No heater or defroster
 

So I live in the sometimes inhospitable panhandle of Texas. We are having the wettest fall on record. My daily driver the Outlaw leaks like a sieve when it rains hard. I've done what I could to alleviate the leaks but the last windshield I installed must have been smaller than spec because it leaks somewhere regardless of what I do to stop the leaks. So, here we are expecting snow tonight, and I'm about to go out and reapply the inside rain-x. When it freezes I usually breathe through my nose so as not to fog the insides. An old VW Bug trick, and of course the requisite scraper for the inside when it gets nasty cold.When I had the Maestro massage the motivator I had him put on a Bursh exhaust system which has no exchangers. So MY Question is does anyone have an alternate heat source such as an auxiliary electric heater. I converted to 12v.

I remember the VW tricks well. Don't forget leaving the window open and breathing out the side of your mouth.

The 12 volt heaters don't put out much heat for the current they draw. At 12 volts, you would be drawing 50 amps to put out a modest 500 watts, the amount of heat a small hair dryer might supply. On top of that, I'm pretty sure your generator does not have that capacity.

I think you have three realistic choices:

1) re-installing heat exchangers
2) installing a gas heater
3) get a winter beater and leave the 356 in the garage.

Personally, I'd go with number 3.

From the sound of things, you guys are getting the winter we usually deserve.

Good luck, Tim

I did that for 3 years- drove a 60 S-90 in the cold and snow...occasionally it was fun! You're not much worse off having the stock heater boxes gone.
I used a space heater inside the car for 20 minutes in the morning, it warmed and defrosted things nicely. But a gas heater is the only real solution if you're going to keep driving it. I have had many in VW's and now have a dealer installed one in my 912. The webasto unit isn't as hot as the Eberspacher heater, but works great!
Check out www.thesamba.com and look for gas heaters for sale.
You can get one 'working' for probably $150-200, install it in a day, and remove it in the spring if it gets in the way.
Only drawback is you kind of have to drill holes in the car..
Bob O

Thanks for reminding me of those gas heaters. I checked their webpage out. Does it work strictly as a defroster or can it be piped into the heater ducts? I've know about these things forever but figured with my luck I'd immolate myself and car somehow.

It all depends on which heater you install, there are about 60 different versions of the Stewart Warner heater, and almost as Many Eberspacher. Theres even one that will mount above your transmission and pipe right into the heat ducts. But honestly, they provide so much heat when working properly that it doesn't matter how it's piped in, it'll roast you out of the car.
Bob O