I live in Seattle, and it?s too cold for me to enjoy driving my street buggy! And I don?t want to wait another 7 months for our 6 weeks of summer weather. I have an old 6 volt Southwind gas heater, it?s the one where both fans are clamped to the mounting base with a minimum of ?dryer hose? ducting. Southwind was apparently one of the VW of North America dealer installed gas heat options. I remember seeing an advertisement in an old ?Dune Buggies Magazine? where an outfit in the midwest had a picture of one mounted under the dash on the passenger side of a Manx. Here are a couple of pictures of mine: This is the view you would see if you were on the passenger floor looking up: This is the view if you were at the front bulkhead, looking to the back of the car: Does anybody on this site have any experience with the Southwind VW gas heater in a Manx? I?m looking for best experience and pictures if possible in the following areas: 1). How yours is mounted. (I?m thinking of hanging it on the dash brace.) 2). How you ran the exhaust. (I?m thinking a steel exhaust pipe down the interior of the front bulkhead, exiting through the floor. Is exhaust pipe insulation required?) 3). Where you draw your intake air from? 4). Best ways to duct the ?conditioned? cabin air. 5). Were you able to get some windshield defroster functioning? 6). Can I run this beast on 12 volts? Or will spinning the fuel pump that fast mess-up the fuel/air mixture? 7). Can I step down the voltage to the two motors with a resister? Or are the 12volt replacement motors available to convert it to native 12 volts. . Does anybody have a manual that I can buy? Any better ideas? Thanks in advance!
I rode in a Manx years ago with a Southwind heater, there was no need for ducting. It was unbearably hot inside when it was 5 deg outside. His was mounted on a piece of plywood inplace of the rear seat base. The exhaust went down thru the seat base and the fuel line came up thru the seat base. He would remove it in the Summer and replace the seat base and you never knew it was there.
Has anyone ever fitted a body lift kit to their Manx and then used that for heater channels for the stock heater? I have made a 3 inch body lift for my buggy out of 3 inch RHS. It would be perfect for a stock heater if I wanted but it doesn't get cold enough here to bother.
I know the underbody Manx tubing has been used for heating and A/C ducting on buggies in the past. Meyers once told me he used to drive his buggy whilst in a sleeping bag, in cold conditions,, at the time I thought he was kidding me,, but I tried it, and it aint so bad once you get a feel for the pedals,, not the kinda thing for street driving though. Hey Pete, keep your eyes open for Southwind heaters at the shows ,, they would sell well here,,, how windy is it up north? :help:
Gary, Thanks for the links to the manuals. They will help me clarify how this thing works, with out the errors introduced by my 'reverse engineering' it. Jerry, Thanks for the warming experience! Actualy 'unbearably hot' sounds pretty good to me right now, I long for the dry summer desert heat of Carson Valley NV during the summer. I think I'm living in the wrong climate. From what I've heard from folks with gas heaters in their bugs and buses the mechanical thermistat is pretty effective. And I think the model I have is the bug model rated at 13,000 BTU, not the 20,000 BTU bus unit. I'll let you all know my experience when I get it together. Still the mental image of the raindrops and snow vaporizing before thay land in my moving buggy is intriguing. Mark, I like the idea of 'multi-function' lift channels as heat channels. Integrated design.. Mel, I have tried the 'sleeping bag' method. It works ok for trips as long as the bag remains dry, but for around town it is a little clumsy for constant clutch and brake peddle pushing. I want real heat!
Thanks Jerry, I will try out the Coleman Golf Cart Heater, but I would still like to collect installation and use experience of the old school gas heaters (Southwind and Eberspacher and others) in buggies. I'm pretty sure there are some installations out there?
I'd be inclined to wire and plumb the unit up 'on the bench' to make sure it all works before you drill any holes in the Buggy. I'm not sure what parts availability is for them.
"Wise men talk because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something." (Plato)
My dad had one put in his '57 deluxe microbus and complained that it used more gas than the motor. (Bufflao, N.Y.) Back then, He had to go to Toronto for a dealer that would install it. Doug
Believe it or not, but there was a company that adapted SOuthwind heaters for use in Dune buggies. Sadly I had a NOS kit that I bought with a bunch of stuff a long time ago. It had everything in it. I traded it off for a Westfalia Drive away tent that I needed more than a gas heater. I tried to buy it back a couple of years later but the guy sold it to someone else to use in a bus. I distinctly remember that the box said "BUGGY HEATER" on it and it had a dune buggy on the graphic label. 2nd, there were modified heat exhchangers that I believe were sold by BF MEYERS around 1970. These were functioned like the VW heater but they were manufactured differently. I have seen only one set on a Meyers Manx that was a dealer show car. VERY COOL or HOT Chris
Thanks for the links to the technical manuals. The set that is located on TheSamba is very complete and a high quality scan.... very readable. Chris, would you have any photographs of your old NOS Buggy Heater? that sounds like a very ineresting bit of history. I managed to hook my heater up to power, and everything spins and whirrs just fine. After blowing the dust off I found 'Checked OK 4/7/94' on each of the components, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed I have a working unit. I do plan to 'bench test/fire' it, (probably in the back yard) before installing it in my Manx. I used the stock heater boxes on my last buggy and wasn't happy with the heat outlet location below the rear bench. It just got the back of the seat hot. So this time I'm thinking get the heat up front, down at my feet and let it drift back will work better. I will post pictures of the install, and let you all know if it works.
