This is a question soliciting ideas and opinions as there cannot be any
"right" answer. I have purchased and will be installing the "modern"
heater sold by Cape International. It is very compact and appears to be
well assembled, but I have not wired it up yet to see how it works. It
has a two speed fan. The consequence of all that is that I will no
longer have the heater blower located on the right wheel well. I want
to use this opportunity to get some fresh air into the passenger side
of the car - LHD.
I have purchased an extra fresh air intake assembly and I am planning
to install it on the right front of the car where the air hose opening
to the heater fan is. I also purchased a control cable and knob that
will allow me to open and close the fresh air access just as we do now
on the driver's (LHD) side. The control cable will run along the bottom
of he hose instead of the top since you must invert the assembly.
This is where I need ideas -
One option, and probably the easiest, is to run a 4" duct hose straight
from the air intake assembly to the 3" hole in the firewall where the
reduced size hose from the heater used to go. I have another mounting
ring like the one on the driver's side that could be trimmed down and
made to work to secure the hose to the wall. This brings the air in
high and up and behind the fascia.
A second option might be make an adapter plate for the air intake
assembly to reduce the size of the exit pipe to the 3" hose or even to
one or two of the small demist size hoses to run to the firewall. The
3" hose could go to the 3" hole in the firewall (still high) or the
hose or hoses could be directed to the passenger footbox where the
blanking plate is for the master cylinders for a RHD car.
I am sure that there are other good options to consider and now is the
time to do this while the car is completely disassembled.
I should have mentioned that the new heater uses the original fascia
control plate and knobs. The temperature is controlled by the
slide/switch at the center. The blower is turned on by pushing/pulling
the little knob and the water flow is controlled like the original by
sliding the knob from left to right.
That means that the right hand knob is now available to attach a longer
cable and go to the right air intake assembly control.
Any ideas? I am open to possibilities short of leaving as original or
going all the way to air conditioning!
Thanks
Lin Rose
1960 BT7 in restoration
1959 Bugeye
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