Is this an Original Heater for a 100-4?

[christophe]

Hi guys! It's been a long time since I posted last, but I am very slowly working on my 1954 100-4 whenever I can. Since the car is already modified with a Chevy V8, I am most likely going to upgrade the entire electrical system, including the heater. However, first I am trying to determine if this heater box is an original for a 100-4 or not.
Again, my car is a 1954 model. Also, if it is original, what is the value? It is fully functional.

Picture 1: Someone added gauges to the bottom of the unit, so just ignore them.


Picture 2: This is the part that confuses me the most. someone hacked away at the firewall to run the heater hoses and obviously it just does not look factory. However, the duct on the engine bay side of the firewall looks like something that would belong to a healey.

 

[Healey 100]

It's not original.... The original Smith's unit is round and rather unnecessary. The floorboards and firewall provide all the heat you need...

 

[drambuie]

I agree it not original, however if you plan on insulating your floors and trans tunnel AND you drive in colder weather like i do sometimes... You defiantly want to source a original smiths heater to help defog the windscreen and get some interior heat. I'm talking when it's 45 degrees and below. Also I would do a undetectable repair to that butchered hole!

 

[christophe]

Ok, thanks to you both! I wonder what in the world this thing is from then. Maybe I can find a part number once I have it removed from the car.
The firewall is going to definitely need some metal work. The guy that did the V8 conversion back in the sixties hacked it up so the distributor would clear.

I think I will just go with the compact heater from Old Air Products and add some seat heaters.

https://www.oldairproducts.com/cata...roducts/ip-166hd/heater-wdefrost-p-19924.html

 

[drambuie]

Nice choice and very compact for a 100/4 price is right as well!

 

[turtle]

I'm gonna steal that idea for my Chev-Healey! Right now all the carpet is out (mice!) but with the V8 near my toes I'm very toasty driving around town. Once I get all that fancy heat shielding in I think I'll need a heater too. My firewall was completely removed and replaced with custom metal but it looks like that little heater may work. Good luck and have fun.

 

[christophe]

I'm gonna steal that idea for my Chev-Healey! Right now all the carpet is out (mice!) but with the V8 near my toes I'm very toasty driving around town. Once I get all that fancy heat shielding in I think I'll need a heater too. My firewall was completely removed and replaced with custom metal but it looks like that little heater may work. Good luck and have fun.

DEI floor and tunnel shield works really well. I have used it on several cars. I had to line the bottom of my 289FIA Kirkham floor pans with it to insulate the floor from the under car exhaust. Here is a link. One roll should be enough. Kirkham Motorsports uses their gold reflective heat shield on the foot boxes and firewall. It is in the second link.
DEI floor and tunnel shield
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dei-050503/overview/

Gold reflective heat shield.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dei-010393/overview/

 

[turtle]

Thanks for the info on the heat shields. My car was built by a shop that specialized in reproduction Cobras in the late 1980s so giant side pipes solved the heat problem from the exhaust. I've seen the gold stuff and was thinking of using it on the underside of the trans tunnel. It seems nice and thin for those tight spots. That turbo hydromatic 400 (I know it's an automatic) gets toasty. The builder sandwiched an oil cooler in the front above the sway bar but the tranny gets warm; no heater seats needed. Actually the reason it's an automatic is that the guy who commissioned it was in his 70's. Also they moved the engine so far back the foot box is very tight only room for two pedals. Headers right next to my shin. I look forward to hearing more about your build. I cheated and only had to reawaken a sleeping beast... and deal with 20 years of rodent inhabitation. Also, I hadn't thought of it but after you mentioned it I do love heated seats.

 

[christophe]

Here are the seat heaters I am installing in a 67 Corvette Restomod. I wanted to use the original seats since the later model ones require that the tracks be hacked down and they stick up too high in a convertible, so I recovered the stock seats with new foam and leather and added the seat heaters to give them a modern touch. I have not hooked them up yet, so I can't comment on how well they work just yet. It will probably be another 2-4 weeks and then I will let you know.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rnb-628-040/overview/

My 54 needs new outer sills, rockers, 4" of lower metal on the front and rear door jambs, and the front portion of the rear wheel well replaced on both sides. I have no idea why the metal did not rot in the rear of the wheel well or quarter panel, but those sections are in great condition. Oddly, the sections I mentioned are the only ones with issues from rust. The floor pans are in great shape. The cars in on hold right now since I have so many other ongoing projects, but to get all of the metal replaced by the end of the summer. I've already had all of the exterior panels on the driver's side, plus the trunk soda blasted and sprayed with epoxy primer.
The engine is a 1957 283 and it has a 3 speed transmission with overdrive from a 57 belair. I plan to replace the transmission with an extra T10 4 speed I have from a 63 Corvette. It had an electronic ignition from the seventies, but it did not work well. I had the distributor rebuilt by Lars Grimsrud in Colorado and he set it up perfect for the Duntov 097 mechanical cam. The engine starts right up and doesn't smoke at all. Hopefully it will not need any other attention, but I will most likely ditch the cast iron intake and add an aluminum unit.