I finally spent a few hours on getting the buggy ready for the upcoming summer season. I pulled the hood to install a larger gas tank, redo the gauges and wiring, and install a working 12 volt Stewart-Warner/South Wind gas heater out of a Craigslist 1967 bug being parted. It is a model 8345C-12. Test firing it prior to pulling it from the car gave me some experience with how well the thermostat works, how hot the unit gets, and where, how noisy the fan is, how much exhaust is emitted, and how long it takes to cool down. I think it will work just fine for my buggy. Here is a picture of the rough install location: I will be able to get enough room that the overheat sensor will clear the bulkhead, and about 1 inch clearance to the hood. I?m thinking of using come aircraft insulation between the heater and the hood as the heat shield can get quite warm to the touch. With a bit of luck the unit will be removable for service without having to pull the hood. I will probably also use either ?flip down? or removable dash panel for gauge servicing. And getting the fuel cap connected to the fuel tank will have to be planned Here is a view of the foot wells. I think my sheet metal fabricator can make up a manifold to distribute the heat across the front bulkhead. I think it will all work, and we will may have toasty toes on those chilly Northwest mountain drives.
I just finished the hood-off rebuild of my Manx Classic, which included installing a South-Wind gas heater. I thought I?d update this post with information for anybody else contemplating extending their buggy season with an on-board heater. Here is the finished product: I chose to install a gas heater because I (1) wanted real, immediate and controllable heat, (2) I didn?t want to cut any more holes in 39 year old body for exhaust heat ducts, (3) I?m running a Corvair engine and space is limited for engine heat ducts, (4) I wanted an uncluttered but serviceable installation. The installation fits nicely under the dash. It is snug, but it is servisable. The combination blower-switch/pull-temperature nob is just to the right of the ignition switch. The insulated exhaust pipe exits through the floor near the bulkhead on the passenger side footwell. The burner sits over the passenger feet, and the exhaust-fan/fuelpump-ignition is between the burner and the steering column. This is what it looks like before mounting the hood: I used a functioning South-Wind model 8345C (12 volt) heater found on Craigslist, and modified it by re-mounting the exhaust fan/fuel-pump motor to the side for under-dash clearance. I tried to keep serviceability in mind so I mounted it so that the points, plugs, coil etc. can all be worked on in place, or removed as components without removing the hood. I also had to pay attention to steering column clearance, underdash wiring service, routing the (short) heater control cable as straight as possible (it is the nob next to the ignition switch), and maintaining access for clamping the center of the hood fuel filler from under the hood. The last proved to be the only real challenge. Smaller hands would help, and a mirror will be needed to find the hose clamp by anyone taking the hood apart. I added an additional heat shield over the burner to keep from overheating the fiberglass, but even with the heater cranked on full I don?t think that it is really needed as the heater has an over-temperature shut-down. Pre-wiring the instrument panel as recommended in the Manx assembly instructions is even more important as behind the dash access is now really tight (but doable for service). The South-Wind manuals that Gary0302 and CairoManx pointed to were an enormous help in identifying the unit I had, understanding how it works, and re-wiring for my installation. I did a full functional test after mounting and wiring but before installing the hood. The installation was a bit more labor intensive than I initially expected, but I?m pleased with the results. The mechanical spring type thermostat maintains a fairly constant warm air temperature by toggling the burner on /off as required. I think that a gas heater is worth doing, but Next Time I do this: (1) I will consider using a different fuel filler setup so the hose clamp connecting to the tank is not so inaccessible. (2) I might be tempted to use a higher BTU bus burner now that I know the temperate is even and controllable. The burner on my unit is rated at 13000 BTU. I think the bus unit is rated at 20000 BTU. (3) I may wrap the exhaust in foil for cosmetics. With the double layer of fiberglass exhaust wrapping (from a boat supply) it get warm but not hot. (4) The single speed air distribution fan is a bit like a leaf blower in strength, not uncivilized, but a bit crude by today?s standards. I would consider incorporating a fan speed control , (I tried a Radio Shack rheostat but it fried). I put some other photos of the project in my gallery. I hope this will be some help to other colder climate buggy drivers. The driver and front seat passengers can now have warm feet and legs while driving with the top down. Now all I need is a top and side curtains to contain the heat for when it really gets cold.
