Underseat heater question.

[jeryst]

I've noticed heater cores for sale that are supposed to go under the seat of a Studebaker.

Which models came with this? Was it an option, or standard?

[rockne10]

Pretty standard through the mid fifties, should include your Hawk. It was a heck of a heater but the defroster suffered by comparison. The separate defroster core got limited coolant flow and was fed by cabin air. It barely came up to snuff once the cabin air was reasonably heated.

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
'33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight

[jeryst]

quote:Originally posted by rockne10

Pretty standard through the mid fifties, should include your Hawk. It was a heck of a heater but the defroster suffered by comparison. The separate defroster core got limited coolant flow and was fed by cabin air. It barely came up to snuff once the cabin air was reasonably heated.

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
'33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight

Did they mount on the floor, or up under the seat? I've looked on mine, and dont see any evidence of one. Where did the hoses run?

[sbca96]

On the passenger side there was a heater core setup with hoses that
ran from the cooling system and under the car. I wish I had not had
to throw that all away when my dad sold the house.

Tom

'63 Avanti, zinc plated drilled & slotted 03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, soon: TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves, 'R3' 276 cam, Edelbrock AFB Carb, GM HEI distributor, 8.8mm plug wires

[studeclunker]

Jerry, on the sedans and wagons the heater core is in it's own well under the passenger seat. Air is supplied by a long duct from either the firewall or the right (passenger again) side wheel well where the fan is located. The diverter valve is mounted on the firewall on the passenger side. The hoses go from there, down the firewall and under the car to the core-well under the seat. There's over six feet of hose involved! Add to that two smaller hoses leading to the defroster.

quote:It was a heck of a heater but the defroster suffered by comparison. The separate defroster core got limited coolant flow and was fed by cabin air. It barely came up to snuff once the cabin air was reasonably heated.

Brad, I'll remember that once my own heater is functional again. So, if the windows start to fog, once the cabin is heated, one must shut off the heat to defrost?


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[rockne10]

No, you can't shut off the coolant flow to the defroster. Your windshield should not fog up in any event, unless you are recirculating cabin air to your heater core. Air to your heater should come from outside.
The coolant hose runs from the water pump to the control valve on the firewall, then to the heat core under the seat, then back to the engine block. There is a metal "T" fitted in the hose near the firewall. It's only a 5/16" supply to the defroster core so the coolant will still seek the path of least resistance through the larger orifice to the heater. Another "T" returns the defroster coolant to the hose leading to the engine. When you start your car and the windshield is covered with ice and snow, the first thing you want is a clear windshield and the "Climatizer", as Studebaker called it, was wont to respond.
Still, we lived with it and survived. I drove my '53 many years winter and summer. Once the cabin air was heated I never had a problem keeping the windshield clear.
If you shut the outside air to your heater and use only recirculated cabin air the humidity from your body and breath will cause the windshield to fog, even with the defroster on. That's why the windows always fogged at the drive-in theater. Not that I noticed.[:I]

[Carl Purdy]

I've got to tell a story here. One time years ago we were on our way to Tennessee in the 51. We had stopped in Arkansas to eat. When we came out there was antifreeze dripping form under the car. Now it was in the 30ds. I took the heater hoses loose and made a loop and put it back on the water pump. I took the defroster hoses off the windshield and turned them down to the floor. It kept the car warm.


7G-Q1 49 2R12 10G-F5 56B-D4 56B-F2
Work on your Studebaker you will live longer.

[Anne F. Goodman]

http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o269/nw3anne/Hawk%20Heater/

THis is some of the Duct work under the car 1957 Silverhawk

Mabel 1949 Champion
1957 Silverhawk
1955 Champion 4Dr.Regal
Gus 1958 Transtar
1955 President State
1957 Golden Hawk
Fresno,Ca

[acolds]

Trick used by old Studebaker owners like my father was to open the vent windows a little with the heater on and the warm, air would move past the windshield on it way out of the car but the heater had to be getting fresh air thru the outside vent with the inner door on the vent system closed to get the fresh air thru the heater core. Suppose this was one of the first flow thru ventilation systems.
Not sure but I think there was a aux heater offered for under the drivers seat in addition to the one under the passenger side

[Michidan]

There is an article in the current Hot Rod deluxe about installing an underseat heater from mid 50'2 Buick/Pontiac into a later vehicle as accessory heat. No mention of Studebaker, but then the air delivery to the Stude setup is a bit different.
No doubt the price of these old cores at the junkyard will go up for a while.

https://www.studebakerhardtop.com

[StudHawk60]

quote:Originally posted by acolds


Not sure but I think there was a aux heater offered for under the drivers seat in addition to the one under the passenger side

The photo above is of the aux heater.

[studeclunker]

quote: Originally posted by StudHawk60

quote:Originally posted by acolds


Not sure but I think there was a aux heater offered for under the drivers seat in addition to the one under the passenger side

[size=3]The photo above is of the aux heater.

Boy oh boy! Owing to the seemingly majority of Studebaker buyers being CASOs, that must have been one rare option (LOL)!



Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[jeryst]

Well, the car was up on the rack today, so I took the opportunity to snoop around. Sure enough, there are heater hoses running into the bottom of the passenger seat area.