Heaters

[Dave Adams]

There is some discussion on this topic so i thought it needed its own post.

I have driven soft top cars with out heaters in and even in summer they are not always a luxury. if you have to run with the roof on (like when its raining...) then you spend too much time demisting the windows to be truly safe.

there are many different ways of fitting heaters, i have tried several. from fitting complete heater units from various scrap cars. (Good ones can be had from Reliant Robin's (fairly compact) or old shape mini's (getting expensive)) or you can make your own from a heater matrix and fitting it to a home made box (plywood if you like) blower fans are easy to get from scrappers and a fairly good one can be got from the Fiat panda's its two speed and flat (like a cooling fan found on the cars radiator) so will fit into small spaces.

You do not have to have deflector controls, just have a heater box that has some of the air permanently blowing onto the windscreen. heat control is also easy to achieve, again the reliant heater valve is an inline fitting and will fit to the heater pipe anywhere convenient, there are other cars with this arrangement as well (some Vauxhalls  had them)

if all you want are demisters then this is some thing that any car could have, they work very well and are easily available. boat chandlers sell them for instance as they are often used on cabin cruisers.

http://www.gunningheating.co.uk/heatingelements.php

these as you can see this could go almost anywhere under a dash and would need only a little trunking and a small fan to be a viable option, that and the fact that our cars are so small that even just a demister system would give some heating to the car that would be worthwhile.

[Dave Adams]

Only if you drive on girly hot days in summer :-)
me i drive it 365 .... and have driven it in 12“ of snow. that would not be fun with brooklands.

[02flyz8h5heu8]

Of course, real Duttoneers ride motorcycles in 12" of snow. But I don't like to talk about it.

[Dave Adams]

I have done snow on my bike (honda 400/4 and suzuki gs 550) more than 12“ as well in the winter of 86. A couple of feet out in the wolds where i lived. what fun :-)
Un fortunately my missus won't do bikes anymore.

[02flyz8h5heu8]

">Un fortunately my missus won't do bikes anymore.<"

So how does that affect you then? 

When the snow drifts deep enough to conceal the road and hedgerows completely, the only answer is a motocross bike. If Wolds = Lincolnshire then I'm surprised you didn't use the traditional local means of travelling in wintry conditions 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy5rkw4SeP4

[Dave Adams]

Wolds.......east yorkshire, round Driffield.......
ah how i envy your missus......i drive trucks long distance mon-friday and considder myself lucky to get home during the week so come the weekend her indoors expects me to spend time with her......selfish i know but there a strange bunch. ;-) :-)

[Dave Taylor]

First and last time without a screen, Like Dave say's we use ours in the winter too

[02flyz8h5heu8]

Ah, but with a Brooklands screen you would have seen the foreign object earlier, swerved and thus avoided the impact. The case for Brooklands screens is proven I feel ;)

[Dave Adams]

Brilliant counter argument. i think there may be a slight flaw in your point......not sure that it is possible to see and avoid balistic stone flying off Ade‘s rear wheel..... ;-)