Electric heater in a Cobra?

[Dangerous Doug]

I'm considering putting a heater in my Cobra (you know, for those oh-so-cold-brrrrrrrr-California-50F-mornings).

Considering an electric heater to mount where I'd normally mount the coolant-system type. Coolant system type is about ~$360. Electric is $200. I'd have to check the current draw, but it should be reasonable (at first glance).

Anyone using an electric heater in their Cobra?

Which did you buy?

DD

[ratsnst1]

I am running a heater in my car, that uses the engines water, works great, I dont know about an electric type you are talking about, I also run the heated seats that I like very much.

[Dangerous Doug]

Heated seats is another alternative I'm considering. I'm planning on getting my seats reupholstered in leather here in a couple of months. Good time to add the seat heater kits.

Did you buy a seat heater kit and have it upholstered in?

DD

[Got the Bug]

Doug,

My SPF has a heater/defroster. I'm glad I have it and use it all of the time.

I also decided to go with an inexpensive 12v heated seat pad for those ~40 degree mornings. It's pretty handy to have and I just toss it in the trunk when I'm not using it.

http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-12V-Heat..._ptcn_edpp_url

I also bought a 12v electric blanket for my wife.

[ratsnst1]

I did have them put in when I did the seats, they are very very nice, and give ya nice cozy kind of feeling on a cold day, and have 2 settings, high and low, the ones I have are very nice, I will see if I can find where I bought them at, and let you know.

[Pete Munroe]

Doug,

Didn't realize there WERE electric heaters for cars...! Obviously, you have found one for $200.

Seems like a LOT of electric power required to get the BTU's required for significant heat/volume of air from a electric heating element.

Will be interesting the AMPS it will draw, and alternator AMPs output required.

Heated seats sound good but your feet are still cold.

The ERA hot-water heater puts out a significant amount of heat in spite of its very basic design. Maybe the "hot-rod" and custom car aftermarket have higher output heaters, but space is pretty limited under the Cobra dash.

If you have to upgrade the alternator and add a relay activated heavy circuit it may be a push to just get the ERA hot-water heater. Already setup in the ERA wiring harness, fits under the dash, done with it.

VERY glad I have the heater. Makes a real difference on your feet.

Stuffing small towels into the foot-box ventilator inlets up front helps. With the vents shut off, the vent on/off doors still leak cold air right where you don't want it!

Pete

[Dangerous Doug]

Comparing BTU's, the electrics are very enimic vs. the coolant-driven heaters. Electrics are 1/10th the heat output, as I've now found.

Probably just do the regular route, plus the heated seats. I'll have the Cobra apart for paint here in a month or so, so that would be a good time to start setting it up.

DD

[Excaliber]

DD, ya got a link to the electric heater? I've never heard of one and would at least like to check out the specs. Interesting!

Got it! Did the "Google", found a number of them, I'm quite surprised! 12 volt at 300 watt's = 25 amp
Not to bad, but better use some BIG wire, #12 at least I would think.

[jams]

Go a water heater and it works great. Easy to install. Electric has a big current draw as mentioned and can't compare to the heat from a water system unless you hook up a long extension cord.

[RedBarchetta]

Doug, just buy an electric (battery operated) VEST. Motorcycle shops carry them. On the really cold mornings (say, at 40* or below) these help a bunch. In fact, they can get too warm. Throw on some winter underwear (the thin variety you would use for skiing) and you'll be plenty warm from the waist down. I also use a face mask, the "bandit" style that covers from the nose down and attaches in the back with velcro. Easy to pull off a block before you arrive at your destination so that you don't look like a total wuss. Get some thin leather gloves so that you can still feel the wheel, shifter and switches and that's enough to keep the hands from freezing over. I top it off with a thick wool cap. I look like a bank robber barreling down the 55 Freeway doing 80mph, but at least I'm warm.

Save your money and the pain of wiring something in your car and think portable.

-Dean

[strictlypersonl]

The only thing I would consider for electric heat is the defrosters only. Even then, they're going to draw ~25A load.

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by RedBarchetta

Doug, just buy an electric (battery operated) VEST. Motorcycle shops carry them. On the really cold mornings (say, at 40* or below) these help a bunch. In fact, they can get too warm. Throw on some winter underwear (the thin variety you would use for skiing) and you'll be plenty warm from the waist down. I also use a face mask, the "bandit" style that covers from the nose down and attaches in the back with velcro. Easy to pull off a block before you arrive at your destination so that you don't look like a total wuss. Get some thin leather gloves so that you can still feel the wheel, shifter and switches and that's enough to keep the hands from freezing over. I top it off with a thick wool cap. I look like a bank robber barreling down the 55 Freeway doing 80mph, but at least I'm warm.

Save your money and the pain of wiring something in your car and think portable.

-Dean

Right now I'm going back and forth whether to have seat heaters installed, or buy vests.

