Questions about Tucker heater units

[NailheadRocketdriver]

I was looking through the posts one day and i remember that something was said about the Tucker heater being a dealer accessory that a buyer would be able to get in addition to a few other items before they took delivery of their car. What did this heater look like? Did it go onto the firewall in the "crash chamber" area, or did it go some place less conspicuous like under the seat? Also, how was the heater controlled? Did it have a control on the driver's instrument panel or directly on the unit itself?

Paul

[Tuckerfan1053]

The heater was under the driver's seat and was basically an adaptation of the design used on aircraft, wherein gasoline was burned to generate heat. The controls were on the side of the instrument cluster.

Heater's being an option at that time wasn't all that uncommon.

[NailheadRocketdriver]

So this was like the heater used on VW Bugs and Corvairs? Interesting, seeing as the Tucker was a water cooled car and it could have easily have gotten a heater core installed into the interior. What about this pic of looks to be a heater unit on the firewall of #1029 though? (2nd pic down) Was this just an add on put on at a later date?

[Tuckerfan1053]

What pic, where?

[NailheadRocketdriver]

In the "see a Tucker" section on this website, look at #1029 and you'll see the unit I'm speaking of on the firewall to the right side of the instrument panel. Looks like theres a hose going to it under the firewall carpet as well.

Paul

[NailheadRocketdriver]

Here is something interesting, I just went back to look at #1029 again and now it is telling me that there is no images available. There were some there just the other day, I wonder who deleted them? Hmm..... very odd. I wonder if there's any other cars that have had their pics magically disappear.

[TuckerCar]

Server upgrade. Should be working now.

[Tuckerfan1053]

No clue. That might be something someone added. Also, technically, that's not the firewall, since the engine's in the rear.

[plancor 792]

Some Tucker's had factory installed Motorola heaters under the drivers seat. These were gas heaters, and not all cars had a heater for whatever reason.
However in selling the Accessory packages a heater was included in several of these packages that the customer or dealer would install once the car was sold. Those heaters were hot water heaters, manufacturer unknown. However in that time period Southwind was making an outstanding gas heater that could have been mounted in the crash chamber area.I do not know how many of any of these heaters were installed in Tucker automobiles.The one in 1029 is definitely a hot water style heater.
Richard

[TuckerCar]

I believe B&B was the manufacturer of the "official" Tucker Accessory Heater.

[NailheadRocketdriver]

Thanks everyone for the info on the heater and clearing up how the ones used in the Tucker actually worked. I knew that it was possible to install a hot water heater, even in a rear engine car. This is handy to know, especially when considering the construction of a replicar. One could still run lines under the car to the cooling system in the back and still have a normal heater core inside the car, or use a Corvair gas heater. I tend to think that the gas heater is a little dangerous though. Ive been told that it was the cause of fires in old VW Bugs. I was just curious about that unit in 1029 because I don't remember a heater of that type being mentioned as an option before. I wonder if there is still some of those units out there, sitting in a box collecting dust.

[Tuckerfan1053]

I imagine the magnesium blocks had an awful lot to do with the VW fires. The gas fired heaters are evidently still standard equipment on prop driven aircraft, and Tucker heaters in boxes show up on eBay every now and then. The last auction I saw, the heater went for about $200.

[NailheadRocketdriver]

Yeah, the magnesium blocks were a problem too. I have a friend who is an aircooled VW fanatic and he said that the heater,the block and something to do with how the fuel line was fastened into the carburetor was a cause of fires in Bugs and buses. His bus went up in flames because of a fuel line issue. $200 for a heater, hmm..... thanks for letting me know about that. Maybe I can start stockpiling parts now. I remember seeing the auction for the spare center "grille" piece from a Tucker bumper and seeing the assembly piece for the revolving center headlamp being put up on Ebay too. I really wish i didn't miss out on those.