so winters here and believe it or not it gets real cold in the desert,just last year it snowed at the house and there was 6 inches of snow bout 20 miles from here...so having no heater in the truck sucks specially for nikolaus my 20 month old son,,,anybody know how much a heater is and how dificult its is to install

 

I think that member firstrider may have what you need, no idea of price.There are also aftermarket ones, from various sources like J C Whitney, Summit Racing , and the usual suspects.I've no experience with them, thus no recommendation, but you'll soon hear from someone with firsthand knowledge.Good luck.

 

Heaters can run $25 and up. And up. It all depends on style and condition. A basic recirculating air type, with a fan that blows air from inside the cab through a heater core to make it warm is pretty cheap, and I can probably set you up with one. The magic aire style, which incorporates an option to bring in fresh air from outside, will run quite a bit more. "Firstrider" Denny restores those and sells them. But be prepared for the 'and up' price tag, and for good reason. He does a first class job with them, from what I've seen in his pictures here.

Installation is pretty straight forward. A few bolts and a couple hoses through the firewall and you'll be warm. The magic aire also adds a 4" pipe that runs under the fender from the grille to the cowl for the fresh air intake.

 

, iwanaflattie , you will need a '51 heater , '51 fresh air tube , adapter ring , heater boot ,defrost ducts , defrost duct hose ,custom gaskets , to be yr. correct a '51 cable control panel ( a '52 will work ) . Also one of fifty-two_fi's exact repro motor cover badges .Above are '52 Magic Air heaters , the only difference is the spacing of the heater core outlet tubes .'51 is 5 1/8 " apart -'52 is 3 1/8 " apart .Above correct fresh air tube for a '51 as well as a '51 heater boot .Have plenty of all parts in stock . Will post some more pics tues . Installation is the easy part .Just make sure the heater hoses go to the correct places If you are interested get in touch .Thanks , Denny
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1994 Dodge Ram Van ( the work truck ) ,1993 Dakota w/ 44k mi.,1952 F-1 the 1ST-RIDE ,23 T-Roadster w/ 426 wedge bored to 440 (85 % done ) ,1952 F-1 stock (under const) "Those of you who think you know it all are really annoying to those of us who do " Mark Donahue or Roger Penske Indy '71
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In our conversations you sound like a guy who is really conscientious about his truck - and that's a good thing.

Paying attention to detail the first time is the only way to go. I can almost guarantee you that you will go way overboard with your plans to restore your truck. If you have the time and money to buy 2 or 3 half assed heaters and put them together, you have the time and $$ to do it right the first time.

You won't get an endorsement from an e-bayer like this about another member. I highly recommend you send Denny a PM or note and let him set you up with a Magic Aire package - incredible!. You can trust him to do you good, and you will never have to worry about it again!

 

Thanks Julie . It is just the way I do things . Right or not at all .That is why the 1ST-RIDE is not completed yet and why a picture of it is not in my avatar . Plans are to finish it up this winter . All that is left is carpet ( it is here ), abs fire wall panel (here) and to construct the under seat panels and console which will be veneered with american ribbon mahagony , it looks 3 dimentional , with some quilted maple diamond inlays on the seat panel sides and console . Should be bitchen !!!

Will post some before pics of a beter condition before pic Magic Air heater and some not so good heater parts . One can spend some time repairing all that junk,bent , rusted ,swiss cheese , broken of studs ,missing screen (a correct mesh is used ) Not to mention all the equipment that is required .

 

I have several heaters if you are interested PM me or call me at 765-635-3830. I can hook you up with one.

 

I have gotten several things from Denny and have always been pleased with what I got from him. He is a real trustworthy guy. What he tells you he will follow up and do what he says.

 

was the heater an aftermarket thing, looking at the fresh air setup, I think my truck has a patch where that thing should go. maybe my truck had a heater at sometime.

 

Well all 48-52 had punch outs in the cab so the dealer could install them, but if yours has been punched out and patched then you had a magic air in it at one time, but this is unlikely. Check for holes drilled in the firewall or marks on the insulation.

 

Check the knock out plugs 5 1/8 " O.C. for a '51 and 3 1/8 " O.C. for a '52 . Also check the sq. knock on the lower right kick panel of cab .For those considering or wanting a Magic Air system please PM for details . Have alot of heaters and fresh air tubes in inventory .Have 7 at the media blasters getting cleaned up now .The Magic Air heater was a $62.40 option in '52 . It was pay the $$ or freeze your rear . Later , Denny

 

No holes in firewall, just saw the knock out in the side of the cab. There was a hose double backing the water into the water pump that took out the stuck valves and pluged.