Removing Carrera footwell blowers - okay for new england winter?

r-mm · 10-20-2014, 06:05 PM

I removed an inop motor in my passenger side footwell and lasercut a blockoff plate to keep the correct airflow distribution.

The driver's side blower is now sounding cagey and I'm thinking of doing the same on that side. My flapper boxes have been rebuilt, all the hoses replaced with SCEET and my engine blower is working. I have never wanted for heat. Can someone who has gone thru a northeastern (or equiv) winter confirm that no footwell blowers at all still a livable cabin makes?

Does this basically give me SC heating?

Dave Colangelo · Dave Colangelo's Garage

I have an SC Targa and my engine blower does not even work. There is enough pressure from the main fan to drive air though the system and make the car "liveable" but barely at that. It really depends what your tolerance is, if you can put up with the cold and dont mind possibly wearing a jacket when you drive the car then you will be fine.

Regards
Dave

Walt Fricke · 10-20-2014, 06:55 PM

My '77 (no footwell blowers) was my ski car for about seven years, as well as my drive to work car. I never felt it lacked adequate, or reasonably quick to warm up, heat. Drove it from Boulder to Minnesota and back in the winter once. Nasty blizzard on way back. Had to crack open a window off and on while driving to keep heat balanced (if I were smarter, I would have realized I could use the dash fresh air controls to do the same thing, and more evenly). It didn't have the often misbehaving Tempostat - just hand levers.

Don't recall our '84 with those blowers being better, although it wasn't purposely used in bad weather. Plus it had the blowers with no fuse, which led to electrical fires - or at least smoke and fumes - when the fans seized against the housings.

So I'd say you will be able to get by quite reasonably.

r-mm · 10-20-2014, 06:59 PM

Thanks Walt - that was my instinct too. I'm mostly concerned with the potential for fire and the god awful tinny sound of the fan.

Walt Fricke · 10-20-2014, 07:47 PM

Of course, you have to understand I transitioned from a VW van and a Beetle (van much colder) so the 911's heat was like heaven, and had slept in both in the winter skiing. And am sometimes hot when my wife complains of the cold.

wwest · wwest's Garage

World of difference defogging the interior surface of the windshield, and keeping it that way, in my '88 vs the'78 without the footwell blower "boost". Much safer wintertime driving.

Simple heating, not so much, if any.

McLaren-TAG · McLaren-TAG's Garage

I have a complete heat backdate, SSIs, removed engine blower and added SCAT ducting with the backdated fan tin. I did remove the footwell blowers. I have only one issues with heat other than you can roast a turkey on high. It doesn't maintain air flow at idle when cold. When the car is warm, the air flow you get is plenty.

IMO the seized blowers were impeding flow to begin with so it was a net gain, while loosing quite a few lbs from the car.

Jp-oh · Jp-oh's Garage

I ran all winter last year and it was the coldpocalyps. Unless it was really cold, below -15c I'd be ok with just the rear blower. Much below that and I felt better having it set to 2 on the front fans. -25 and below and all fans on high and it was a battle against the cold.