Heater for FIA

[Dangerous Doug]

I'm looking into heaters for my FIA. I found some at www.vintageair.com, but I'm wondering if they will fit.

Here are my options:

Vintage Air Gen II 506101:
10.25" tall, 10" wide and 6" deep
This unit is attrative in that it has a servo unit to control coolant flow, temp control, and damper/footwell controls.
Sells for $229

Vintage Air Compact Series 50515VUH
9.5" tall, 10.5" wide and 5.25" deep
Upgradable to use the servo coolant flow control, but just a footbox heater

ERA Heater
Dimensions? Do I have to do any retrofitting other than drilling the firewall for the heater hoses? How much if I'm doing the installation?

DD

[mickmate]

Doug do you have the cowl brace tubes? I just went behind that with a very similar unit.

[Jim Holden]

ERA has a heater option. Why reinvent the wheel? A non standard (ie; non-ERA) modification depreciates the car.

Jim

[tboneheller]

Originally Posted by Jim Holden

ERA has a heater option. Why reinvent the wheel? A non standard (ie; non-ERA) modification depreciates the car.

Jim

More than no heater at all?

[strictlypersonl]

You should do some serious measuring. At a minimum, you're probably going to have to modify the water inlets.
Here is our current unit. It is mounted under where the wiring harness goes through the firewall. If yours does not, you'll have to shift it toward the gauges. Not much room to go there at all.

[patrickt]

Five years ago ERA was using the Maradyne 5000 (which is what is in my car, a 427, not a FIA). http://www.maradyne.com/maradyne_mob...ters/5000.html

[FIA Mike]

Heaters? Heaters? We don't need no stinking heaters. I thought that is what the headers were for. My ERA FIA (#2047) didn't have a heater. Once you got going, the radiated heat from the headers made the car nice and warm on a winters morning.

FIA Mike

[Dangerous Doug]

My FIA is currently in the paint shop, so I'll have to mock something up when I get it back. There are a number of features I like on the vintage air Gen II heater that you don't get with the ERA unit. I like the idea of not having to pop the hood and turn a valve on when I want to turn the heater on or off.

Alternatively, no heater. However, it'd be nice to have a defroster for those cool CA coastal evenings.

DD

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by FIA Mike

Heaters? Heaters? We don't need no stinking heaters. I thought that is what the headers were for. My ERA FIA (#2047) didn't have a heater. Once you got going, the radiated heat from the headers made the car nice and warm on a winters morning.

FIA Mike

DD,

X2 what Mike said. I had a heater many moons ago and removed it. I wanted a car that was as raw-boned as the S/C's were. Not a cruiser. Off came the visors, windwings, nerf bars and I never looked back. Passengers either accept that or don't go.

You live in CA-I live in the usually frozen east. Wear warmer clothes if you want to drive in 50 degree weather-avoid the expense and effort of something that doesn't add power.

But the real reason I'd like to dissuade you is the amount of work (much of it 'dirty' like hole-sawing the firewall) you'll do to an already nice car. If your car has no top the heater will be of small value-not worth the effort IMO.

I know you may have a different purpose for the car than I so if you MUST have a heater, buy the ERA part-saves a ton of headaches. Been buying ERA parts as upgrades for two decades and their parts always make every job better.

[patrickt]

You don't need a heater. I'd pull mine out if I ever did any serious racing. Plus it would leave a couple of holes in the firewall now.

[Dangerous Doug]

Alright, now you guys have me feeling like a yssup* for even THINKING of adding a heater.

Bomber jacket, ski cap, driving gloves. Let the cold be damned, I'm going for a drive!

DD

* spell it backwards.

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Doug

Alright, now you guys have me feeling like a yssup* for even THINKING of adding a heater.

Bomber jacket, ski cap, driving gloves. Let the cold be damned, I'm going for a drive!

DD

* spell it backwards.

The SPF comes with a heater (so it wasn't a choice), but I've found it to be invaluable a number of times when the inside of my windshield instantly fogged up on Hwy 17. I guess you could just have a rag handy to wipe the inside of the windshield while you're driving.

[Gatorac]

I just ordered this one for my BDR. It's the smallest I could find.
http://www.southernrods.com/categori...oduct-867.html

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Doug

Bomber jacket, ski cap, driving gloves. Let the cold be damned, I'm going for a drive!

DD

* spell it backwards.

YOU DA MAN! Now careful of the oil temps...

[tkb289]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Doug

Alright, now you guys have me feeling like a yssup* for even THINKING of adding a heater.

Bomber jacket, ski cap, driving gloves. Let the cold be damned, I'm going for a drive!

DD

* spell it backwards.

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

The SPF comes with a heater (so it wasn't a choice), but I've found it to be invaluable a number of times when the inside of my windshield instantly fogged up on Hwy 17. I guess you could just have a rag handy to wipe the inside of the windshield while you're driving.

Doug,

Got the Bug Doug, has a point, the heater could come in handy keeping the windscreen from fogging up. Or, put rainX on both sides of the glass and keep a cloth close at hand.

If you do wind up going for the ERA heater (which is known to fit) and don't want the hand valve operation for controlling the water flow, a cable operated water valve might be the ticket. That's what is on my TR6 and I might see if one will work on my car, once I get it ... as I went for the yssup heater option

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by tkb289

Doug,
...a cable operated water valve might be the ticket.

On an FIA RACE CAR replica, that will look as nifty as Pat's 2 roll hoops with rubber fire hose zipped to them---two black hoses and a spring steel-wrapped cable jutting out of the firewall and draped across the engine to a plumbing fixture.

Perfect for a quaint, antiquated TR English roadster. Original FIA cars must be spinning in their graves...

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

On an FIA RACE CAR replica, that will look as nifty as Pat's 2 roll hoops with rubber fire hose zipped to them---two black hoses and a spring steel-wrapped cable jutting out of the firewall and draped across the engine to a plumbing fixture.

Perfect for a quaint, antiquated TR English roadster. Original FIA cars must be spinning in their graves...

They are not zip-tied; I use cheap, black electrical tape... thank you very much. And the point on defogging has merit; there are some state inspections that specifically require that in order to get legal.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

On an FIA RACE CAR replica, that will look as nifty as Pat's 2 roll hoops with rubber fire hose zipped to them---two black hoses and a spring steel-wrapped cable jutting out of the firewall and draped across the engine to a plumbing fixture.

Perfect for a quaint, antiquated TR English roadster. Original FIA cars must be spinning in their graves...

+1

FIA? Heaters? What's next cupholders, stereos, power door locks, power steering, power windows, A/C? Come on. What's up dat?

A bunch of fancy pants.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by patrickt

They are not zip-tied; I use cheap, black electrical tape... thank you very much. And the point on defogging has merit; there are some state inspections that specifically require that in order to get legal.

Hey, nice touch -the matching black tape!

True enough about some state's requirements but I've seen guys clamp small 12 VDC fans to the cowl. You know, like the Pakistani cab drivers that sit on beaded chair cushions use. Heaters are not required for inspections IIRC.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

+1

FIA? Heaters? What's next cupholders, stereos, power door locks, power steering, power windows, A/C? Come on. What's up dat?

A bunch of fancy pants.

Careful Rod, some car builds are determined by other household members.....