Off the wall question about old air-cooled VWs

[Jeff V.]

Maybe I'm missing something totally obvious here, but if old VWs were air cooled, how did they circulate warm air into the passenger compartment, especially on frigid days?

[GreekPower]

if I remember I'll ask my buddy hes got about 12 vw's all different setups I'm sure he has one. He would know or just ask on vwvortex.com

[JagdStealth]

exhaust gasses.

Hot exhaust passed through a "heater core" and a fan blew air over it. Some of the Bus's had independent gasoline heaters in them that fired up and ran like a furnace in your home.

Imagine how much it sucks when you get a leak in your heater box

[vr4]

[quote=""JagdStealth""]exhaust gasses.

Hot exhaust passed through a "heater core" and a fan blew air over it. Some of the Bus's had independent gasoline heaters in them that fired up and ran like a furnace in your home.

Imagine how much it sucks when you get a leak in your heater box [/quote]




heat exchangers around the exhaust.

[TajMan]

Issues have been on my mind as I've been driving my Jeep truck with no heat in the cab, its gotten freezing!

I just finally got my heater core un-clogged, should have heat today.

You know thats an issue on electric car conversions, you need to integrate an electric heating element for the cab.

[Tujin]

[quote=""JagdStealth""]Some of the Bus's had independent gasoline heaters in them that fired up and ran like a furnace in your home.
[/quote]


I was going to make a joke that they just lit a fire in the compartment somewhere.... guess the joke's on me because its true

[aaronatstate]

[quote=""JagdStealth""]exhaust gasses.

Hot exhaust passed through a "heater core" and a fan blew air over it. Some of the Bus's had independent gasoline heaters in them that fired up and ran like a furnace in your home.

Imagine how much it sucks when you get a leak in your heater box [/quote]

Yup just like a single engine airplane.

[Jeremy C]

I guess that makes sense. Another question on the same subject:

I know that those cars had to have a nominal operating temp, but how did they regulate (if at all) the temp when they could easily see a 100*F change in ambient depending on season and location?

(can you tell Jeff and I get bored on the way to work?)

[stealthee]

I know an older guy who had an air cooled bug he drove to the mines every day. He took the passenger seat out and mounted a kerosene heater in its place.

[BillyC]

[quote=""Gatecrasher""]...how did they circulate warm air into the passenger compartment, especially on frigid days?[/quote]

...they didn't.

An optional gas heater could be installed. I don't know if any came from the factory like that or if they all were aftermarket.

[JagdStealth]

[quote=""thestealth""]...they didn't.

An optional gas heater could be installed. I don't know if any came from the factory like that or if they all were aftermarket.[/quote]

Yeah, the "heater box" didn't work very good so anyone who wanted to drive 'em in the cold would buy the kerosene heater

[TheHarleyMod]

Heater boxes work fine when they're not leaking, I don't see why everyone bitches about them. If you're cold, just speed up

http://www.vw-resource.com/heat4.html

[JagdStealth]

You live in SoCal man....try getting that thing warm when it's below -5 degrees