Car Heaters for Classic Cars

A classic car heater can be a best friend when driving in cold climates, allowing you to enjoy the experience regardless of the season or temperature. Even a portable in car heater will help produce enough of a rise in temperature to keep your hands and feet warm, making the drive more bearable for both you and passengers.

Car heaters with a defrost option help to keep your windshield clear of ice, frost, and fog so that you can see more clearly while driving in cold weather and climates. Without them, you will be pulling over to scrape the outside of the windshield, and in some cases, the inside of the windshield as well.

In most automotive applications with liquid-cooled engines, the car heater (system) includes a heater core, a blower fan, a heater control valve, and control panel. Hot engine coolant is circulated from the engine into the passenger cabin where it radiates from the heater core located under the dashboard. The heat from the heater core is then moved through ducting under the dash to the bottom of the windshield and to vents on the dash that can be directed on the passengers with a blower fan. The flow of hot coolant can be controlled with a heater control valve that is either mechanical, vacuum, or electrically-operated. A control panel allows the adjustment of heat, flow, and blower fan speed through cables, vacuum lines, or electrical wires. On cold days, the defrost function (if equipped) can be selected, directing hot air to the bottom of the windshield where it helps thaw frost and ice, clearing the windshield and improving driving visibility.

In order to fix a car heater, the components that need repair or replacement need identified. The most common automotive heater components include the following: