heater restoration

[Guest Brady]

I'm restoring a 1949 Dodge Wayfarer. I have found a few places that will repair the heater core, but where do you get air duct that runs from the blower fan to the fire wall? The old one is made of a tar paper like substance, it is about an eight of an inch thick, and tears easily. The blower fan is mounted forward in the engine bay, just next to the radiator, so this duct is about 20" long.

Also, most of my chrome body side molding is good except one piece. Does anyone remanufacture chrome body molding to match the existing pieces? I could wait for years to find this obscure piece of molding for sail.

thanks

Brady

[keiser31]

Which body side molding do you need?

[Guest Brady]

I NEED the passenger side rear quarter panel, i could use also the driver side front quarter panel, but I can fix that one.

thanks

brady

[Guest abh3usn]

Brady, you might try Lowes or Home Depot for the heater ducting. They may have some type of duct hose that may work fine. It's worth a shot.

[John Hamilton]

NAPA had some ductwork that is black with wire wrapped inside for strength. I used some for my wife's International pickup heater and it worked great. Hold it in place with radiator hose clamps.

[Guest bookman1]

I'm restoring a 1949 Dodge Wayfarer. I have found a few places that will repair the heater core, but where do you get air duct that runs from the blower fan to the fire wall? The old one is made of a tar paper like substance, it is about an eight of an inch thick, and tears easily. The blower fan is mounted forward in the engine bay, just next to the radiator, so this duct is about 20" long.

Also, most of my chrome body side molding is good except one piece. Does anyone remanufacture chrome body molding to match the existing pieces? I could wait for years to find this obscure piece of molding for sail.

thanks

Brady

I had a friend who works for a heating and cooling company fabricate plenum from sheet metal. We sprayed it with undercoating and it looks just like the original. I can send a photo if you give me your email Mine is olym.books@verizon.net

[Rusty_OToole]

I had the same problem with a 1952 Chrysler New Yorker (same heater setup).

From an upholstery supply store I got a sheet of thick black cardboard used for making door panels. I cut and bent it to shape then fastened it together with pop rivets reinforced by small washers.

To get a sharp bend crease the inside of the bend with a dull knife or even better, one of those rollers you use to press the rubber bead into an aluminum storm window.

This made a replacement functionally identical to the original.

I did not want to use metal because of the sound deadening. The original molded cardboard was used for a reason.

If I wanted to do a show winning restoration I would make a mould off the original and cast one out of fibreglass and paint it with semigloss black paint.

This would not be quick or easy but it would not cost much and would be the ideal replacement.

[Rusty_OToole]

Incidentally my heater had a blower fan in front of the rad support, then the heater, then the cardboard duct about a foot and a half long between the heater and the firewall.

[Guest Brady]

thanks rusty, i'll look into doing that. thanks to everyone else that replied also.