Gas heaters?

Does anyone have any experince with the Porsche gas heater that was installed in the forward compartment. These were on the early cars do not know when the option was dropped.

Randy Jones
1971 911

The Webasto gasoline heater was offered at least through 1975, I think.

I don't know much about them, but here's an exploded view.

They were also used in VW vans of the era. Here's an article.

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe

I just bought one on ebay...I have no idea why, actually, but it is kind of a cool thing. My car might have had one long ago, as there are weird traces of something having been removed from the smuggler's box & blower area of the trunk.

Anybody have pics, instructions or diagrams actually showing the thing installed? (I'm NOT actually planning to hook it up -- a burning flame a foot from my gas tank is not my idea of genius engineering -- I'm just curious how the thing worked)

[This message has been edited by campbellcj (edited 10-24-2000).]

My '64 911(Euro) has one, but since I live in sunny So.California, I don't think I'd ever need to use it.

I too have serious doubts about transporting a lit "Molotov Cocktail" in the same compartment as the gastank.

If you absolutely NEED some heat, maybe look into a ceramic-core electric heater?

Mark.

Hey, Randy, if you ever get one installed I'll come reverse the ventillation for you when we get old (maybe I'm there already... hmmm) so we can die of a little CO2 poisoning. Bet we'd be a site weaving all over the road as we drift into unconciousness....

... .... ... kaboom!!!!!!!

First time I ever heard of one of those (years ago) I was amazed that Porsche even dreamed it up let alone actually sold them as an option --- and that flame near the gas tank -WOW- what an idea in a crash!

O.K. you guys here's the deal! I need/want to use 1 3/4" headers on the engine. SSI's are 1 5/8". If I install a gas heater for the very few times I will need some heat or want to keep the windows clear then I don't need heat exchangers or the hassle of building heater boxes on headers. From what I have seen no one builds good headers with heater boxes. I am going to use 3.2 Carrera heads with the bigger ports so my 3.0SC SSI's won't work anyway (The line is forming now to buy the SSI's). Now you understand what I am doing. AS for the flame near the gas tank, maybe I could install one of those motion sensors like on air bags to shut off the power to the heater incase of a sudden stop. Really I'm not worried but it is a thought.

Randy Jones
1971 911

Well, it'll sound funny, but I looked at electric heaters out of shop catalogs a couple of years ago for my 914 (that had headers). Most of 'em were 12V jobs that would heat just about a Porsche interior. Never got one, though, since the 914 wouold never start if it was less than 35 degrees out : )

Lee

Seems like there ought to be a way to use all of that hot oil to heat the inside of the car. Maybe install an oil cooler and fan inside the car, with some kind of controllable thermostat. Maybe locate it in the passenger's foot well?

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Bill Krause
'79 911SC Euro

Bill,
You are joking right? Remember the thread initiated by the poor soul who couldn't figure out where all the heat was coming from in his new 911, and dug out the po's oil cooler in the passenger footwell contraption? Maybe he was just ahead of his time!

Joe

No I wasn't joking, and I didn't see that thread. You'd certainly have to have a way to turn the sucker off, but it isn't any different than a water-cooler using coolant to heat the inside.

Where's that thread at? I'd like to see it.



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Bill Krause
'79 911SC Euro

You guys are great but I'm still waiting for some body that has had one or uses one to tell me about them. I need information from a USER not suggestions. I understand about heating the insde on the car NBD (no big deal)that can be done with a 12V space heater. I WANT DEFROSTERS and from what I see the gas heater hooks up to the defroster / heater fan in the front compartment. Thanks guys!

Randy Jones
1971 911