This is the view if you were at the front bulkhead, looking to the back of the car: 
Does anybody on this site have any experience with the Southwind VW gas heater in a Manx? I?m looking for best experience and pictures if possible in the following areas: 1). How yours is mounted. (I?m thinking of hanging it on the dash brace.) 2). How you ran the exhaust. (I?m thinking a steel exhaust pipe down the interior of the front bulkhead, exiting through the floor. Is exhaust pipe insulation required?) 3). Where you draw your intake air from? 4). Best ways to duct the ?conditioned? cabin air. 5). Were you able to get some windshield defroster functioning? 6). Can I run this beast on 12 volts? Or will spinning the fuel pump that fast mess-up the fuel/air mixture? 7). Can I step down the voltage to the two motors with a resister? Or are the 12volt replacement motors available to convert it to native 12 volts. 
. Does anybody have a manual that I can buy? Any better ideas? Thanks in advance! 
They are sold for golf carts.
I will be able to get enough room that the overheat sensor will clear the bulkhead, and about 1 inch clearance to the hood. I?m thinking of using come aircraft insulation between the heater and the hood as the heat shield can get quite warm to the touch. With a bit of luck the unit will be removable for service without having to pull the hood. I will probably also use either ?flip down? or removable dash panel for gauge servicing. And getting the fuel cap connected to the fuel tank will have to be planned Here is a view of the foot wells. 
I think my sheet metal fabricator can make up a manifold to distribute the heat across the front bulkhead. I think it will all work, and we will may have toasty toes on those chilly Northwest mountain drives. 
I chose to install a gas heater because I (1) wanted real, immediate and controllable heat, (2) I didn?t want to cut any more holes in 39 year old body for exhaust heat ducts, (3) I?m running a Corvair engine and space is limited for engine heat ducts, (4) I wanted an uncluttered but serviceable installation. The installation fits nicely under the dash. It is snug, but it is servisable. The combination blower-switch/pull-temperature nob is just to the right of the ignition switch. The insulated exhaust pipe exits through the floor near the bulkhead on the passenger side footwell. The burner sits over the passenger feet, and the exhaust-fan/fuelpump-ignition is between the burner and the steering column. This is what it looks like before mounting the hood: 
I used a functioning South-Wind model 8345C (12 volt) heater found on Craigslist, and modified it by re-mounting the exhaust fan/fuel-pump motor to the side for under-dash clearance. I tried to keep serviceability in mind so I mounted it so that the points, plugs, coil etc. can all be worked on in place, or removed as components without removing the hood. I also had to pay attention to steering column clearance, underdash wiring service, routing the (short) heater control cable as straight as possible (it is the nob next to the ignition switch), and maintaining access for clamping the center of the hood fuel filler from under the hood. The last proved to be the only real challenge. Smaller hands would help, and a mirror will be needed to find the hose clamp by anyone taking the hood apart. I added an additional heat shield over the burner to keep from overheating the fiberglass, but even with the heater cranked on full I don?t think that it is really needed as the heater has an over-temperature shut-down. Pre-wiring the instrument panel as recommended in the Manx assembly instructions is even more important as behind the dash access is now really tight (but doable for service). The South-Wind manuals that Gary0302 and CairoManx pointed to were an enormous help in identifying the unit I had, understanding how it works, and re-wiring for my installation. I did a full functional test after mounting and wiring but before installing the hood. The installation was a bit more labor intensive than I initially expected, but I?m pleased with the results. The mechanical spring type thermostat maintains a fairly constant warm air temperature by toggling the burner on /off as required. I think that a gas heater is worth doing, but Next Time I do this: (1) I will consider using a different fuel filler setup so the hose clamp connecting to the tank is not so inaccessible. (2) I might be tempted to use a higher BTU bus burner now that I know the temperate is even and controllable. The burner on my unit is rated at 13000 BTU. I think the bus unit is rated at 20000 BTU. (3) I may wrap the exhaust in foil for cosmetics. With the double layer of fiberglass exhaust wrapping (from a boat supply) it get warm but not hot. (4) The single speed air distribution fan is a bit like a leaf blower in strength, not uncivilized, but a bit crude by today?s standards. I would consider incorporating a fan speed control , (I tried a Radio Shack rheostat but it fried). I put some other photos of the project in my gallery. I hope this will be some help to other colder climate buggy drivers. The driver and front seat passengers can now have warm feet and legs while driving with the top down. Now all I need is a top and side curtains to contain the heat for when it really gets cold.