Heat/warmth without exchangers...idea
 

First off, long time reader, first time poster, so don't rip me a new one if I couldn't find this after spending hours of searching the forum on heat backdating.

Have a 78 SC with headers and Ben's muffler as only mods. Obviously I have no heat, but was wondering if anyone has try to do a halfass backdate using only the backdate right and left heater duct tins, hosing up along the headers with high temp silicone hose and right into the flapper boxes. I know I need to jump the relay for the footwell blowers to work, but curious if there is enough temperature there to defrost the windshields. I can handle the cold, but need to be able to see to drive...on the road anyway..especially on the humid, foggy days coming to Wisco this spring. It seems to me that the air coming from the drivers side duct (the one the I have capped that used to go to the engine compartment blower) is warm at least and wouldn't lose that much heat on the short trip to the cabin (past the sizzling headers)...

Anyone else tried this before I go drop a hundred bucks on the hose?

Thanks in advance.

Can I rip you for not posting a picture?

i don't think so, there isnt much to look at since i havent done it yet?

I would think the silicone hose will not absorb enough heat from the headers to defrost or warm your car. The air is moving too fast through them.

Why not make steel clam shaped chambers to enclose some of the headers to get some heat?
Sausage shaped to go around the the outside exhaust tubes.
Like a smaller version of the SSI chambers.

If I was doing it I would make them so they bolt together not welded so you can get them off to clean them.
I don't like the smell of burning oil in the cabin!

does a 78 have footwell blowers ?

Mine doesn't but...

footwell blowers or not, i am just curious if anyone has tried this. it seems after achieving operating temp, there is plenty of heat at the point of exit from the engine shroud duct... the big question is how much do you lose on the way to the cabin. again i am not looking to heat the whole cabin just defrost the windshield on a 50 degree day. anyone know where I can get cheap, noncombustible heater hose (say 10 feet) for playing with the idea before buying the silicone stuff?

Why not get a section of 2-21/2 inch alu. or steel heat duct and tuck it up in there and hook up sceet to either end?

What about a 12 volt hair dryer connected to the driver's side defrost tube behind the dash.

tried that years ago runs the bat. down pretty quick and does nearly nothing.

I've never tried what you're proposing, but it seems to me that silicone is a great thermal insulator, thus heat transfer into the pipes would be less than desired. I'd focus on some sort of metallic solution as others have suggested.