more window fogging.
Also, is a defroster a requirement for a street vehicle???

Thanks for all the replies.
I'm just pinching pennies at this point and I want to get this thing done. I suppose I can always put a heater in later.

We don need no steenkin heeeters! :P

It's nice for the defogging aspect, but I just use Rain-X Antifog on the inside & that takes care of most of it. As for the passenger, I bring along a thick blanket the spousal unit can wrap up in.

Don't you already just wilt from the heat off the engine? Geez...my feet just fry....

I don't have a heater in my '53. I couldn't stand to have all them hoses all over my engine bay and the heater motor sticking out of my purdy firewall I don't anticipate driving the "Hot Rod" in the winter anyway........well, besides the occasional warmer Idaho days Other than that, I'm in agreement with some of the other replies, just dress warmer

Originally posted by Jerilynne1965
Don't you already just wilt from the heat off the engine? Geez...my feet just fry....

Not when it's 26 degrees F. and 60 mph out.

Coupes seem not-too-bad then....

I'm gonna keep the original heater in my Chevy, it heats up enough to dfrost windows and it gets pretty cozy, I won't drive it in the winter but there are cold mornings in the spring that I may need it. Not gonna go through the efforts of A/C, ok maby 4x60 A/C but that's diffrent.

well, real hot rods dont have a/c, but heat is a must here in the northeast

i dont run either i dont have insulation in my car so it gets warm enough and if i want a/c i roll down the window sure ive got ac 4-70

Originally posted by Albrainya
well, real hot rods dont have a/c, but heat is a must here in the northeast

Unless you live in Arizona where real hot rods don't have heat, but A/C is a must...