Which is the correct heater?
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Which is the correct heater?
Hi,
I was unsure where to post this question but then I reckoned that if the "concours" people could't answer it maybe nobody could... it's regarding the heater.
My car is a 4-door, split screen, LHD Saloon. It was registered in February '54 and built in early January or, maybe, December '53.
I don't know if it ever had a heater originaly fitted to it (I think it was an optional extra...). However, the ones available at the time were made by Smiths and were of the round type. I think they were about 30 cm in diameter and were centraly fitted between the dash and the parcel shelf.
I was under the ideia that they were painted in a brownish gold, similar to the dash colour. However, recently I was told that they were, in fact, of black bakelite!
Does someone now which is correct, gold metal casing or black bakelite?
Many thanks,
Pedro
I was unsure where to post this question but then I reckoned that if the "concours" people could't answer it maybe nobody could... it's regarding the heater.
My car is a 4-door, split screen, LHD Saloon. It was registered in February '54 and built in early January or, maybe, December '53.
I don't know if it ever had a heater originaly fitted to it (I think it was an optional extra...). However, the ones available at the time were made by Smiths and were of the round type. I think they were about 30 cm in diameter and were centraly fitted between the dash and the parcel shelf.
I was under the ideia that they were painted in a brownish gold, similar to the dash colour. However, recently I was told that they were, in fact, of black bakelite!
Does someone now which is correct, gold metal casing or black bakelite?
Many thanks,
Pedro
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If your car was marked as EXPORT (and one would assume so sinc eit is LHD) a heater would have been standard.
All the early heaters I have seen on early cars are of the gold type.
The black ones were the ones in the early 1000 (Series III) but were hidden behind a fascia (expensive word for a piece of cardboard
Exception to this rule however is my Lowlight, which was fitted with a Clayton unit mounted lower down in the passenger foot well.
All the early heaters I have seen on early cars are of the gold type.
The black ones were the ones in the early 1000 (Series III) but were hidden behind a fascia (expensive word for a piece of cardboard
Exception to this rule however is my Lowlight, which was fitted with a Clayton unit mounted lower down in the passenger foot well.
Onne van der S. MMOCno 60520 Moderator
2dr 1971 White DAF 55 (with hopefully a 1600cc engine soon)
2dr 1973 Bergina (DAF 44)
2dr Estate 1975 DAF 46 in red
2dr saloon 1972 DAF 44 in Mimosa
2dr 1971 White DAF 55 (with hopefully a 1600cc engine soon)
2dr 1973 Bergina (DAF 44)
2dr Estate 1975 DAF 46 in red
2dr saloon 1972 DAF 44 in Mimosa
I was unaware that export cars had heaters as standard. Already learned something!
As far as I was able to inquire, the gold round heater should be the one for my car, as you confirmed by your own experience and knowledge. The black heater fitted to later cars wasn´t round at all, as far as I know.
However, the heater I saw for sale as being for an early Minor, had a black bakelite cover was also round!
If you could take a look at this link, it is posted on e-Bay.
Thanks again,
Pedro
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MORRIS-MINOR-SERI ... 240%3A1318
As far as I was able to inquire, the gold round heater should be the one for my car, as you confirmed by your own experience and knowledge. The black heater fitted to later cars wasn´t round at all, as far as I know.
However, the heater I saw for sale as being for an early Minor, had a black bakelite cover was also round!
If you could take a look at this link, it is posted on e-Bay.
Thanks again,
Pedro
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MORRIS-MINOR-SERI ... 240%3A1318
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There were a few versions over the years and only the final version (with inlet pipe from next to the grille for external air) was not round.The black heater fitted to later cars wasn´t round at all, as far as I know
The round ones started as gold with steel front panel, then black smiths with bakelite front panel, then came a round version with external inlet (including pressed steel ducting to blukhead crossmember).
I'm not clued up on export cars, but a UK car in that age would have had a round gold version.
Excess stock of this type was still aroung in 1956/57 and was fitted on Minor 1000 disability cars (together with lots of other old stock SII parts).
Ray. MMOC#47368. Forum moderator.
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
Thanks guy's, missed this one To confirm, it would have been the round gold type. Sorry, this was the first time anyone has posted in the concours section for a long time
Bill Hewlett
Oxon & Berks Branch Chairman - MOT-UK Organiser (see http://www.blurb.com/books/1518384 and http://www.blurb.com/books/2422813)
Oxon & Berks Website: http://www.bucksinfo.net/mogbox/
Oxon & Berks Branch Chairman - MOT-UK Organiser (see http://www.blurb.com/books/1518384 and http://www.blurb.com/books/2422813)
Oxon & Berks Website: http://www.bucksinfo.net/mogbox/
Thankyou all!
So, round shaped, gold painted with steel front plate it is!
By the way, since the heater I've been offered to buy needs to be reconditioned and, therefore, painted, which gold are we talking about?
I guess it may be quit difficult to know for sure because then, as it happens today still, automakers outsource several components and so even if the colour was generaly speaking the same( gold, in this case), there may be slight variations of hue and saturation.
Having said this, in the case of Minors this age, there were several gold painted components: dash, steering wheel base, steering column, windscreen central pilar inner side, handbrake and heater (as we came to agree...). These were manufatured by different companies (at least the heater, by Smiths) so I would assume that, originaly, they would have slight variations of hue and saturation of gold paint.
Today, cars undergoing full nut & bolt restorations (such as my own...) have these parts painted with the exactly same paint.
All this to say that I shall paint the heater with the same gold paint as the dash... unless someone argues otherwise!
Does anyone want to comment on this?
Pedro
So, round shaped, gold painted with steel front plate it is!
By the way, since the heater I've been offered to buy needs to be reconditioned and, therefore, painted, which gold are we talking about?
I guess it may be quit difficult to know for sure because then, as it happens today still, automakers outsource several components and so even if the colour was generaly speaking the same( gold, in this case), there may be slight variations of hue and saturation.
Having said this, in the case of Minors this age, there were several gold painted components: dash, steering wheel base, steering column, windscreen central pilar inner side, handbrake and heater (as we came to agree...). These were manufatured by different companies (at least the heater, by Smiths) so I would assume that, originaly, they would have slight variations of hue and saturation of gold paint.
Today, cars undergoing full nut & bolt restorations (such as my own...) have these parts painted with the exactly same paint.
All this to say that I shall paint the heater with the same gold paint as the dash... unless someone argues otherwise!
Does anyone want to comment on this?
Pedro
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- Moderator
- Posts: 7679
- Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2002 2:55 pm
- Location: LEAMINGTON SPA
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after 50 years the colour will not be the same as when it was made anyway! So even if a 50 year old heater looks slightly different shade to the dash it may well have started off the same shade.All this to say that I shall paint the heater with the same gold paint as the dash... unless someone argues otherwise!
My very hazy memory is that my gold heater was a slightly lighter gold than the dash but as I never put them next to each other that means very little!
Ray. MMOC#47368. Forum moderator.
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block