The nice thing about seat heaters is you don't have to pack them when they are not in use. But then on the other hand if you are all bundled up, they have to penetrate all the clothing.

I'm going to go look at some vests tomorrow and see what they have and how bulky they are.

[JB in Alabama]

I like the seat heaters! I bought 2 for those cold lower alabama winter mornings!
Thanks for the TIP guys!

[Michael C Henry]

I installed a heater in my engine oil pan just incase I want to get the car out in winter .Six years and haven't plugged in yet. Getting the engine started is the dificult part. Once underway my seat and feet aren't the problem. I wouldn't take this car out fo an allday stake out. Driving all bundled up, gloves, glasses or goooles , and leaned frorward and inward a little you can go for hours, but why would you?

[Excaliber]

I went out for a rather long ride on my motorcycle the other day. I'm finding that right around 45 degrees is "do able", less than that and it's gonna be a very short ride!

Long johns, turtle neck shirt, sweater, heavy jacket over all, gloves of course. Yup, could hardly move, difficult to turn my head to check for vehicles beside me before changing lanes. My bike has a full fareing, big windshield and the back rest (I just put on) helps a ton with cold air on my back. I'm thinking it's more cold than the Cobra would be, by far. So, OK, I might dress lighter and go for a spin with the Cobra at around 45 or so.

Maybe even colder than 45 with an electric vest and removable butt warmer? Both of which might be the ticket for the bike as well.

I'm still figuring out this whole cold weather thing after having been in Hawaii for the last 20 plus years.

[Woodz428]

I'm not familiar with a "heater" per se. But I used to use an electric heater/blower to defrost the windshield on several of my other vehicles..some air-cooled and some non heater equiped. It worked O.K. for that, but not sure how one would work trying to keep an "airy" car warm.

[tkb289]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Doug

Heated seats is another alternative I'm considering. I'm planning on getting my seats reupholstered in leather here in a couple of months. Good time to add the seat heater kits.

Did you buy a seat heater kit and have it upholstered in?

DD

Doug,

Getting the seats reupholstered?

Did the Vinyl not hold up ... or are you after a different look and feel to the seats?

- Tim

[WildBill1965]

45*, heck thats warm. 28* Carhart jacket, Docksiders, earmufs or not light driving gluvs and heater blowing on foot well on low. And as long as the roads are clear and dry. Drive 50 to 75 miles a lot of thumbs up! Will probably go for my usual New Years ride if the roads are clear, never know here in MD.

WildBill

[YerDugliness]

Here's an option.....includes a heated vest, but also much more. I'm in TX right now, but someday I'll be retired to a home in SW KS, where it gets downright cold during the winter. I'll use some of this stuff:

http://www.cozywinters.com/heated-clothing/

No need to heat the air when you can just heat the body instead .

Dugly

[PANAVIA]

DD- there are two coolant type heaters that I know of for the Cobra -- not sure how exactly they would fit in the FIA ERA dash space. --

The one that finish line sells is basically a square box 7" x 7" or so. I have one of these on the shelf , was going to use it ---but to try to install it into an *assembled* car is a royal PITA-B'.

http://www.finishlineaccessories.com...roducts_id=108



But then I found the solution ; "Vintage-Air" Heater/Defroster kit model 50610.

This retails at $229.95 ( you might be able to find it cheaper online somewhere.)

-- I found one on ebay from a random seller -- without too much difficulty. (item: 390131433409)

It is a similar unit that the later HST CSX 4000 units use.

http://www.vintageair.com/catalog09/...talog%2023.pdf

Here is the old instruction sheet -- they dont have the new version online yet.

http://www.vintageair.com/DownloadsS...%28Inet%29.pdf

This is a slightly more modern version of the VA unit that I used in my superformance (replacing the stock unit that I detonated with water pressure.) We grafted on the door control unit from the SPF unit to make the heater door work electrically - they now do this in the new kit.



the controls can be de-mounted from the dash pod they send you and used anywhere you want.

They give you just about everything you need with the exception of the top of the defroster ducts -- I am sure you can find-make those.

What they dont show very well is the bottom heater/door flap that opens downward. --If you look at the size of the unit - it should tuck up neatly behind your firewall.

I put mine on a 3/32" plywood backboard (painted black) and then attached that to the firewall.

here is mine during install.



The defroster tubes come out of the 2 holes you see on the "front" of the unit, the "heat" is dispensed from the bottom. The heater core inside the unit looks very tough and it not the traditional "radiator like" assembly but more like a transmission cooler tube matrix, if that makes sense.

the only problem we had was the odd fittings that are attached to the heater matrix, I had to work on it a bit at first to make it seal, but it has been trouble free since September (over 1K miles) -

best part- the wife now gladly rides in the car in colder weather, and asks me to turn down the heat sometimes

Best Regards, -

Steve