What year is this heater for and how rare/valuable is it?

[lancemb]

Anyone familiar?  Definitely looks prewar but not familiar...

 

[Pete Phillips]

1930s, but don't know exact year.

[RivNut]

Looks a lot like the one that was in Dad's 38 Special.

[MCHinson]

I don't think it is a quite correct 1937 or 1938 heater but it is a Buick heater that appears to be very similar to the 1937 and 1938 ones. I am more familar with the Deluxe heater for those years, so I did not originally recognize it since the two are a bit different. Upon further research, it appears to be a 1937 or 1938 Buick Standard Heater (Model 68) but it has the wrong knobs on it. The original ivory colored knobs have been replaced with round metal knobs. 

 

If you will check this link you will see what it would look like with the correct knobs: https://sites.google.com/site/vintageharrisonheaters/home/pre-war-heaters-1935-1941

Edited November 1, 2019 by MCHinson (see edit history)

[lancemb]

Thanks all for the replies.  From site MCHinson referenced this appears to be a 39-40 heater.

 

Does anyone have a clue what it's worth?  Not mine, but a friend is considering buying it.

[39BuickEight]

Definitely not the "typical" 1939 heater I have seen, but there is no doubt that overlap occurs on these from year to year.

[DonMicheletti]

More important than anything else is the condition of the core. A new replacement is about $600 if the existing core cant be repaired. If the core is leaky it is nearly worthless - especially with the bogus knobs.

[MCHinson]

lancemb,

Look a little closer at the link I posted. Your photos show it is a Model 68 heater which is a 1937 or 1938 Master series heater with the wrong knobs. It is identical to the 1939 and 1940 Model 100 Master series heater except for the paint color and the knobs. 

 

Also, it appears to have a later plastic fan blade from the photos. That may or may not be a problem, but it would make me suspect that someone has done some level of "restoration" of the heater.  

Edited November 1, 2019 by MCHinson (see edit history)

[Barney Eaton]

Here are some pictures..........

The first 2 are from the 1939 accessory book.   The heater with the defroster hosed is listed as the "K" heater and was $26.50 installed at the factory.

The heater that has Master on the front is the "M" heater and was 12.50 not installed.........there was an option "N" which was the defroster hoses and connections that was $7.50 not installed

The color picture is the heater in my '39 Century......which does not match either of the above and must be from another year Buick.

[BuickBob49]

Here's a photo of the "K" heater in my 1939 Roadmaster.   Barney, thanks for including the literature showing the hose routing!

Edited November 2, 2019 by BuickBob49 (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

4 hours ago, Barney Eaton said:

 

 

The color picture is the heater in my '39 Century......which does not match either of the above and must be from another year Buick.

 

 

Barney, Your heater is a 1937-1938 Deluxe Heater - Model 69 as shown in the link that I posted earlier... https://sites.google.com/site/vintageharrisonheaters/home/pre-war-heaters-1935-1941 I suspect that it was not that unusual to see those still being installed in 1939 Buicks.

[38Buick 80C]

Lance I'm pretty sure it's a '38-39 era master heater with the wrong knobs and color. the knobs can be obtained from Skip Boyer and to get the correct paint do a black wrinkle finish paint (as only black is for sale) and then top coat it with a matte brown. I'd say the chrome emblems are probably a moderate value $25-40 for the set. As others have pointed out the rest of the package is probably worth another $25 to 40 as a full restoration and re-core is more than likely necessary for a restored car. if it is just going in a fun car, pressure test it and if good let it go. 

 

MCHinson is correct on Barney's and my comments above to make it brown wrinkle finish would apply as smooth gold gloss finish is not authentic though pleasing to the eye in the case of Barney's.

[lancemb]

Thanks for all the replies.  It's been an interesting education on these!  A friend found the one above in central IN for $45.  Neither of us have a car to put it on currently, he just thought it was cool.

 

I have no idea if the core is any good but it sounds like it's fairly priced if anyone is near central IN and wants me to share the link.

 

If I had hydronic heat in my house it would be cool to buy it hook it up someplace near a workbenche or something!

[Barney Eaton]

A simple bench test with 15 psi of air should tell you if the core is any good.

Maybe on 10 psi because those years were non-pressurized cooling systems.

Where in Central Indiana..........I spent my first 26 years in Frankfort.

[lancemb]

My buddy is in but the heater is in Marion

On 11/3/2019 at 8:27 AM, Barney Eaton said:

A simple bench test with 15 psi of air should tell you if the core is any good.

Maybe on 10 psi because those years were non-pressurized cooling systems.

Where in Central Indiana..........I spent my first 26 years in Frankfort.

My buddy is in Fishers but the heater is in Marion